Posted: May 7, 2012 10:52 AM
EMPORIA, KS -- The Lincoln men's outdoor track & field team won seven races and set four atuomatic qualifying times on the final day of the MIAA Outdoor Championships en route to a third place overall finish on Sunday. Sabiel Anderson led Lincoln with three wins while the Blue Tigers combined for 19 overall top-eight finishes during the three day meet, which was hosted by Emporia State.
Anderson two automatic qualifying times of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Sunday, including winning the 400-meter hurdles in 51.03. Romel Lewis also automatically qualified for nationals in that event, taking second with a time of 51.61, while Jean-Pierre placed sixth at 54.01. Anderson also posted an automatic time in the 110-meter hurdles, winning that race in 14.04. Aaron Wilmore took third in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking in at 14.16.
Lincoln swept the two relay races, with Anderson teaming with Rashawn Hugg, Michael Ashley and Jermaine Blake to win the 4x400-meter relay in 3:12.67. In the 4x100-meter relay, it was Ravel Grey, Khorey Spalding, Joshua Manuel and Mandela Clifford teaming up to take first with a time of 40.22.
Grey posted the Blue Tigers' other automatic qualifying time on Sunday, taking first place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.29. He led four Blue Tigers who finished in the top six in that event, including runner-up Lewis (10.39), Clifford (third-place, 10.41) and Manuel (sixth-place, 10.65). Grey also posted a fourth-place finish in the 200-meter dash (21.31). Cotton took second in that event (20.99) while Manuel placed seventh (21.83) and Ashley claimed eighth (21.88).
The Blue Tigers had impressive finishes in three other events, including the 800-meter run, which Blake won with a time of 1:53.35. Ashley took first in the 400-meter dash (47.45) while Cotton placed sixth (48.31). Orain McLeggon represented Lincoln in the men's decathalon, taking seventh after scoring 5,978 points.
Lincoln finished with 125 team points to take third overall at the MIAA Championships. Pittsburg State won the 2012 league title, scoring 168.5 points to surpass second-place Central Missouri's 153 points. The Blue Tigers will next be competing for a national title, as Lincoln will be represented at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, hosted by Colorado State University-Pueblo in Pueblo, Colorado from May 24-26.