August 13, 2009

Gittens To Compete In World Track and Field Championships

Sprinter Ramon Gittens of Saint Augustine’s College will run in the 2009 World Track and Field Championships, which will be held Aug. 15-23, in Berlin, Germany.

Gittens will compete for Barbados in the men’s 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. A rising junior, Gittens qualified for the World Championships with personal-best times of 10.18 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 20.56 seconds in the 200-meter dash.

Gittens ran both times in May at the 2009 NCAA Division II National Outdoor Championships, where he finished second in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 200-meter dash. His performance helped the Falcons win the outdoor national title. He also contributed to the Falcons’ indoor national crown this season by finishing third in the 60-meter dash in 6.73 seconds. The 2009 CIAA conference 100-meter outdoor champion, Gittens will join former Falcons Bershawn “Batman” Jackson, Nathaniel McKinney and Kia Davis at the World Championships. Jackson, who won the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, is representing the United States in the men’s 400-meter hurdles. McKinney is competing for the Bahamas in the men’s 200-meter dash, and Davis is running for Liberia in the women’s 400-meter dash.

September 14, 2009

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Saint Augustine’s College’s Johnny Shuping (Sr./Klerksdorp, South Africa) opened the 2009 cross country season by finishing second at the Salem College Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 14).

Shuping, the defending CIAA men’s individual champion, ran a time of 26:59.4. Andrew Chebii of Winston-Salem State University won the men’s race in 26:05.5. Chayce Smith (Jr./Bermuda) of Saint Augustine’s College finished sixth individually with a time of 29:14.9.

Saint Augustine’s College is scheduled to run in the Reebok Invitational in Cary, N.C., on Friday (Sept. 18).

September 18, 2009

CARY, N.C. – Saint Augustine’s College finished fourth in the men’s race, and fifth in the women’s race at the 2009 Wolfpack Invitational cross country meet at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday (Sept. 18).

Johnny Shuping (Sr./Klerksdorp, South Africa) finished 13th with a time of 15:31 on the 5-kilometer course to lead the Falcon men, who scored 140 points. North Carolina State University was first with 24 points followed by the University of Maryland (45 points), and Winston-Salem State University (90). The Falcons beat North Carolina A&T State University (142), Shaw University (152), Barton College (174 points) and Saint Paul’s College (199).

The Lady Falcons scored 152 points to take fifth place. The University of Maryland won with 24 points, followed by North Carolina State University (38), North Carolina A&T State University (80), and Winston-Salem State University (123). The Lady Falcons beat Peace College (192), Barton College (199), Shaw University (204), Saint Paul’s College (235), and North Carolina Wesleyan (252).

Saint Augustine’s College will compete in the Greensboro Invitational in Greensboro, N.C., on Sept. 26.

September 27, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Johnny Shuping of Saint Augustine's College was victorious at the Greensboro Cross Country Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 26).

Shuping won the Division II university men's division in a time of 26:02.2 on the 8K course. His teammate Chayce Smith was fourth in a time of 26:26.5.

Barbara Pierre of the Lady Falcons finished ninth in the Division II university women's division in a time of 20:40.1 on the 5K course.

The Falcons placed third in the Division II men's division with a score of 121, and the Lady Falcons were third in the Division II women's division with a score of 85.

The meet was held at Hagan Stone Park.

October 22, 2009

CARY, N.C. – Bowie State University had its best ever showing at the 2009 CIAA Cross Country Championships on Thursday (Oct. 22) at WakeMed Soccer Park.

The Bulldogs won the school’s first men’s title, and the Lady Bulldogs shared the women’s championship with Saint Augustine’s College, which swept individual honors. Johnny Shuping of Saint Augustine’s College defended his men’s championship, and Barbara Pierre of Saint Augustine’s College earned the women’s title.

In addition to winning the men’s race, Bowie State captured its first women’s crown since 1992.

“Nothing can replace the joy that we are feeling,” said fourth-year Bowie State head coach Michelle Latimer. “It is an awesome feeling to make history.”

The Bulldogs scored 42 points in the men’s 8K race to finish ahead of Saint Augustine’s College (67) and Virginia State University (83). Shaw placed fourth with 103 points followed by Virginia Union University (126), Johnson C. Smith University (147), Saint Paul’s College (171), Livingstone College (177), Fayetteville State University (268) and Elizabeth City State University (272).

Shuping of Saint Augustine’s College won the men’s run for the second straight year after crossing the finish line in 24:59.3. Geoffrey Langat of Virginia State was second in 25:37.9, and George Smith of Saint Augustine’s College was third in 26:23.2.

