Jan. 26, 2015 Results
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Competing for the second straight week in the Big Apple, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore track & field team came away with a second straight solid performance at the Metro Team Challenge. The Hawks' men's team finished in sixth place with a total of 52 points while the Lady Hawks took eighth with a total of 22 ½ points.
The Lady Hawks were led on the track side by junior Jheniel Kelly (Edgewood, Md.), who finished fourth in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:14.08, earning a personal best. Kelly also ran the third leg of the women's distance medley, where they finished fourth with a time of 12:26.00 flat. She was joined in that contest by seniors Margaret Wilmot-Francis (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) and Jasmine Sampson (Coatesville, Pa.), as well as freshman Janice Lane (Carson, Calif.).
Other top performers for ladies track include freshman Loundy Desire (Queens Village, N.Y.), who secured a ninth place finish in the 200 meter, and fellow freshman Dypna Umunakwe (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded a 58 second flat time in the 400 meter, ultimately finishing seventh. Sophomore Barbora Blahutova (Slavkov, Czech Republic) finished 10th in the 3000 meter run with a time of 10:33.57.
The women's 4x400 relay team of sophomore Rachel Halmon (Wal(dorf, Md.), Umunakwe, freshman Aliah Cherry (Waldorf, Md.) and junior Shantol Hemley (St. Catherines, Jamaica) also took home a top ten finish with their time of 3:58.29.
On the field side, sophomore Shauntel Lucius (Newark, N.J.) ended in a five-way tie in the high jump with a distance of 1.60 meters. Lucius also finished fifth in the long jump with her distance of 5.42 meters. Fellow sophomore Donisha Porter (Aberdeen, Md.) earned a personal best with her 11.77 meter toss in the shot put.
The men's team was once again led by the dynamic duo of sophomore Khalil Rmidi Kinini (Malaga, Spain) and senior Dillon Simon (Roseau, Dominica). Rmidi Kinini ran in the 1000 meter run and finished fourth with a time of 2:30.26, while Simon took home another victory in the shot put with a throw of 18.36 meters, beating his second place competition by almost two meters. Simon also took fourth in the weight throw with a toss of 17.01 meters.
In other track events, freshman Oussama Chouati (Manresa, Spain) placed 10th in the mile with a time of 4:22.72, and sophomore Taj Showalter (Anchorage, Ak.) qualified for the 60 meter hurdles, ultimately finishing third with a time of 8.40 seconds. The 4x400 relay team of sophomores Michael Johnson (Ramstein AFB, Germany), Jared Kerr (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) and Orwell Maylor (St. Catherines, Jamaica), as well as senior Hakeem Harris (Wilmington, Del.) finished third with a time of 3:19.53 in the event.
Kerr also impressed in the triple jump, finishing third with a jump of 14.62 meters, and senior Devin Wynn (Baltimore, Md.) finishing fourth in the same event with a jump of 14.26 meters. A third Hawk, sophomore Naje Benton (Philadelphia, Pa.) took home sixth with a 14.12 meter jump. One other player, senior Rico Duncan (Cheverly, Md.) secured two top ten results-a ninth place, 15.04 meter weight throw toss and a third place finish in the shot put with a distance of 14.45 meters.
The UMES track resumes its schedule at the two-day Armory Invitational, once again to be played in New York City.
