Virginia State Men, Fayetteville State Women Claim 2022 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Fayetteville State women and the Virginia State men both repeated as conference champions at the 2022 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at the JDL Fast Track on Monday.

Both programs did not miss a beat even though the 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19.

The Trojans’ victory was incredibly significant. They snapped Saint Augustine’s 23-year streak of either winning outright or sharing the CIAA men’s indoor crown. VSU tied SAU for the title in 2018 and 2020 but this is its first-ever outright indoor conference championship.

The last team to win the conference indoor crown outright other than Saint Augustine’s was Norfolk State in 1997. Norfolk State is now a Division I school.

The Broncos’ title run was also impressive. This is FSU’s second CIAA indoor crown in three seasons as a university-sponsored track and field program.

The Broncos scored 155 points to outdistance themselves from the other eight competing teams. Winston-Salem State was the runner-up (123) and Virginia State placed third (66).

Women’s Track MVP Mya Johnson sparked the Broncos with victories in the 60-Meter Hurdles and the 200-Meter Dash. She also placed second in the 400-Meter Dash and was the leadoff runner on the winning 4×400-Meter Relay Team, which included Queen Burnett, Teanna Bell and Shanae Ingram.

Also for FSU, Women’s Field MVP Jade Jordon captured the Triple Jump to go with her Long Jump title on Sunday. Shania Ingram was the women’s Pentathlon winner.

VSU scored 147 points to cruise past seven opponents in the men’s division. Johnson C. Smith finished as runner-up (114) and Bowie State was third (70).

Men’s Track MVP Jalen Brownlee paced the Trojans by winning the 800-Meter Run and 5,000-Meter Run to go with his Mile Run victory on Sunday. He also ran on the winning Distance Medley Relay squad on Sunday and was a member of the 4×400-Meter Relay squad which placed second on Monday.

The winning Distance Medley Relay team included Joel Bowers, Elijah Johnson and Owen Mahedo.

The Trojans’ depth was too much for the other men’s teams at the championship meet. Emmanuel Oguntoye won the triple jump and Atrell Williams took the shot put. Joshua Butler was the winner in the men’s Heptathlon.

Individually, Glenn Butler of Lincoln (Pa.) was the Men’s Field MVP after winning the High Jump on Monday and the Long Jump on Sunday.

Inez Turner of Fayetteville State was chosen CIAA Women’s Coach of the Year. Wilbert Johnson of Virginia State was named CIAA Men’s Coach of the Year.

The other women’s winners on Monday were Zoe Adams of Claflin (400-Meter Dash), Glenda Jenkins of Virginia State (60-Meter Dash), Jazlynn Church of Lincoln (Pa.) (800-Meter Dash), Vanessa Jones of Winston-Salem State (3,000-Meter Run) and Zaria Nelson of Claflin (Shot Put).

The other men’s winners on Monday were Justin Steele of Johnson C. Smith (400-Meter Dash), Skyy Lawrence of Saint Augustine’s (60-Meter Dash), Warren Williams of Johnson C. Smith (60-Meter Hurdles), Justin Steele of Johnson C. Smith (200-Meter Dash, 400-Meter Dash) and the Johnson C. Smith 4×400-Meter Relay Team.

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