Bowie State won the team title behind the running of Darryl Sanders (4th place), Joseph Philpot (7th place), Damian Montgomery (8th place), Jamin Gallman (11th place) and Bryon Lewis (12th place).

The Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Falcons both tied for first place in the women’s 5K run with 44 points. Virginia State was third with 59 points followed by Shaw (112), Johnson C. Smith (145), Saint Paul’s (147), Livingstone (203), Fayetteville State (224), Virginia Union (233) and Elizabeth City State (287).

Pierre, known for her track and field exploits, showed she can run long distance as well. A 2008 Olympic sprinter who has won NCAA and CIAA track and field titles, Pierre took the women’s run in 20:10.6. Winnie Chepchumba of Livingstone placed second in 20:31.1 and Shamika Patton of Bowie State was third in 20:47.2

The Lady Falcons got strong running from Pierre, Racquel Daly (4th), Jasmin Peterson-Hassan (9th), Jasmine Cobbs (12th), and Kyra Mobley (18th) for their 17th women’s championship, including their third in a row. This is the second consecutive year that the Lady Falcons have shared the women’s championship.

The Lady Bulldogs kept pace with the Lady Falcons behind the running of Patton, Shayla Davis (6th), Brittany Williams (8th), Michelle Palmer (13th) and Jasmine Butler (14th).

After both races, the All-CIAA teams were announced during the awards ceremony. The men’s squad consists of Timothy Davidson of Virginia State, Aaron Dudley of Saint Augustine’s College, Jefferson Thondique of Virginia Union, and Lawrence Lewis of Shaw in addition to Shuping, Langat, Smith, Philpot, Sanders and Montgomery.

The All-CIAA women’s team includes Jenna Arnold of Virginia State, Raychelle Johnson of Shaw, and Sierra Clayton of Virginia State in addition to Pierre, Chepchumba, Patton, Daly, Davis, Peterson-Hassan and Williams.

October 22, 2009

CARY, N.C. – Individual winners Barbara Pierre and Johnny Shuping led Saint Augustine’s College to an excellent day at the 2009 CIAA Cross Country Championships on Thursday (Oct. 22) at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Pierre won the women’s 5K race to spark the Lady Falcons to a share of the CIAA title with Bowie State University. Shuping captured the men’s 8K race to pace the Falcons to a second-place finish in the men’s division.

Pierre is known for her track and field exploits. She competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and she is an NCAA and CIAA champion in the 100-meter dash. But Pierre can run long distance as well.

On Thursday, Pierre finished first in a time of 20:10.6. Winnie Chepchumba of Livingstone placed second in 20:31.1, and Shamika Patton of Bowie State was third in 20:47.2.

The Lady Falcons also got strong running from Racquel Daly (4th), Jasmin Peterson-Hassan (9th), Jasmine Cobbs (12th), and Kyra Mobley (18th). This was the 17th CIAA championship including the third in a row for the Lady Falcons, who shared the crown for the second straight year.

The Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Falcons both scored 44 points in the women’s race to become co-champions. Virginia State was third with 59 points followed by Shaw (112), Johnson C. Smith (145), Saint Paul’s (147), Livingstone (203), Fayetteville State (224), Virginia Union (233) and Elizabeth City State (287).

Shuping won the men’s individual title for the second straight year in a time of 24:59.3. Geoffrey Langat of Virginia State was second in 25:37.9, and George Smith of Saint Augustine’s College was third in 26:23.2. Other top Falcon runners were Aaron Dudley (6th), Joshua Robinson (27th), and Jason Boyd (30th).

Bowie State University scored 42 points in the men’s race to win its first CIAA championship. Saint Augustine’s College scored 67 points and Virginia State University was third with 83 points. Shaw placed fourth with 103 points followed by Virginia Union University (126), Johnson C. Smith University (147), Saint Paul’s College (171), Livingstone College (177), Fayetteville State University (268) and Elizabeth City State University (272).

After both races, the All-CIAA teams were announced during the awards ceremony. The men’s squad consists of Shuping of Saint Augustine’s College, Langat of Virginia Union, Smith of Saint Augustine’s College, Daryl Sanders of Bowie State, Timothy Davidson of Virginia State, Dudley of Saint Augustine’s College, Joseph Philpot of Bowie State, Damian Montgomery of Bowie State, Jefferson Thondique of Virginia Union, and Lawrence Lewis of Shaw.

The All-CIAA women’s team includes Pierre of Saint Augustine’s College, Chepchumba of Livingstone, Patton of Bowie State, Daly of Saint Augustine’s College, Jenna Arnold of Virginia State, Shayla Davis of Bowie State, Raychelle Johnson of Shaw, Brittany Williams of Bowie State, and Peterson-Hassan of Saint Augustine’s College.