Maroons garner three selections to NCAA championships, compete in

Salisbury Elite Meet over the weekend

By: Austin Gregory
5/17/2015 10:21:00 PM
With the NCAA Division III men and women track and field national championships beginning this upcoming
Thursday, May 21st, the women's relay teams looked to improve their marks by competing at Salisbury University this
past weekend.
Declarations for the events took place on Sunday, as athletes in the top-50 were expected to declare or scratch for
the national event. The NCAA Committee selects 22 women's individuals and 20 men's individuals for each event,
and 16 men's and women's relay teams for the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
The RC women's track and field team will send at least three selections to the NCAA championships in Canton, New
York. These include Alease Kinney in the 400m, the 4x100m relay team consisting of Esther Prempeh, Melanie
Meadows, Alease Kinney, and Lexie Janney and the 4x400 relay team consisting of Alease Kinney, Erin
McGovern, Jessica Mejia, and Lexie Janney.
In the past the Maroons have normally taken only one relay team and have not had the opportunity to take both
teams, but this is the first year that they will be taking both teams. They will also be taking six athletes, ties them for
the most athletes ever taken in school history where in 2008 they took six athletes as well.
400m Alease Kinney, Junior
Junior Alease Kinney's biggest achievement and highlight of the year came at the ODAC championships where she
set the ODAC championships event record with a time of 56.03 (4/17). She also won the 400m at the Roanoke
Invitational where she finished with a time of 57.29 (3/21). Another notable victory was at the Doc Jopson Invitational
where she took first place with a time of 1:01.13 (3/29). Her top time, coming at the ODAC championships, is good
enough to place her at 13th in the nation where she will be competing against 21 other women at the NCAA
championships.
4x400 Relay Alease Kinney, Lexie Janney, Jessica Mejia, and Erin McGovern
The women's 4x400 relay team ranks 12th in the nation with a time of 3.49.28, which they received at the Salisbury
University Elite Meet this past Sunday. They had a very intense race that included the nationally ranked relay teams
of Christopher Newport University and Wesley College.
Alease Kinney led the race running a 400m split of 56.36. Jessica Mejia fed off the momentum of Kinney to run a split
of 57.95. Erin McGovern maintained the second place position with a 58.45 split. With Wesley being in first, the
Maroons being in second and Christopher Newport being in third it was neck and neck heading into the final
400m. Lexie Janney grabbed the baton and at around the 150m mark she pulled ahead and didn't look back while
running a split time of 56.70.
The Maroons finished with a final mark of 3:49.28, which is now a new school and ODAC record and will give them
serious momentum heading into the NCAA championships. Christopher Newport finished the race with a time of
3:49.81, which was also their best time and put them at 16th in the nation, therefore qualifying them for the NCAA
championships as well.
4x100 Relay Esther Prempeh, Melanie Meadows, Alease Kinney, and Lexie Janney
The women's 4x100 team will head to the NCAA championships with the 11th best time in the nation with a time of
47.51, which they achieved at the ODAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At the Salisbury Elite Meet the
Maroons came in second place to the Wesley 4x100 team who finished with a time of 47.86 where the Maroons
finished with a time of 48.02. This was a good rehearsal for the Maroon's 4x100 relay team who look to be
contenders in the event later this week.

Outside of the three selections the Maroons will be sending to the NCAA championships, the Maroons also declared
a few more events as well. Mary Kelly, the Maroons javelin thrower, ranked in the nation at 40th where she came in
first place at the ODAC championships with a throw of 38.32m. Lexie Janney also declared for the 400m where she
just missed out while ranking in 26th place with a time of 56.38. She also declared for the 200m where she ranked in
34th place with a time of 25.01.
In the men's competition Harrison Toney came in ranked at 26th in the 3000m steeplechase even after the historic
outdoor track and field season from the junior. Toney's best time came at the Roanoke/Virginia Tech Twilight
Invitational where he finished with a time of 9:15.14, which broke the Roanoke College and ODAC record. Toney just
missed out on the NCAA championships as he was in the top-20 up until this weekend.
The action begins on Thursday, May 21st and will conclude on Saturday, May 23th at St. Lawrence University in
Canton, New York.
See the complete list of NCAA qualifiers; click here for the men and here for the women.
Story Link: http://maroons.roanoke.edu/news/2015/5/17/WTRACK_0517152454.aspx?path=mtrack