The Lincoln University track team from Jefferson City, Mo.
For the fourth year in a row, the Lincoln women’s indoor track & field team is the MIAA champion. The Blue Tigers racked up 153 points to win their fourth-straight MIAA indoor title on Sunday (March 2). Yanique Ellington was named the meet’s High-Point Scorer after scoring 22.50 points at the three-day event, which was hosted by Missouri Southern State University.
Ellington won two individual events and was a part of Lincoln’s winning distance medley relay team, which broke the MIAA Indoor Championship record after clocking in at 12:06.01. Both of Ellington’s individual victories came in record-breaking fashion, as she took the crown in both the 60m (7.42) and the 200m (24.01). Both times are automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Division II National Championships, and both also broke building records at Missouri Southern’s Leggett & Platt Center.
Lincoln swept the top-three in the 200m, with Janae Johnson taking second (24.99) and Tamara Keane finishing third (25.12). Donna-Lee Hylton also scored in that event, taking eighth with a time of 25.52. In the 60m, Johnson placed third (7.61) and Kimberly Bailey finished fourth (7.65) while Juneille Barker took seventh (7.71).
The Blue Tigers also swept the top-three of the 60m hurdles, with Ladonna Richards winning the race in 8.42. That time also broke the MIAA Indoor Championship meet record. Barker was the runner-up in the hurdles, finishing in 8.46, while Shakeisha Miller took third in 8.55. Miller was also an individual winner at the meet, taking first place in the long jump at 5.87. Nickeisha Beaumont, meanwhile, finished second in the long jump (5.82m).
Twishana Williams scored points for Lincoln in four events, including the distance medley, where she teamed with Willomena Williams, Ellington and Jhevere Hall to break the meet record. Individually, Twishana Williams placed third in both the 3,000m (10:11.73) and 5,000m (17:53.53) and finished fourth in the mile (5:03.98).
Monique Thompson had the next-best finish for LU in the track events, taking second in the 800m at 2:11.74. Hall placed seventh in that event, clocking in at 2:17.29. In the 400m, Hylton took third (56.07) and Keane placed fourth (56.47) while in the 600-yard, Marcia Harrison finished eighth (1:27.88). Lincoln also had two other impressive finishes in the triple jump, where Jonelle Campbell took second (12.12m) and Daniele Newman finished third (11.93m).
Lincoln beat second-place Missouri Southern (123.50 points) by 29.50 points while Central Missouri earned 82 points to round out the top-three.