The Talladega College Track & Field Team showcased an impressive performance at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships held in Shreveport, Louisiana, from April 18-21. Both the women’s and men’s teams achieved runner-up overall positions, marking a significant accomplishment for the College.
Christopher McConnell, assistant Track and Field coach, takes pride in seeing his Tornadoes perform well during the tournament and season overall. He attributes their success to hard work and a willingness to go the extra mile to achieve their goals.
“Seeing our student-athletes progress significantly under constant hurdles that we’ve had to face all year is nothing less than amazing,” said McConnell. “Their hard work, dedication, discipline, and determination are evident in their success in this year’s performances in cross-country National Qualifiers, Indoor Track Qualifiers, and Outdoor Nationals Qualifiers for both the Men’s and Women’s teams.”
McConnell shared that the team has faced adversity but, through it all, has maintained a level of excellence he believes has shaped the group into what it is today. “We do not have access to a track on a consistent basis, so we complete most of our training in the multi-purpose field. We are able to adjust where we can however, with the multiple events that we compete in, such as hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, discus, javelin, and hammer toss, finding practice locations for our program is challenging. However, through adversity, our fighting Tornadoes still prevailed.”
Women’s Team Triumphs:
Lamoy Duffus excelled in the field events, securing 1st place in the Women’s Triple Jump and earning 2nd place in both the Women’s Long Jump and the Women’s 4x100 Meter Relay. The relay team, composed of Duffus, Dhaenia Pinnock, Dhanecia Pinnock, and Kishawna Wallace, demonstrated remarkable synergy to clinch the 2nd place.
The middle-distance events saw Jewel Cross nabbing 3rd place in both the Women’s 800-meter and 1500 1500-meter runs, showcasing her prowess in endurance races. Amia Montgomery followed suit with a strong performance in the 400 Meter Hurdles, taking 2nd place.
In the throwing events, Kalena Hall threw her way to second place in the Women’s Shot Put, while Elisa Clay hammered out a second-place finish in the Women’s Hammer Toss, contributing vital points to the team’s score.
Men’s Team Impresses:
The men’s team matched the women’s enthusiasm and success. Emmanuel Niang dominated the 110 hurdles, coming out on top with a first-place victory. The men’s 4x100-meter Relay team, consisting of Michael Willis, Isaiah Bain, Jonathan Meadows, and Jaedon Chambers, outpaced the competition to claim first place.
“It was good to compete, represent my school, and win the conference in the 110 hurdles,” said Niang. It’s an honor because Talladega is a special place filled with history; it’s great to place myself amongst the greats.”
Niang has big plans for the future and hopes to represent Talladega and the Nation. The Pennsylvania native is training to be an Olympic hopeful. “I plan to win the first outdoor national championship and also qualify for the Olympics trials. Lastly, post-graduation, I plan to work for the federal government as a special agent.”
Jaedon Chambers had an outstanding individual performance, securing 2nd place finishes in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. His efforts proved him to be a versatile sprinter within the conference.
Field events were a strong suit for the men’s team, with Jaylen Haynes throwing his way to first place in the Men’s Shot Put and second place in the Men’s Discus, earning him the Field MVP title. Danrick Robinson and Eusebio Herandez also contributed significantly, placing in both the Shot Put and Discus events.
Nastario Williams showed his prowess in the Men’s Javelin with a second-place finish, while Decquan Nisbett raced to a third-place finish in the 800-meter run. Stephon May proved his athleticism with a second-place finish in the High Jump and a third-place finish in the Long Jump.
Following their stellar season, the Talladega College Track & Field Team ended things on a high note, leaving a solid imprint at the GCAC Championships. The women’s team proved formidable in both track and field events, while the men showed a blend of speed, skill, and strength, particularly in the relay and field events. Both teams’ runner-up finishes are a testament to their dedication and heralding a bright future for Talladega College athletics.
