Photo by: Jeremy Enlow
Nine Wildcats Selected For NCAA Championships; 18 Make All-Region Team
2/26/2013 7:27:00 PM | Track & Field
INTERVIEW WITH ROOSEVELT LOFTON, AMANDA OUEDRAOGO AND JORDAN GEARY
ABILENE - For the second straight year, the Abilene Christian Track and Field Program will be represented by nine individuals and one relay at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. The selections were finalized and released on Tuesday.
The Gulf South Conference and the City of Birmingham, Ala. are the proud hosts of this year's national meet, which will take place at The Birmingham CrossPlex March 7 to 9.
ACU's championship roster features three men and six women, many of whom are making their NCAA Indoor Championships debut. One notable exception, however, is Amanda Ouedraogo, who has either won or finished as the national runner-up in the triple jump at the previous four NCAA Championships.
A native of Hauts de Seine, France, Ouedraogo won her first national triple jump title last winter following three-straight second-place showings - two of which came outdoors. But on her very first attempt in Mankato, Minn., Ouedraogo registered a distance of 42 feet-1.5 inches that gave her in the lead for good.
Ouedraogo enters this year's competition having just won her third Lone Star Conference title behind a school record distance of 43-0.5 inches, which came on her final attempt to surpass defending Division II outdoor champion Kearah Danville of Angelo State. Danville led from the first round, and she saved her best (42-6.25) for last. But the Wildcat senior, trailing with 41-6 responded with a leap that puts her equal to sixth on the 2013 NCAA Division I indoor list.
Also making it back for a second consecutive indoor championship are seniors Ayesha Rumble and Shennae Steele, who will again comprise one-half of the Wildcats' 4x400-meter relay. This duo was paired last year with Karla Hope and Karolyn Palmer, and together they recorded an all-America and seventh-place time of 3:50.06 after being the 11th and last team taken into the field.
This year, however, Rumble and Steele are running alongside 2012 Olympians Elea Diarra and Reyare Thomas. This combination recently recorded a season-best and first-place conference 4x400 time of 3:45.85, which is the ninth-fastest mark in D-II according to TFRRS.org.
In addition to the 4x400, Diarra is entered into the 400-meter dash, where she ranks sixth with a time of 54.47, while Thomas will go in the 60m and 200m. Thomas is a top-five runner in both events, and earlier this month she set a new school record in the 200m with her mark of 23.95 seconds. Her fastest 60m time was clocked at 7.47 seconds at New Mexico's Don Kirby Open.
Steele also made the cut for the 200m (24.46), while Rumble will compete in the 800m (2:12.33).
Senior Chloe Susset - a two-time NCAA Outdoor competitor in the steeplechase and five-time LSC track champion - will be making her NCAA Indoor debut in the mile. Susset placed second in this event at the conference championships last week and is currently ranked ninth with a time of 4:53.75.
Susset just missed all-America honors in the steeplechase last summer, placing ninth with a time of 11:06.91 in Pueblo, Colo.
Representing the men's team are freshman Johnathan Farquharson and seniors Jordan Geary and Baptiste Kerjean. Geary has been part of two straight silver medal 4x100 teams at NCAA Outdoors, but this will be his first time competing solo at the national indoor meet as he's currently ranked fourth in the 200m (21.32).
Farquharson, a native of the Bahamas, is ranked 10th in the 200m (21.47) and sixth in the 60m (6.77). While competing at his first conference championship meet last week, Farquharson totaled 34 points through four events, which included wins in the 55m and 4x400, a runner-up showing to Geary in the 200m, and third-place finish in the long jump.
Kerjean is the Wildcats' lone thrower and will compete in the weight throw, where he ranks 10th with a top distance of 60-06.50. Kerjean joined ACU at the start of 2012 and earned all-America status in the hammer after placing third at nationals with a personal-best throw of 210-9.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named its All-Region honorees for the 2012-13 Division II indoor track & field season. The top five from each region in individual events and each member of a relay ranked in the region's top three have earned the all-region distinction for this season.
ACU is part of the South Central Region along with the Heartland and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferences. Eighteen Wildcats were named all-region through eight men's and 11 women's events.
Men
Osei Allyene-Forte (4×400 Relay)
Johnathan Farquarshon (60 Meters, 200 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Jordan Geary (200 Meters, 400 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Darian Hogg (Triple Jump)
Andrew Hudson (Weight Throw)
Banjo Jaiyesimi (4×400 Relay)
Baptiste Kerjean (Weight Throw)
Parker Petty (Heptathlon)
Matthew Stark (Heptathlon)
Women
Cassie Brooks (Pentathlon)
Elea Diarra (400 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Shalania Lakey (Weight Throw)
Amanda Ouedraogo (Long Jump, Triple Jump)
Ayesha Rumble (800 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Shennae Steele (60 Meters, 200 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Chloe Susset (Mile)
Reyare Thomas (60 Meters, 200 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Lexus Williams (60 Meter Hurdles)
ABILENE - For the second straight year, the Abilene Christian Track and Field Program will be represented by nine individuals and one relay at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. The selections were finalized and released on Tuesday.
The Gulf South Conference and the City of Birmingham, Ala. are the proud hosts of this year's national meet, which will take place at The Birmingham CrossPlex March 7 to 9.
ACU's championship roster features three men and six women, many of whom are making their NCAA Indoor Championships debut. One notable exception, however, is Amanda Ouedraogo, who has either won or finished as the national runner-up in the triple jump at the previous four NCAA Championships.
A native of Hauts de Seine, France, Ouedraogo won her first national triple jump title last winter following three-straight second-place showings - two of which came outdoors. But on her very first attempt in Mankato, Minn., Ouedraogo registered a distance of 42 feet-1.5 inches that gave her in the lead for good.
Ouedraogo enters this year's competition having just won her third Lone Star Conference title behind a school record distance of 43-0.5 inches, which came on her final attempt to surpass defending Division II outdoor champion Kearah Danville of Angelo State. Danville led from the first round, and she saved her best (42-6.25) for last. But the Wildcat senior, trailing with 41-6 responded with a leap that puts her equal to sixth on the 2013 NCAA Division I indoor list.
Also making it back for a second consecutive indoor championship are seniors Ayesha Rumble and Shennae Steele, who will again comprise one-half of the Wildcats' 4x400-meter relay. This duo was paired last year with Karla Hope and Karolyn Palmer, and together they recorded an all-America and seventh-place time of 3:50.06 after being the 11th and last team taken into the field.
This year, however, Rumble and Steele are running alongside 2012 Olympians Elea Diarra and Reyare Thomas. This combination recently recorded a season-best and first-place conference 4x400 time of 3:45.85, which is the ninth-fastest mark in D-II according to TFRRS.org.
In addition to the 4x400, Diarra is entered into the 400-meter dash, where she ranks sixth with a time of 54.47, while Thomas will go in the 60m and 200m. Thomas is a top-five runner in both events, and earlier this month she set a new school record in the 200m with her mark of 23.95 seconds. Her fastest 60m time was clocked at 7.47 seconds at New Mexico's Don Kirby Open.
Steele also made the cut for the 200m (24.46), while Rumble will compete in the 800m (2:12.33).
Senior Chloe Susset - a two-time NCAA Outdoor competitor in the steeplechase and five-time LSC track champion - will be making her NCAA Indoor debut in the mile. Susset placed second in this event at the conference championships last week and is currently ranked ninth with a time of 4:53.75.
Susset just missed all-America honors in the steeplechase last summer, placing ninth with a time of 11:06.91 in Pueblo, Colo.
Representing the men's team are freshman Johnathan Farquharson and seniors Jordan Geary and Baptiste Kerjean. Geary has been part of two straight silver medal 4x100 teams at NCAA Outdoors, but this will be his first time competing solo at the national indoor meet as he's currently ranked fourth in the 200m (21.32).
Farquharson, a native of the Bahamas, is ranked 10th in the 200m (21.47) and sixth in the 60m (6.77). While competing at his first conference championship meet last week, Farquharson totaled 34 points through four events, which included wins in the 55m and 4x400, a runner-up showing to Geary in the 200m, and third-place finish in the long jump.
Kerjean is the Wildcats' lone thrower and will compete in the weight throw, where he ranks 10th with a top distance of 60-06.50. Kerjean joined ACU at the start of 2012 and earned all-America status in the hammer after placing third at nationals with a personal-best throw of 210-9.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named its All-Region honorees for the 2012-13 Division II indoor track & field season. The top five from each region in individual events and each member of a relay ranked in the region's top three have earned the all-region distinction for this season.
ACU is part of the South Central Region along with the Heartland and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferences. Eighteen Wildcats were named all-region through eight men's and 11 women's events.
Men
Osei Allyene-Forte (4×400 Relay)
Johnathan Farquarshon (60 Meters, 200 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Jordan Geary (200 Meters, 400 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Darian Hogg (Triple Jump)
Andrew Hudson (Weight Throw)
Banjo Jaiyesimi (4×400 Relay)
Baptiste Kerjean (Weight Throw)
Parker Petty (Heptathlon)
Matthew Stark (Heptathlon)
Women
Cassie Brooks (Pentathlon)
Elea Diarra (400 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Shalania Lakey (Weight Throw)
Amanda Ouedraogo (Long Jump, Triple Jump)
Ayesha Rumble (800 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Shennae Steele (60 Meters, 200 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Chloe Susset (Mile)
Reyare Thomas (60 Meters, 200 Meters, 4x400 Relay)
Lexus Williams (60 Meter Hurdles)
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