By Jarrett Hoffman
As the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships close, here is how HBCU athletes fared in the finals.
Benedict sophomore Rajaun Ricketts was the first HBCU competitor to see action on Saturday, finishing sixth in the triple jump, measuring a personal best of 15.69 on his second attempt.
This is the second year in a row that Ricketts has finished in the top 10 in the triple jump at the Outdoor National Championships, having finished 10th overall last year.
Albany State’s men’s 4×100 relay team started the day on the track, finishing fourth in the final with a 39.70, a mere .07 seconds behind the third-place team.
They become the first HBCU men’s 4×100 relay team to finish in the top four in Outdoor Nationals since St. Augustine’s finished fourth in 2019.
Next up was the 100m final, which saw a pair of Albany State athletes, both of whom also participated in the 4×100 relay, compete for the individual crown. Kibren Moore came in third, running a time of 10.13, while Ed Gilbert finished sixth, running 10.25.
The 400m hurdles were next, and five HBCU men and women competitors were looking for a spot at the top of the podium.
On the men’s side, Lincoln University of Missouri’s Sharim Hamilton finished third, running a new personal best time of 50.65. St. Augustine’s sprinter Sean Kalawan came in fourth at 50.92, while Claflin’s Jaevon Riley finished sixth, setting a new personal best time of 51.13.
Next, on the women’s side, a pair of Lincoln (Mo.) runners claimed two of the top four spots in the 400m hurdle field. Odeshia Nanton finished in second place with a personal best of 57.62 time, while Maria Diamond ran 59.46, her best of the season.
Moore and Gilbert’s day was not over, as they also participated in the 200m final. Gilbert finished third in the event, clocking in at 20.65 seconds, while Moore posted a 20.80 time.
Meanwhile, Nanton and Diamond ended the day as part of Lincoln’s 4×400 relay team. They put up a strong performance, finishing third at 3:34.35.
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