Firebirds Break Through With Several Season-Bests in Final Tune-Up Meet for ECC Championships
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – The University of the District of Columbia Women's Indoor Track & Field team produced several season-best times as the Firebirds competed in the Vince Brown Invitational hosted by Christopher Newport University on Saturday, February 4th.
Several individuals and one relay team shined in the Firebirds' final tune-up meet before the East Coast Conference Championship meet in Staten Island on Friday, February 24th. Perhaps, no one shined brighter than freshman Shannell Hibbert.
The Kingston, Jamaica native had three top-15 finishes and ran the 2nd leg of the Firebirds' 4x400M Relay run. First, she was 2nd of 58 competitors in the 60M race with a season-best time of 7.93s. Next, she won her heat and finished 10th of 85 in the 200M with a season-best time of 26.63s. Then, she finished 11th of 29 in the 60M Hurdles with a season-best time of 9.31s.
Hibbert was one of four Firebirds to finish in the Top-20 in the 200M event. Deasia Greer was 13th with a season-best time of 26.86s, freshman Temera Duncan was 16th at 27.14s, and junior Stacy-Ann Rowe was 17th with a season-best time of 27.16.
In the 400M, freshman Niasia Harding finished 6th of 45 runners with a time of 59.79s, and Duncan finished 8th overall at 1:00.66. Also, in the 60M Hurdles, Rowe won her preliminary heat with a 4th best overall time of 9.12s. She did not finish in her finals run so she settled for 7th place overall.
In the field events, senior Brittany Okon had a season-best long jump leap of 5.33M. This leap was good for 5th place out of 33 competitors.
Finally, the Firebirds closed out their day with a first-place finish out of 12 teams in the 4x400M Relay. Duncan, Hibbert, Greer and Harding teamed up for a 4:06.77 finish to win Heat 2 and earn the top time at the meet. UDC was nearly four seconds better than the 2nd place team, Christopher Newport.
The Firebirds now have 20 days to rest and get ready for the ECC Championship meet on Friday, February 24th in Staten Island, NY.