Lincoln wins nine events at ESU Relays

EMPORIA, Kan. - Yanique Haye set two automatic qualifying times for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships as the Lincoln women won nine races Saturday at the Emporia State Relays.

Haye booked her ticket to nationals in the 400-meter hurdles, which she won with a time of 57.91. Haye led four Blue Tigers who finished among the event's top five, as Michelle Cumberbatch finished second (1:00.14), Juneille Barker took fourth (1:03.30) and Marcia Harrison finished fifth (1:04.31).

The other event in which Haye set an automatic mark was the 4x400-meter relay, where she teamed up with Cumberbatch, Lovan Palmer and Nicketa Coombs to win the race in 3:42.12. Lincoln also finished second in that event, with Barker, Harrison, Monique Thompson and Toni-Ann Moore clocking in at 3:53.82.

Twishana Williams won a pair of races, taking first in the 1,500-meter run (4:36.78) and the 800-meter run (2:12.02), with the latter being a provisional qualifying time for nationals. Palmer also set a provisional mark in the 800 as she took second (2:12.86), while Thompson was third in the same race (2:16.28).

Donna-Lee Hylton came just .19 shy of setting an automatic mark in the 400-meter dash, taking the crown in 54.19.

Anna-Kay James won the 100-meter hurdles (13.80) and helped Lincoln's 4x100-meter team that included Yanique Ellington, Cardine Copeland and Moore to a first-place finish in 45.31, another automatic qualifying time. Also in the 100-meter hurdles, Moore placed fourth (14.45) and Sheri Kaye Campbell took sixth (14.69).

Latoya King won the 100-meter dash in 11.70, while Ellington took third (11.89) and Copeland finished fourth (12.14).

In the 200-meter dash, Ellington finished fourth (24.79) and Copeland placed sixth (25.68).

In the field events, Campbell won the Lincoln-dominated triple jump with a distance of 40-2 3/4, beating teammate Daniele Newman (39-8 1/2) for the crown. Jonelle Campbell finished sixth (37-8) and Sanchia Lee placed seventh (36-11 3/4).

Lincoln also had two good finishes in the long jump, led by Coombs in fifth (17-9 3/4) and Nickeisha Beaumont in seventh (17-9 1/2).

Other competitors with area ties also posted top-eight finishes at the event.

Missouri Southern's Melanie Bower (Linn High School) finished fourth in the pole vault (11-5 3/4), Southwest Baptist's Briana Watson (Jefferson City High School) placed fifth in the 3,000-meter run (11:02.38), and Stephany Johnson (Jefferson City High School) helped Missouri-Kansas City finish fifth in the 4x100-meter relay (47.25).

On the men's side, Lincoln won four races and captured six other top-five finishes.

Sabiel Anderson was the highlight of the day for the Blue Tigers.

Anderson had a second-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles (13.94), an automatic qualifying time for nationals, and also won the 400-meter hurdles (51.64).

Teammate Romel Lewis was the runner-up in the 400 hurdles with a provisional qualifying time of 51.76.

Michael Ashley recorded the other individual win for the Lincoln men, taking first in the 400-meter dash (46.80). Teammate Tyrone Hawkins was fifth in the event (48.29).

Ashley also helped Lincoln win the 4x400-meter relay in 3:10.63, teaming with Lewis, Hawkins and Jermaine Blake.

The 4x100-meter relay also won, as the squad of Wesley Best, Devin Hill, Khorey Spalding and Lewis took first in 40.75.

Hill posted Lincoln's best finishes in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, placing fourth in the 100 (10.69) and fifth in the 200 (21.69).

Blake, had Lincoln's other top-five result, placing third in the 800-meter run (1:52.66).

Among the other top-eight finishes at the event, Central Missouri's Brent Vogel (Helias High School) finished eighth in the unseeded discus (126-4) and was part of the Mules' second-place 4x400-meter relay team (3:12.98) that met a provisional mark.

His teammate, Daniel McCarty (Blair Oaks High School), took third in the unseeded discus (132-3).

The Blue Tigers will continue their season Saturday at the Billiken Invitational hosted by Saint Louis University.