South Plains College News

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Track and Field teams continue to shine on final day of Texas Relays

03.31.2012 - [Track and Field]

Janeil Bellille & Sparkle McKnight

AUSTIN, Texas - The South Plains College Texan and Lady Texan track and field teams capped a wildly successful 85^th running of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays by capturing four first place finishes during the events final day. In all, South Plains finished with six top finishes and three school records

Each day during the 85^th running of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays an SPC athlete turned in a performance early that seemed to spark the rest of the team. Saturday was no different as Janeil Bellille ran away from her competition in the women's 400 meter hurdles in a field that included some of the top talent in the nation.

After getting a good start out of the blocks, Bellille methodically made up the stagger on the field and came off the final curve with Texas' Danielle Bowie. Bellille surged ahead of Bowie to turn in a blistering time of 55.91 seconds, just missing the NJCAA and school record of 55.80 seconds she set last year.

Teammate Sparkle McKnight finished third with a career best time of 57.42 seconds. Entering the weekend the top time amongst NCAA division one 400 meter hurdlers was 57.63 seconds.

Soon after the 400 hurdles, South Plains College was making noise yet again, this time in the men's 4x100 meter relay. John Thomas got the Texans off to a good start and Shavez Hart maintained to keep South Plains in position. Bralon Taplin ran the second curve, handing off to anchorman Trevorvano Mackey in second place behind Texas A&M-Kingsville. Mackey ran down Kingsville's anchor leg and nipped him at the line for a season best time of 40.24 seconds.

Shavez Hart came from behind in the men's 100 meter dash to claim a victory in what was a very close finish. Hart crossed the line in a season best time of 10.31 seconds, not far off Gerry Woodberry's 1991 school record of 10.24 seconds. The top finish was Hart's first of the season while teammate Trevorvano Mackey (10.37) was not far behind in fifth.

In the final men's event of the evening, the SPC 4x400 relay team blasted the collegiate section from the very beginning. Alistair Moona led off out of the blocks, putting the Texans immediately to the lead. Tyler Harper and Vernon Norwood each ran solid legs as well; giving Bralon Taplin a huge cushion as the Texans finishing time of 3:05.17 was more than four-seconds quicker than Wayland Baptist's second place time.

SPC's time was the third quickest of the day. For years the Texas Relays has not allowed non division one schools to compete with the top collegiate teams. In the final event of the day LSU (3:04.54) out-dueled Baylor (3:04.67) in the University section of the 4x400 relay. South Plains defeated the Bayou Bengals at the Tyson Indoor Invitational in February.

The South Plains College Track and Field team will have a short week of rest as they are next scheduled to compete Thursday, April 5 at the Angelo State Relays in San Angelo, Texas.

Texas Relays Saturday Results

Women's 400 Hurdles Finals

Janeil Bellille 55.91 1^st - just missed her school and NJCAA record

Sparkle McKnight 57.42 3^rd

Men's 400 Hurdles Finals

Marques Atkinson 53.53 4^th

Men's 4x100 Relay

Thomas, Hart, 40.24 1^st

Taplin, Mackey

Men's 110 Hurdles

Jovan Davis 14.30 (2.4) 5^th

Men's 100 M Dash