Shorter makes final run at PBC Track Championships

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The conference welcomed the Shorter track team with open arms when the program was making the transition to the NCAA Division II level three years ago.

This weekend, that short association comes to an end when the Hawks and Lady Hawks make their final appearance at the Peach Belt Conference Championships that begin Thursday at the University of Montevallo Track and Field Facility in Montevallo, Ala., where Shorter’s men and women hope to leave some lasting memories.

“It’s been a great association and we’ve been honored to be a part of the Peach Belt,” Shorter head coach Scott Byrd said about the final PBC outing for the team that will compete in the Gulf South Conference next year when that league adds track to its list of sponsored sports. “Had not the GSC include track as a championship sport, we would have stayed.

“Being a member has helped us become a better team,” the coach said. “It’s a solid conference.”

The Peach Belt will also remain special to Shorter – it’s where the university won its first-ever NCAA Division II conference championship, that coming a year ago when the Hawks won the men’s title and the Lady Hawks made a run for the crown before settling for a runner-up finish.

“We had to work hard last year,” Byrd said, “because of how strong the teams in the conference are and now that Florida Tech is in the conference, it’s even more competitive.”

Shorter, however, showed that it was well into its competitive mode thanks to a solid showing last week at the Tennessee Sea Rays Relays in Knoxville, Tenn.

“We had a solid performance in Tennessee,” said Byrd. “We wanted to secure times for the conference and the NCAA national meet. This was the second time we’ve been up there and now it’s become a big meet for us.”

Highlighting the showing in the Volunteer State was the performance of the Lady Hawks’ 4×400 relay team of Ashley Walker, Ashley Ballard, Kemor Anderson and Jasmine Crump, who set the top Division II time this year running the distance in 3 minutes, 39.76 seconds to set a school record and enter the PBC meet as the No. 1 foursome.

That quartet is part of a 17-athlete contingent the women’s team will carry to the championships and though few in numbers is a group Byrd believes can challenge for the crown.

“We feel they have a great opportunity to do some great things,” he said about the Lady Hawks. “The issue is numbers and the ones we’re taking will be doing a lot of events.”

Walker, who became Shorter’s first NCAA national champion when she won the indoor 400 crown, is a favorite in two other events, being the top-ranked 400 runner (52.60) and listed at No. 2 in the 200 (23.96.)

The Lady Hawks also boast the second-best PBC times in the 800, where Emily Bulwada enters the meet with a 2:14.67, and the 4×100 relay squad – Williams, Crump, Anderson and Ballard has a 46.95 clocking, and Leah Sikorski (4:48.46) is ranked third in the 1,500.

In the field, a pair of Lady Hawks are at the top of the lists in their respective events as Portia McManis – she is a contender in the 100 and 400 hurdles – has the best long jump mark (18-11.75) and Cynia Clark holds the best hammer throw effort (157-4) with teammate Madison Sears (152-11) right behind her.

Adding to the list of potential point producers for the Lady Hawks includes Breondre Steele, No. 2 in the high jump (5-3.75) and Anelise Aldana, No. 3 in the triple jump (38-2.)

“This team reminds me of our first NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) national championship in 2013,” Byrd said. “That group we took was small but very good. We know there’s not a lot of room for error this weekend.”

While the Lady Hawks will have to make the most of the points available to the, the Hawks will defend their 2014 PBC championship with a better set of numbers as 23 men will be competing in 21 events.

“We’re not favored to win many events,” Byrd said about the Hawks, “but our strength is in our numbers and we’re solid all the way through in every event.”

Just how solid the team is can be seen in where they stack up in the event performance list heading into the meet.

Listed with the top efforts in their events include Randeniya Supun (110 high hurdles, 14.25); Del’Quan Campbell (300 hurdles. 54.03); Jordan Cross (5,000, 14;36.66); the 4×400 relay team of Cole Rice, Wade Roberds, Christian Smith and Gregory Roachford, Jr. (3:13.45); long jumper Jonathan Willman (23-1.75); and Daniel Alexis (discus, 157-11.)

Yet depth is also a part of the Hawks makeup as they have multiple entries in certain events that can add to the points, such as the 400 where Roachford and Rice are ranked third and fourth and in the 300 hurdlers where Campbell is joined by Smith and Roberds who are also rated third and fourth, respectively.

Following the PBC Championships, Shorter will take a week off before returning to their home oval at Barron Stadium on May 1-2 when they host the NCCAA National Championships.

Source: Rome News

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