PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Alabama A&M women's outdoor track & field saved the best for last as they earned an individual champion in record-setting fashion and collected 11 All-Conference honors on the final day of the 2021 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championships on Saturday, May 8. As a team, they scored 58 points to finish 6-of-10.
Despite no league championships last year due to COVID-19, senior
Danice Loney (Melbourne, Fla.) didn't miss a beat as she claimed her second straight individual title in the pole vault, shattering the league mark in the process.
After besting the competition at a height of 3.51-meters to earn the championship she kept right on going, seeking to improve her chances for a berth in the NCAA Division I Championships. She cleared a height of 3.61 on her third try to break the previous league record of 3.53-meters and notched 3.81-meters on her second attempt before failing to make 4.01-meters.
"Went in with a positive mindset ready to go out and execute and did just that," said Loney. "Today felt incredible and I am very pleased with my season. I am extremely proud and thankful for the coaching staff, my teammates and my entire Bulldogs family."
With that championship came another All-SWAC honor, which would be one of 11 on the day for the Bulldogs. Headlining that group was senior
Akia Slaughter (Smyrna, Ga.) who finished 2-of-20 in the 100-meters (11.57) and 3-of-30 in the 200-meters (23.67) for a pair of individual honors and picked up a third as part of the 4x100-relay.
That group, consisting of senior
Terion Davis (Lakeland, Fla.), sophomore
Fabiona Jackson-Jenkins (Montgomery, Ala.) and junior
Precious Haynes (Richmond, Calif.), finished 3-of-8 with a time of 46.25 to each collect All-SWAC recognition with Slaughter.
"Today was intense and I knew going into the prelims that I had to treat it like the finals and go hard so it could transfer over to the finals," said Slaughter. "I'm happy with what I did today. I definitely listened to Coach Jones, executed and ran the time she and I knew I could run and now I'm looking forward to regionals."
It would not be the only relay to bring home honors, either, as Davis and Jackson-Jenkins would comprise one half of the 4x400 that cleared the tape in 3:47.71 to finish 2-of-8. The other half came in the form of junior
Danielle Chambers (Atlanta, Ga.) and senior
Diamond Griffin (Miami, Fla.).
Both Davis and Chambers added Top-10 finishes in the 400-meters, placing fifth (56.18) and seventh (57.47), respectively, while senior
Sabria Wooten (Dallas, Ga.) was 5-of-16 in the 5,000-meters (20:37.59) and sophomore
Aneisha Ingram (Frankfield, Jamaica) was 7-of-15 in the 800-meters at 2:20.94 to round out the meet.
Barring any last chance meets, Alabama A&M will now await word later this month on any individual selections to the NCAA Division I Championships. The East Preliminaries are slated for May 27-29 in Jacksonville, Florida and selections will be announced on Thursday, May 20.
ALABAMA A&M WOMEN'S COMPETITORS (13)
Danielle Chambers – 400-meters (7-of-22, 57.47), 4x400-Relay (2-of-8, 3:47.71)#
Terion Davis – 400-meters (5-of-22, 56.18), 4x100-Relay (3-of-8, 46.25)#, 4x400-Relay (2-of-8, 3:47.71)#
Diamond Griffin – 4x400-Relay (2-of-8, 3:47.71)#
Trinidee Hampton – Triple Jump (19-of-20, Foul)
Precious Haynes – 4x100-Relay (3-of-8, 46.25)#
Aneisha Ingram – 800-meters (7-of-15, 2:20.94)
Fabiona Jackson-Jenkins – 4x100-Relay (3-of-8, 46.25)#, 4x400-Relay (2-of-8, 3:47.71)#
Alliyah Jones – High Jump (8-of-12, NH), Triple Jump (12-of-20, 11.22m)
Danice Loney – Pole Vault (1-of-7, 3.81m)#&
Sophia Madison – High Jump (7-of-12, 1.51m)
Jayla Neal – Triple Jump (14-of-20, 10.99m)
Akia Slaughter – 100-meters (2-of-20, 11.57)#, 200-meters (3-of-30, 23.67)#, 4x100-Relay (3-of-8, 46.25)#
Sabria Wooten – 1,500-meters (12-of-15, 5:12.84), 5,000-meters (5-of-16, 20:37.59)
#Indicates All-Conference
&Indicates Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Record
