Queens Claims South Atlantic Conference Men’s & Women’s Track & Field League Crowns
Hickory, N.C. – The Queens Men's and Women's Track and Field Teams both took first place at the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Championships which concluded Saturday at the Irwin Belk Track and Moretz Sports – Athletic Complex on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University.
The Royals' women's team won their third consecutive league title with 269 points while the men's squad – with 145 points – repeated as conference champions.
The Royals' trio of first-place finishers in Asia Hart (women's 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles), Nikia Squire (women's triple jump and long jump, women's 100-meter and 200-meter dashes) and Catie Byrd (women's 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs) all shared SAC Women's Track Athlete-Of-The-Year honors with Wingate's Madison Hiatt (league champion in the women's 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs).
The Royals also won both relays – the women's 400-meter and 1,600-meter – and easily outdistanced the runner-up, Wingate, by over 100 points.
On the men's side, Queens edge out Lenoir-Rhyne by a mere two points. The Royals were led by Elijah Iwuna, the 2016 SAC Freshman and Track Athlete Of The Year. Iwuna won the men's 800-meter dash (1:52.75) and finished second in the men's 1,500-meter run (4:01.19) and fourth in the men's 5,000-meter run (15:24.18).
In addition, Queens' Khyle Higgs was selected as the Field Athlete Of The Year thanks to his conference championships in the men's discus throw (151'2"), his runner-up spot in the hammer throw (151'11") and third-place finish in the men's shot put (46'8").
2016 South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships
April 15-16 – FINAL RESULTS
Hickory, N.C.
Moretz Sports - Athletic Complex & Irwin Belk Track
Lenoir-Rhyne University, host
1. Queens 269
2. Wingate 167.33
3. Lenoir-Rhyne 93
4. Anderson 78.33
5. Carson-Newman 69.33
6. Coker 58
7. Mars Hill 27
8. Lincoln Memorial 15
MEN
1. Queens 145
2. Lenoir-Rhyne 143
3. Wingate 140
4. Carson-Newman 93
5. Anderson 89
6. Coker 64
7. Mars Hill 61
8. Lincoln Memorial 25
9. Brevard 14
MEN
Coach Of The Year – Jason Stewart, Lenoir-Rhyne
Freshman Of The Year - Elijah Inuwa, Queens
Track Athlete Of The Year – Elijah Inuwa, Queens
Field Athlete Of The Year - Khyle Higgs, Queens
Coach Of The Year – Jim Vahrenkamp, Queens
Freshman Of The Year – Vanisha Wilshire, Wingate
Track Athlete Of The Year (TIE)
Asia Hart, Queens
Nikia Squire, Queens
Catie Byrd, Queens
Madison Hiatt, Wingate
Field Athlete Of The Year – Haylea Salamon, Lenoir-Rhyne