Rattlers beat defending champion for indoor track title
Photo courtesy FAMU athletics
By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer
FAMU’s track and field coach Garfield Ellenwood II had a hunch about how his team would do in the SWAC Indoor Track and Field Championship. His feeling that the team would win the title didn’t begin on the day of the finals in Birmingham, Ala.
Actually, Ellenwood who is starting his second year as director of Track & Field and Cross Country, said he felt good about his athletes from day one.
“This has been my goal,” he said a day after the victory on Saturday. “It’s what we’ve been striving for. FAMU has the legacy and it deserves a team like this. Hopefully we have an opportunity to take it to the next level. We are going to be the first HBCU to win the national championship.”
The title was secured when the 4×400-meter relay team took its event. It was made up of Tatiana Martinez, Rori Lowe, Lacie Deboskie, and Alesia Douglas. They finished in a time of 3:44.98, fastest in the event this season for the Rattlers.
The Rattlers went into the decisive relay holding a 112-105 lead on second place-finisher and defending champion Alabama State. Competitors in the high jump gave the team the cushion it need for the relay team to run a relaxed race. The quartet of runners had to finish fourth or better to win the title.
Ellenwood didn’t second-guess their chances.
“I knew it. I was just waiting to get to that point,” he said. “But at the same time, anything could have happened.”
Even with the title, the Rattlers have to wait until after most other conference hold their championship meets this weekend. Those outcomes could determine if any FAMU athlete makes the cut of 16 or better for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. That event takes place March 8-9.
In all, the Rattlers brought home 15 medals. The breakdown included six gold, five silver, and four bronze.
The championship is the second under Ellenwood, who took over the program 13 months ago. He previously led the women’s cross country team to SWAC title.
In the end, only nine points separated FAMU and Alabama State. The Rattlers clinched the title with 122 points.
FAMU’s men’s team placed sixth overall with 52 points among the 11 teams entered.
In addition to the team championship, Nya Blocker and Breanna Brown-Marshall each set SWAC championship records in the 200-meter race and high jump, respectively.
Here are the final results for the FAMU track and field team from the SWAC Indoor Championships with athletes’ time/mark and position of finish:
60 Meters — Tionna Brown, 7.39, first; Nya Blocker, 7.42, second, Rori Lowe, 7.56, fifth; Dajon Clark, 6.71, second.
60 Meter Hurdles — Kimeone McLeod, 8.41, first; Katelynn Smith, 8.83, fifth.
200 Meters — Blocker, 23.34, first; Brown, 24.14, fourth; Lowe, 24.77, sixth, Joseph DeRosier, 22.23, eighth.
400 Meters — Tatianna Martinez, 55.61, third; Lowe , 55.69, fourth, Kendrick Winfield, 47.74, second, William Shelton, 48.14, third.
800 Meters — Alesia Douglas, 2:12.77, second; Kirk Dawkins, 1:55.17, fourth.
Mile — Niya Coleman, 5:29.53, sixth.
5000 Meters — Coleman, 19:25.27, fourth, Serenity Williams, 20:37.58, 10th.
High Jump — Breanna Brown-Marshall, 6 feet, first; Javante Stephens, 6 foot, 6 inches, fourth,, Peter Sailsman, 6 feet, 6 inches, sixth; DJ Lawrence, 6 feet, 4.25 inches, seventh.
Long Jump — Mia Heard, 19 feet, 3.5, third; Brown-Marshall, 18 feet, .25 inches, 11th, Jordyn Ash, 16 feet, 10.75 inches, 19th.
Shot Put — Denae Hill, 42 feet, .50 inches seventh.
Triple Jump — Ash, 37 feet, 5 inches, 12th; Michael Crimbley II, 47 feet, 11.25 inches, eighth; Forrest Booker, 44 feet, 2 inches, 14th.
4×400 — Tatianna Martinez, Lowe, Lacie Deboskie, Alesia Douglas, 3:44.98, first; Norman Mukwada, Kirk Dawkins, William Shelton, Kendrick Winfield, 3:14.14, third.
