Warriors finish third at NCCAA National Championship
Sterling College track and field traveled to Columbia, S.C. to compete in the NCCAA Track and Field National Championships Wednesday through Friday, May 7-9.
The Warriors came home with a combined 12 All-American performances including Charles Jones' National Championship titles in both the high jump and the long jump. The men's team finished third with a total of 66 points, while Aliya McClanahan carried the women's team scoring all eight of their points with fifth place finishes in the discus and the javelin.
The men got it done in the jump with Jones leading the charge, winning the long jump with a mark of 7.12m (23-4.25) and the high jump with a clearance of 2.01m (6-7.25). He also placed second in the triple jump with a mark of 14.68m (48-2).
Cedric Wilson finished right behind Jones in the high jump with a clearance of 1.96m (6-5.25). He also scored points in the 110m high hurdles with a time of 15.87 to finish fourth.
Maurice Gray also claimed All-American status in the long jump with a mark of 6.95m (22-9.5) to place second and in the triple jump where he finished eighth with a jump of 13.65m (44-9.5). Trey Dixon also competed in the long jump where he finished fourth with a jump of 6.88m (22-6.75).
In the throws, Blake Robertson led the Warriors with a second-place finish in the discus and a sixth-place finish in the hammer throw with marks of 45.75m (150-1.25) and 44.87m (147-2.5), respectively. Robertson also competed in the shot put where he threw a 12.97m (42-6.75) to finish 10th.
Malachi Bell also represented Sterling in the throws getting barely pushed off the podium with a ninth-place finish in the hammer throw with a personal best mark of 42.42m (139-2).
On the track, Daryen Jefferson competed in both the 10k and the 5k where he finished 10th and 12th with times of 34:24.69 and 16:40.36, respectively. In the sprints, Dixon finished 16th in the 100m dash with a time of 11.04 and ran a time of 22.45 in the 200m dash to place 21st.
On the women's side, McClanahan was the lone Lady Warrior who qualified for the national meet. She represented Sterling in the throws finishing fifth in both the discus and javelin where she threw a 39.36m (129-1.5) and 34.12m (111-11.25), respectively.
Sterling's final meet of the season will be at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships held in Marion, Ind. on Wednesday through Friday, May 21-23.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #swordsup. Watch all of the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
