ORANGEBURG, SC – The South Carolina State men's and women's track teams captured first place Saturday at the 38th running of the Robert “Jet” Johnson Bulldog Relays at the Lorry H. Dawkins Track Facility, where several facility records fell and one school record was established.
Thirteen teams and two track clubs participated in the event, which was re-named in memory of former SC State cross country and track and field coach Robert “Jet” Johnson, who won a combined 26 conference championships and a national title during an 18-year tenure at the school. Johnson died in 1994.
Ten SC State seniors -- eight on the women's squad and two on the men's team -- making their last home appearance, were recognized and saluted for their contributions to the school's track programs.
Seniors honored were Natalee Allen, Kristi Foster, Elizabeth Govrik, Lauren Lawson, Renee Williams, Shari Sampson, Mironda Scott, Tempest Vance, Jahwaun Blair and Kenneth Rackins. Minnie Johnson, the widow of Robert “Jet” Johnson was recognized for her husband's achievements and her support of the track program.
In the women's division, SC State amassed 177 points to take first place. Georgia Southern was second with 111 points, followed by Georgia State with 100. Rounding out the top five were Benedict with 47 points and The Citadel with 39.
The SC State men earned 143 points to outdistance runner-up Fort Valley State with 87.5 points. In third place was The Citadel with 85, followed by Benedict with 76 and Claflin with 69.5.
A facility record was set in six events, four in the women's competition and two in the men's division, and one school record was established at the event.
The Lady Bulldog 4x100 meter shuttle hurdle relay team (Monique Gracia, Renee Williams, Tempest Vance and Brandi Jefferson) took first with a time of 52.69, establishing a facility and school record in the event.
SC State's Jasmine Smith had a personal best leap of 12.52m in the triple jump, erasing a 24-year old facility record set by Florida A&M's Vogel Newsome and earning an NCAA provisional qualifying, while Tamika Kinchen of Georgia State erased a 24-year old facility record in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:48.21 (previous record 4:48.80 by Alabama State's Serene Mitchell), and also set a new mark in the 5000 meters by covering the course in a time of 18:49.78.
The SC State 4x110 meter shuttle hurdle relay team (Donta Young, Leighton Brown, DeAngelo Bolden and Marvin Williams) set a new facility mark in the event with a time of 1:06.32.
Young also won two other events, taking first in the 110 meter hurdles (14.85) and 400 meter hurdles (55.02).
The Lady Bulldogs' Shamire Rothmiller was named the Most Outstanding Female Athlete after winning the shot (13.15m), finishing second in the javelin (35.94) and placing fourth in the discus (33.60m) to earn a total of 23 points.
Georgia State's Kinchen was the Most Outstanding Female Track Athlete after her record-setting performances in the 1500 and 5000 which earned her 20 points.
SC State's Young, with two firsts and a part of one winning relay team, piled up 22.5 points and was the Most Outstanding Male Track Athlete, while James Lemons, unattached, earned the Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete honor after setting a facility record in the triple jump with a leap of 15.58 meters, erasing the 23-year old mark of 15.52 meters set by Morehouse's Vincent Cobb.
SC State second-year head coach Tyree Price, praised the effort of his teams.
“I'm extremely proud of the showing of our athletes,” Price said. “We are filled with youth on both teams, but we are making strides toward some of the goals and challenges we set for ourselves early last semester.”
Both teams return to action March 19 at the two-day Coastal Carolina-Shamrock Invitational at Myrtle Beach
Other high finishes for SC State:
Men's Division:
Kenneth Rackins 1st place 400m 48.88
Marvin Williams 2nd place 400H 55.49
DeAngelo Bolden 3rd place 400H 56.36
Levar Knight 2nd place Long Jump 6.82m
Marcus Stephens 3rd place Triple Jump 13.65m
Noel Facey 1st place Shot Put 14.40m and 2nd place Discus Throw 43.59m
Brian Coleman 2nd place finish Shot Put 13.91m
4x100m A-team (Rackins, Stephens, Chris Ward, Darin Washington) 2nd place 41.67
4x200m (Rackins, Washington, Stephens, Williams) 1st place 1:27.70
Women's Division:
Nicole Mobley 1st place 100m 12.19
Natalee Allen 3rd place 400m 57.98
Brittney Stewart 2nd place 5000m 18:52.10 and 3rd place 1500m 4:58.28
Monique Gracia 2nd place 100H 14.15
Renee McWilliams 3rd place 100H 14.38
Tempest Vance 1st place 400H 1:01.82
Elizabeth Govrik 2nd place 400H 1:04.30
Jasmine Smith 3rd place Lon Jump 5.35m
Shamire Rothmiller 1st place Shot Put 13.15m and 2nd place Javelin Throw 35.94m
4x100m A-team (Mobley, Vance, Govrik, McWilliams) 2nd place 46.72
4x100m B-team (Shari Sampson, Mironda Scott, Allen, Gracia) 3rd place 47.94
4x200m 2nd place 1:41.21
4x400m A-team (Vance, Govrik, Sampson, Allen) 1st place 3:56.00
4x800m (Lauren Lawson, Stewart, Patrecia Daniley, Amber Williams) 3rd place 10:04.56
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