Safiya John had herself a day — three days, actually.
John won each of the seven heptathlon events to dominate the three-day event with 5,450 points, breaking her own record, at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Prairie View, Texas. The junior from Trinidad and Tobago had 5,257 points in the previous outdoor championships two years ago.
That wasn’t all. John won the 100-meter hurdles Saturday with a time of 13.66 seconds, beating second-place Jyzmin Gray of UAPB by 0.25, and took second in the high jump at 1.67 meters (about 5 feet, 5.75 inches) to Prairie View’s Ja’Sha Sloan (1.82 meters).
John finished one point shy of first-place Sharon Labich of Grambling State, who had 34, for high-point honors. She also helped the Lady Lions finish third in team standings with 123.5 points.
Alabama State won the women’s title with 168, followed by Prairie View with
161.
In the heptathlon, John ran 13.63 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, jumped 1.7 meters (5 feet, 7 inches) in the high jump, threw 10.94 meters (35-10.75) in the shot put, ran 25.17 seconds in 200 meters, leaped 5.6 meters (18-4.5) in the long jump, threw 38.8 meters (127-3) in the javelin and ran 2 minutes, 27.19 seconds in the 800.
Dasia Newell of Alabama State was second in the heptathlon with 4,103 points.
Franklyn Stanislaus of UAPB settled for silver in a close decathlon after winning the 100 meters
(10.67 seconds), high jump
(1.86 meters, or 6-1.25), 400
(49.59 seconds) and 110 hurdles (15.29 seconds). He had 6,134 points, just shy of the 6,531 for Sunne Rodriguez-Weems of Prairie View.
UAPB picked up three more victories Saturday. Katrina Small jumped 12.76 meters (about 41.86 feet) to win the triple jump by 0.02 over Kaizha Roberts of Prairie View. Gray ran 1:01.63 to win the 400-meter hurdles, beating Akili Pleas-Carnie of Alcorn State by 0. 5, and Wade Garner took the men’s 400-meter hurdles in 46.77 seconds, beating Timothy Demerritt of Prairie View
(47.49).
Also Saturday for UAPB:Caleb Snowden was second in the high jump at 2.02 meters (about 6-7.5). Austin Fields of Jackson State won at 2.06 meters.
Deandre Fyffe and Danniel Bailey took second and third, respectively in the discus throw. Both threw 47.77 meters. On Friday, the two also came in second and third in the shot put, with Fyffe tossing 15.58 meters and Bailey 15.12. Caesar Kemp of Alabama State won both events (51.07 in the discus and 16.86 in the shot put).
Th e L ady L i o n s ’ 4x100-meter relay team ran 45.32 seconds, as Alabama State edged them by 0.3.
Tatya n a McKe n z i e
(54.54 seconds) and Jada Sabir (55.5) finished second and third in the 400 meters. Kyana Evans of Alabama State won in 54.11.
McKenzie came second in the 200 (23.64) to Tionna Brown of Alabama State
(23.47).
Th e G o l d e n L i o n s ’ 4x400-meter relay ran 3:13.21 to take third place b e h i n d P ra i r i e Vi ew (3:11.27) and Jackson State (3:11.32).
UAPB’s men’s team, which finished fifth with 105 points, started their meet taking gold and silver in the hammer throw. Mykhel Oppon Kuntu won with a 50.24-meter throw, and Bailey came in second at 49.12.
In the heptathlon, John ran 13.63 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, jumped 1.7 meters (5 feet, 7 inches) in the high jump, threw 10.94 meters (35-10.75) in the shot put, ran 25.17 seconds in 200 meters, leaped 5.6 meters (18-4.5) in the long jump, threw 38.8 meters (127-3) in the javelin and ran 2 minutes, 27.19 seconds in the 800.