Firebirds Take Part in Competitive Hampton Relays
HAMPTON, VA – The measure of a good meet is not solely based on the sheer number of competitors, rather, how competitive the fields are. This was evident Saturday, April 11th at the Hampton Relays where the University of the District of Columbia competed against quality NCAA student-athletes as well as an elite Hampton Alumni Track Club.
Host Hampton University boasts an alumni track club that includes the likes of Olympian and several-time US 400M Champion, Francena McCorory, who competed in both the 4x100M and 4x400M Relays and the 200M at this meet. UDC student-athletes had the privilege and opportunity to see up-close, and in some cases even compete against, major professional athletes.
The Firebirds' day started in the field, where junior Myla Somerville (Elementary Education – Loveville, MD/Bowie State) threw a season-best 23.29M in the javelin for 4th best among eight competitors. Teammate Tiara Goode (Criminal Justice – Brentwood, NY/Brentwood HS) threw 21.72M for 5th best overall.
Next up was the 100M dash where sophomore Brittany Okon (Health Education – Bronx, NY/Pelham Prep Academy) ran 12.63s for 22nd overall among a strong field of 31 competitors. She would return to the Long Jump pit for her Outdoor season-debut leap of 5.24M for 11th among 17 competitors.
The Firebirds then had runners in the 800M show consistency as sophomore KayTiarra Johnson (Psychology – Hempstead, NY/Hempstead HS) ran 2:30.61 to win her heat and place 7th best among 10 competitors, and senior Kimoy Mais (Mass Media – St. Andrew, Jamaica/St. Andrew HS) finished 5th overall with a time of 2:25.20.
UDC continued to show progress at the 200M event, as junior Christina Baker (Psychology – Kingston, Jamaica/Collegiate Institute for Math & Science) achieved another collegiate-best, running 25.89s to finish 2nd in her heat and 23rd overall among a very strong field. Junior Simone Grant (Health Education – Bronx, NY/Pelham Prep Academy) was 2nd in her heat as well, just missing her season-best but finishing in 25.13 – 15th best among 31 competitors and 2nd best in Division II.
Another highlight of the meet came in the 400M event where senior Jerily Benjamin (Health Education – Queens, NY/Phillip Randolph HS) ran a season-best 57.95s to finish 3rd in Heat 2 and 9th overall in a very competitive field.
The meet concluded with the Firebirds' vaunted 4x400M relay team running a season-best 3:57.58 to finish 3rd overall among nine teams. UDC was only bested by the Hampton Alumni Track Club Team (with Olympian Francena McCorory on the anchor leg) and perennial powerhouse Hampton University.
UDC will look to repeat as champions of the East Coast Conference as they get set to compete at the ECC Championship in Rochester, NY on Saturday, April 18th.