Hibbert scored 16 points individually and ran on two Firebird relay teams which totaled 16 points for UDC.
Hibbert scored 16 points individually and ran on two Firebird relay teams which totaled 16 points for UDC.

Firebirds Finish 4th at East Coast Conference Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship

WEST NYACK, NY – The University of the District of Columbia Women's Outdoor Track & Field team finished 4th of seven teams at the East Coast Conference Championship meet last Saturday, April 22nd hosted by St. Thomas Aquinas College at Clarkstown South High School. The Firebirds competed in 13 different events and finished with a team score of 86 total points.

Two Firebird relay teams accounted for 16 of UDC's points, as the University of the District of Columbia continued its unbeaten streak in the 4x400M Relay with its fifth consecutive event win to earn 10 points, and the Firebirds' 4x100M Relay team finished 3rd for six points. Deasia Greer, Shannell Hibbert, Brittany Okon and Jasmine Walker blazed the course for a 4x400M Relay time of 4:02.56, besting the 2nd place team from Roberts Wesleyan by a little over 16 seconds. The 4x100M Relay team of Stacy Ann Rowe, Hibbert, Okon and Walker ran a time of 49.23s and were just two-tenths of a second behind 2nd place Queens College.

UDC also scored very well in the Long Jump and Triple Jump events. In the Long Jump, Greer and Okon placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, for a combined 14 points. Greer's leap of 5.08M earned UDC eight points, and Okon's leap of 5.05M earned the Firebirds six points. Greer also scored UDC eight points in the Triple Jump, bounding out to 11.00M for a 2nd place finish out of eight competitors.

The Firebirds, historically dominant in the 200M event, lived up to that pedigree once again by scoring a combined 13 points via 2nd place, 4th place and 6th place finishers. Hibbert took 2nd place (8 pts) with a time of 25.82s, Temera Duncan was 4th (4 pts) in 26.10s, and Rowe placed 6th (1 pt) at 26.65s. Duncan also went on to place 3rd in the 400M with a time of 58.46s and earn UDC an additional six points, and Rowe also earned UDC an additional six points with a 3rd place showing at 12.71s in the 100M.

UDC also managed to score 19 across two hurdles events – the 100M and 400M Hurdles. In the 400H, Niasia Harding took 2nd place with a time of 1:05.71 and scored eight points, and Shayna Hodge added two points with a 5th place showing of 1:08.62. The 100H saw Hibbert place 2nd at 14.92s and earn eight points, and Rowe place 6th at 16.08s and earn one point.

Lastly, UDC scored four points in the shot put event via Iman Scott's toss of 10.88M to place 4th in the event.

The Firebirds will compete this week in the world-renowned Penn Relays starting Thursday, April 27th and running through Monday, May 1st.