Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Rob Knox, Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Information Management, (484) 365-7384

Lincoln wins 2007 NCAA Division III
mens Indoor Track and Field championship

TERRE HAUTE, IND. (March 10, 2007) - The Lincoln University of Pennsylvania men's indoor track and field team made its final NCAA Division III national championship meet one to remember.

Lincoln freshman Kedrieck Gibbons (Natchez, MS/Hinds Community College) and senior Bobby Young (Providence, RI/Mt. Pleasant) each won national titles in their respective events to help Lincoln claim its sixth mens NCAA Division III indoor national championship in school history and dethrone six-time champ Wisconsin-LaCrosse, 59-48.

It was Lincoln's first NCAA indoor national championship since 2000. This was the 17th overall national title including men's and women's indoor and outdoor championships for longtime coach Cyrus D. Jones since 1985. The Lions turned in an overwhelming effort on the second day of the NCAA meet held at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

"This is unbelievable," said Jones after his latest national title, "If you had told me at beginning of the day, that we would win (the national title), I would not have believed it. I was so upset (after Friday's preliminary round) and in our meeting last night, I told them there was no way we can win unless we run flawless races. They made almost no mistakes today and they did what they had to do. They were true champions today."

Competing with a fractured foot, Gibbons won the 55-meter hurdles in 7.37 seconds. Gibbons is Lincoln's first 55-meter hurdles champion since Chris Cobbs in 2001.Young, who finished second in the 400-meter dash the last two years, prevailed in his event in 48.42 seconds. Young is Lincoln's first 400-meter dash champion since Robert Woolbright in 1998.

"After fracturing my toe three weeks ago and taking a spill at the end of the preliminaries yesterday, I knew that I had to have perfect form today," Gibbons said. "I am just glad to be able to help my team out in this race."

In addition to victories from Gibbons and Young, Lincoln also received a second-place finish from sophomore high-jumper Jamal Whitted (Orlando, FL/Oak Ridge), along with third place efforts from sophomore Jermaine Morris (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) in the 55-meter hurdles and freshman Corey Wright (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) in the 400-meter dash. Freshman Jared Randle (Kankakee, IL/Kankakee) was third in the long jump on the opening day of competition.

"It feels great to help my team and defend my title," Young said. "I just ran hard and kept running harder with each turn."
Freshman Aaron Hunter (Sharon Hill, PA/Academy Park) was fourth in the triple jump. The Lions' 4 x 400-meter relay team of Young, Wright, junior Lance Wigfall (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus) and sophomore Francisco Santos (Bronx, NY/Herbert Lehman) also came in second, finishing behind Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

Whitted cleared 6 feet, 9.75 inches in the high jump. The efforts of Morris and Wright were critical because it enabled Lincoln to earn 16 points apiece in two events. Morris finished the 55-meter hurdles in a time of 7.50 seconds and Wright crossed the finish line in 48.87 seconds. Hunter leaped 47 feet, 7.25 inches in the triple jump for Lincoln. With victory pretty much secured, the Lions' 4 x 400-meter relay team finished three-tenths of a second behind race winner Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

"We came out strong today, and the kids really made a believer out of me," Jones said. "They worked hard all year and really deserve this. Not many know this, but (Gibbons) fractured his toe three weeks ago and ran through the pain this weekend. He showed us what a true athlete is and inspired our team."

On the women's side, Lincoln finished in 20th place with nine points. Junior Shanda Jackson (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus) saw her two-year reign as national champion end in the 55-meter dash. Jackson finished seventh. Senior Ashley Parker (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) was fourth in the 55-meter dash (7.19 seconds). Sophomore Jordean Matthews (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) was seventh in the long jump (18-13/4). Jackson, Matthews and Parker were the only Lincoln women to earn All-America honors.

"For us to go out as champions in possibly our last Division III meet means a lot to me," Jones said. "Even after a bad day on Friday, the guys seemed to be focused when they were sitting in the hotel lobby and that's what I like to see in an athlete. I am really happy for my kids because they take a lot from me in terms of discipline. They are only carrying-on tradition."

--LU--