Dec. 8, 2005
PRINCESS ANNE, MD. - At the end of the 2004-05 season, many on the UMES track and field team were surprisingly ready to start the competition all over again. Some were coming off career years and great performances while others were still putting in hard work and training to make it to the top of the conference in their respective events.
Many will get their chance this weekend, when the Hawks kick off the indoor season with their first meet of the year, the UMES Lid Lifter Invite. The meet will take place this Saturday, December 10. The maroon and gray will host four other colleges (Maryland, Delaware St., Bowie St., and Virginia St.) during this weekend's season opening meet.
The Hawks did some heavy recruiting to fill the voids left by the graduating members of last year's squad. Gone are key distance runners Barnabas Togom, who won the 5000m at the MEAC Indoor Championship last season, and Eva Slavikova, who won two titles (3000m and Mile Run) at last year's MEAC Indoor Championship.
The Fighting Hawks bring in 10 newcomers (six of which are freshmen) while the Lady Hawks are even younger, bringing in nine freshmen (13 total newcomers).
The teams may be young, but they are wise, strong, and ready to carry on the Track & Field winning legacy.
Making their first appearances for UMES are sprinters Brandon Eaton, Glenn Grainger, Theo Jones, and Onyebuchi Okezie. Jason Daley (Jumps), Jamahl Strachan (High Jump/Pole Vault), Mikel Thomas (Hurdles), Samuel Mwangi (Distance), and William McCollough (Distance) will also open their indoor season this weekend. Alfred Singoei, a distance runner who transferred from Iowa State, has already made his presence known earlier in the year as he had the best finish for any Hawk in the history of the MEAC Cross Country Championships (23:45).
The Lady Hawks bring in sprinters Virginia Attakumah, Sherie Brown, Cierra Layne, Danieth Pryce, Shannon Washington, and Tanesha Wisdom. Ariana Forbes (Hurdles) and Dionne Wright (Throws) also join the maroon and gray while Janeth Chelangat (Distance), Neda Khalili (Distance), Marie Miller (Middle Distance), and Xiomara Okonkwo (Middle Distance) begin their indoor season after competing in Cross Country earlier this year.
Chelangat took fourth overall at the MEAC Cross Country Championships this season and was the only freshman to finish in the Top 15. She also won the Cappy Anderson XC Invite and broke the course record previously held by Loyola's Jackie Trunvellito.
UMES returns Sherita Harriott (Multi-Events), Nicole McKenzie (Jumps/Sprints), Kathare Mundit (Distance), Petagay O'Connor (Jumps/Sprints/Hurdles), Shakira Robinson (Sprints) and Tiwana Smith (Throws).
Smith placed second in the shot put at last season's Coach O Invite while Robinson won the 200m dash and took second in the 60m hurdles. O'Connor provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships at that same meet.
The Fighting Hawks return Ronnie Beard (Hurdles/Sprints/Jumps), Gareth Burrowes (Sprints), Christopher Havrilla (Distance), Bryan Ingram (Throws), Clayton James (Middle Distance), Kimani Kirton (Throws), Jeffery Meyers (Hurdles), Christopher Morrison (Jumps), Dwayne Robinson (Hurdles), and Geoffrey Rutto (Middle Distance).
Kirton, the 2005 Indoor and Outdoor shot put champion, set a new conference mark twice and eclipsed the UMES record three times last season. He threw 18.64m (61 feet, two inches) at Georgia Tech on May 14 to place him 68th out of 80 on the 2005 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Rankings List.
Robinson set a new conference and school record in the 60m hurdles last season when he finished his event in 7.92 seconds at the MEAC Indoor Championships. He also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships after posting the second highest time among remaining regional finalists in the 110m hurdles.
Robinson won the high jump at last season's MEAC Indoor Championship while Beard took second in the 110m hurdles at the conference outdoor championships.
"This meet gives us a head start on the indoor track season," said Beard. "It's a great opportunity for our indoor teams to see where we're at after a good fall training season."
The Lid Lifter Invite is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the Hytche Center.
News & Notes:
UMES will also play host to a high school meet on Saturday. 18 varsity and junior varsity squads will make the trip to Princess Anne this weekend.
