JOPLIN - The Lincoln Blue Tigers track and field team made history Sunday by becoming the first women's team to rack up four straight indoor titles in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Championships.
The Blue Tigers racked up 153 points to easily outdistance second-place Missouri Southern, the host school, which had 123.5.
The rest of the field included Central Missouri (82), Pittsburg State (59), Southwest Baptist (56), Nebraska-Kearney (55), Emporia State (41), Fort Hays State (36.5), Northwest Missouri State (34), Central Oklahoma (33) and Lindenwood (29).
Lincoln was led by Yanique Ellington, who was the women's high-point winner at the Championships. The Blue Tigers also racked up numerous automatic and provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships.
The Blue Tigers nabbed the first three spots in the 60-meter hurdles. Ladonna Richards set a meet record with a provisional qualifying time of 8.42. That broke the mark of 8.45 set by Lincoln's Anna-Kay James in 2012. The other two finishers also had provisional marks, as Juneille Barker was second in 8.46 and Shakiesha Miller was third in 8.55.
Lincoln took the top three spots in the 200-meter dash, and eighth place as well, in the 200-meter dash. Ellington was first (24.01, an automatic mark), Janae Johnson was second (24.99, a provisional mark), Tamara Keane was third (25.12, a provisional time) and Donna-Lee Hylton was eighth (25.52).
Lincoln had four of the top eight finishers in the 60-meter dash. Ellington won in an automatic qualifying time of 7.42, while the other three had provisional marks - Johnson (third, 7.61), Kimberly Bailey (fourth, 7.65) and Barker (seventh, 7.71).
Lincoln went 1-2 in the long jump with a pair of provisional qualifying marks, as Miller won with a leap of 19-3 1/4 and Nickiesha Beaumont was second at 19-1 1/4.
Lincoln had two provisional marks in the triple jump, as Jonelle Campbell was second (39-9 1/4) and Daniele Newman was third (39-1 3/4).
Twishana Williams was third in the 5,000-meter run (17:53.53), third in the 3,000-meter run (10:11.73, a provisional mark) and fourth in the one-mile run (5:03.98, a provisional mark).
Hylton (third, 56.07) and Keane (fourth, 56.47) both had provisional marks in the 400-meter dash. There were two more provisional marks in the 800-meter run, as Monique Thompson was second (2:11.74) and Jhevere Hall was seventh (2:17.29)
Also, Marcia Harrison was eighth in the 600-yard run (1:27.88).
Lincoln won the distance medley relay with the team of Hall, Ellington, Willomena Williams and Twishana Williams in a meet-record and provisional-qualifying time of 12:06.01. That broke the mark of 12:12.20 set by Missouri Southern in 2013.
Central Missouri's Erin Alewine (Jefferson City High School) won the pentathlon with 3,901 points, winning the long jump and tying for first in the high jump while finishing fifth in the 800-meter run, sixth in the shot put and seventh in the 60-meter hurdles.
Among the normal field events, Alewine was fourth in the high jump with a provisional mark of 5-8 and sixth in the regular long jump with a provisional mark of 18-4 1/4. She was also part of the 4x400-meter relay team that finished first in a provisional time of 3:52.27.
III
Meet and building records were part of the weekend for the Lincoln men.
One highlight for the Blue Tigers came in the meet's last event, as they set a building record at the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center while winning in a time of 3:18.42, which is also a provisional mark. The team of Winston Edwards, Michael Ashley, Roger Blake and Jermaine Blake broke the mark of 3:18.48 set by Lincoln in 2012.
Jermaine Blake won the 800-meter run in a time of 1:52.10, which was a provisional mark that also beat the meet record of 1:52.48 set by Northwest Missouri State's Eric Isley in 2006.
Ashley was second in the 400-meter dash in a provisional qualifying time of 48.61. That would have been good enough to break the building record of 48.69 set in 2007, but Southwest Baptist's William Shell finished in 48.12 while winning the event.
Ashley was third in the 200-meter dash in a provsional qualifying time of 22.14 and teammate Romone Hill was seventh (22.37).
Stallone Watson was third in the 60-meter hurdles (8.27, a provisional mark), as was Hill in the 60-meter dash (6.86, a provisional mark).
Also, Edwards was fourth in the 600-yard run (1:14.26) and Orneldo Thomas was eighth in the long jump (22-9 3/4).
The Blue Tigers had 58 points to finish in fifth place. Pittsburg State won with 130.5, while Missouri Southern was second (129), Nebraska-Kearney was third (115.2) and Central Missouri was fourth (77.2). Southwest Baptist (49), Lindenwood (38.20), Northwest Missouri State (30.2) and Fort Hays State (24.7) rounded out the 10-team field.
Also at the meet, Tyler Rush (Linn High School) was part of Missouri Southern's distance medley relay that won in a meet record time of 10:13.96. That broke the mark of 10:14.36 put up by Fort Hays State last year and was a provisional mark. He also finished second in the one-mile run (4:16.78) and eighth in the 3,000-meter run (8:44.60)
Central Missouri's Daniel McCarty (Blair Oaks High School) was fourth in the heptathlon (5,004 points), while Northwest Missouri State's David Nilges (Linn High School) was eighth in the 5,000-meter run (15:47.59).
GLVC Championships
INDIANAPOLIS - A big effort from Adriel Hawkins helped the Missouri S&T men's team finish second at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Hawkins (Jefferson City High School) was named the men's Track Athlete of the Year.
In addition to winning the 200-meter dash, where he posted an automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Division II Championships of 21.60 seconds, he also finished third in the triple jump (45-7), third in the 60-meter dash (6.91) and was a member of the Miners' 4x400-meter relay team that came in third (3:24.54).
Truman State's Matthew Schaefer (Helias High School) came in fourth in the 800-meter run (1:55.78) and was part of the Bulldogs' 4x400-meter relay team that came in fifth (3:26.83) and distance medley relay team that placed fifth (10:28.32).
On the women's side, Missouri S&T's Katlyn Meier (Vienna High School) came in seventh in the 200-meter dash (26.25) and eighth in the 60-meter dash (8.09) and was part of the Miners' 4x400-meter relay team that came in fifth (4:04.52).
Truman's Beth Keene (Southern Boone High School) came in fifth in the triple jump (35-4 1/2).
Lewis swept the team titles at the event. On the men's side, Lewis had 148 points to outdistance S&T (111), Indianapolis (85), Southern Indiana (83), Bellarmine (53), McKendree (46), Truman (37), Saint Joseph's (36), Wisconsin-Parkside 929), William Jewell (15), Maryville (10) and Drury (8).
On the women's side, Lewis racked up 209 points to easily beat second-place Indianapolis, which had 120. They were followed by Truman (76.5), Bellarmine (61), Missouri S&T (46), Southern Indiana (31), McKendree (30), Wisconsin-Parkside (29), Saint Joseph's (26.5), William Jewell (19), Maryville (15) and Drury (0).