Firebirds 4x400M Relay Team Places 6th at NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championship; Earns All-American Honors
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The University of the District of Columbia 4x400M Relay team of Kaydian Jones, Jerily Benjamin, Marlena Wright and Simone Grant ran a season-best 3:49.40 to place 6th of 12 relay teams in the final event of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday night at JDL Fast Track.
With that performance, the Firebirds 4x400M Relay team won Heat 1 and scored three team points, qualifying it for All-American status.
Jones led the Firebirds out to an early lead with a well-run lead-off leg before Benjamin distanced the Firebirds from 2nd place Findlay with a terrific 2nd leg. Wright was able to maintain the lead in the third leg before handing off to the anchor, Grant. The sophomore blew past the competition as soon as she took the baton, and despite slowing down at the end, edged the runner from Findlay by .03 of a second to win Heat 1.
The team's time of 3:49.40 is nearly two seconds better than their previous season best set at the George Mason Last Chance Meet on March 2nd, 2014.
"What an amazing way to close our Indoor Season," Head Coach Alton McKenzie said. "Not just finishing 6th and being recognized as All-Americans, but the manner in which it was done...they competed hard and truly earned it, down to the wire to secure the win in our heat. To say I'm proud is an understatement. Kaydian, Jerily, Marlena and Simone truly ran like the Champions they are to earn the recognition of being All-Americans."
Day 1
Senior Kaydian Jones took 14th place out of 17 competitors with a time of 25.06 in the 200M Dash Event Prelim at the NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships at JDL Fast Track on Friday, March 14th.
Jones (Journalism - Kingston, Jamaica/St. Andrew), who was seeded 16th in the event with a season-best time of 25.03, took 3rd place in Heat 3 and 14th overall with a time that narrowly missed her season-best. The top eight advance to the event finals.
She and three of her teammates (Jerily Benjamin, Marlena Wright and Simone Grant) will compete in tomorrow night's 4x400M Relay Finals at 7 p.m.
The link to view all the action from JDL Fast Track is here: http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/.