Track and Field Update
UCS Invitational
Sophomore Lashonda Tate obliterated a pair of program records in both the long jump and triple jump at the WinstonSalem State-hosted UCS Invitational. Senior Jeanna Cube surpassed her own previously set record in the 60-meter hurdles to highlight the outing for the UNCP track and field team on Feb. 17.
Tate posted an NCAA provisional qualifying mark en route to besting Cube’s 2-year old program record in the long jump. Tate propelled herself 5.81 meters, and then bested a 4-year-old school record in the triple jump with a leap of 11.59 meters.
Cube eclipsed yet another of her own school records with a time of 8.97 seconds in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles. The men’s 60-meter hurdles team continued an impressive showing as well, finishing third, fourth and sixth in the finals of that event.
The Black and Gold combined to record a dozen personal-best marks in the outing. The team also posted 13 top-10 finishes.
JDL Last Chance Invitational
Lashonda Tate and freshman J.C. Smith each notched third place finishes in the long jump on Feb. 25 at the JDL Last Chance Invitational. Sophomore Javon Graham matched his previous best mark in the 60-meter hurdles, as UNCP finished the regular season portion of their indoor schedule.
Graham finished fifth with a new personal best time of 8.15 seconds in the preliminary round of the 60-meter hurdles. He then finished in sixth place with a time of 8.22 seconds in the finals. Tate posted a leap of 5.43 meters in the long jump, while Smith jumped for a personal best 7.29 meters in his event.
Braves Best the Mount Olive Trojans
In their first action in Pembroke, both UNCP track and field teams combined to win a total of 20 event titles on March 2 at the Dick & Lenore Taylor Track. The Black and Gold kicked off the outdoor section of their 2017-18 campaign in an impressive fashion with a pair of dual meet victories.
Senior Jamel Jefcoat leaps for a mark of 13.90 (+1) in the Braves victory over the Mount Olive University Trojans.
Photo by Joshua Reed
The women’s team secured 12 event titles, including a commanding victory in the 4x400- meter relay, on the way to a dominate 102-76 win over the Trojans. The men racked up eight event titles. Freshman Jathan DeBerry won two titles, in the high jump and the 110-meter hurdles, to highlight the 94-90 triumph.
Senior Jeanna Cube won the high jump and the 100-meter hurdles, and sophomore Kaelyn Francis finished first in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. The men’s and women’s teams collaborated to record 85 new personal best times and marks in this match up.
Seahawk Invitational
Sophomore Javon Graham posted a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 110-meter hurdles on March 10 at the Seahawk Invitational, hosted at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Graham finished with a time of 14.55 seconds on his way to finishing in first place of the preliminaries of the event.
He ran with the wind to his back to a time of 14.44 seconds and tallied a second-place outing in the finals by a mere .07 of a second behind first place.
Braves Classic
The Braves teams won a combined 20 events and logged another 15 top three finishes on March 16 and 17. This was the second home meet of the season held at the Dick & Lenore Taylor Track. Senior Jeanna Cube won three event titles in the high jump, javelin and 100-meter hurdles.
Freshman J.C. Smith won a trio of events in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump. Sophomores Lashonda Tate and Kaelyn Francis both won a pair of events. Tate won the long jump and triple jump, and Francis outpaced the rest of the competition in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
