DES MOINES, Iowa - The Lincoln women's track and field team won five races during the Drake Relays that wrapped up Saturday.
One of the largest annual events in the country, the Relays featured high school, college and professional athletes from across the nation.
The Blue Tigers qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships with automatic times in the college 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays, both of which featured a different set of runners. Lincoln won the 4x400 with Lovan Palmer, Michelle Cumberbatch, Yanique Haye and Donna-Lee Hylton taking the crown in 3:34.53. In the 4x100, it was Latoya King, Jenae Johnson, Yanique Ellington and Cardine Copeland taking second in 44.41.
Lincoln's other three victories also came in relay events, including in the college 4x200-meter event, with Johnson, King, Hylton and Ellington combining to finish in 1:35.67.
Twishana Williams helped Lincoln to wins in the college sprint medley (3:53.91) and the college 4x800-meter relay (8:55.55). Joining Williams in the sprint medley were Johnson, King and Hylton. Haye, Palmer and Monique Thompson were Williams' teammates in the 4x800.
Cumberbatch turned in an automatic qualifying time in the university/college 400-meter hurdles, checking in at 58.08 to finish third.
Among the other notable finishes for Lincoln in track events were Ellington placing fifth in the university/college 100-meter dash in 11.76, a provisional qualifying time; Williams finishing seventh in the unseeded university/college 800-meter run (2:11.26); Anna-Kay James taking eighth in the university/college 100-meter hurdles (13.83); and the university/college 4x100-meter shuttle relay team of James, Sheri Kaye Campbell, Juneille Barker and Toni-Ann Moore placing third (55.09).
In the field events, Campbell finished sixth in the university/college high jump (5-9 1/4).
On the men's side, the highlight for Lincoln was four second-place finishes.
Michael Ashley helped Lincoln to three of those runner-up finishes, including in the college 4x400-meter relay, where he teamed up with Tyrone Hawkins, Jermaine Blake and Sabiel Anderson to record an automatic qualifying time of 3:08.60.
In the college 4x100-meter relay, Ashley joined with Anderson, Devin Hill and Romel Lewis to take second in 40.16, a provisional qualifying mark.
Anderson also had an individual second-place result, finishing as the runner-up in the university/college 400-meter hurdles (50.33).
The Blue Tigers' other second-place finish came in the college 4x200-meter relay, with Ashley, Lewis, Hill and Wesley Best clocking in at 1:28.29.
In addition, Lewis placed third in the university/college 100-meter dash, finishing in 10.32, a provisional time. The college sprint medley team of Hawkins, Hill, Ashley and Blake also took third (3:24.50).
Also at the event, Daniel McCarty (Blair Oaks High School) and Brent Vogel (Helias High School) were part of the University of Central Missouri team that finished sixth in the college 4x400-meter relay (3:10.39).
Vogel was also part of the Mules' squad that finished fourth in the college 4x800-meter relay (7:39.36).
Matthew Schaefer (Helias High School) was part of the Truman State team that came in seventh in the college 1,600-meter sprint medley (3:26.90).
Lincoln will compete Friday through Sunday at the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan.
III
The Blue Tigers also competed over the weekend in the Kip Janvrin Open hosted by Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.
On the women's side, Barker swept the women's hurdle events, to highlight Lincoln's performance.
Barker won 400- (1:02.26) and 100-meter hurdles (13.98), leading Lincoln to a sweep of the top-three finishes in the latter event. Moore was the runner-up (14.39) and Sanchia Lee finished third (14.52).
Moore was also third in the 100-meter dash (12.09), while Lee finished fourth in triple jump (11.56 meters). Jonelle Campbell led Lincoln in the triple jump, taking second (11.70 meters).
Also, Thompson took second in the 800-meter run (2:14.75) and Nickeisha Beaumont was third in the long jump (5.40 meters).
For the Lincoln men, Donohue Williams took sixth in the 400-meter dash (50.15).
Baker Wildcat Open
BALDWIN CITY, Kan. - Two area athletes recorded top-eight finishes during Saturday's Baker Wildcat Open.
Central Missouri's Jessica Fennewald (Blair Oaks High School) finished third in the 100-meter dash (12.70), fourth in the long jump (17-2 3/4) and fifth in the 200-meter dash (26.37)
Danica Shimkus (Helias High School) of Benedictine (Kan.) placed fifth in the pole vault (9- 1/4).
True Blue Classic
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - Missouri S&T's Katlyn Meier placed in three events Saturday at the True Blue Classic hosted by Illinois College.
Meier (Vienna High School) placed second in the 100-meter dash (12.69), second in the 400-meter hurdles (1:07.60) and was part of the Miners' winning effort in the 4x100-meter relay (49.30).