The 50
th Men's and 31
st Women's NCAA National Track & Field Championship will be held May 24-26, 2012 in Pueblo, CO. Claflin University will have the honor of having five student-athletes competing in this two day event, to crown a national champion in 21 events for both men and women.
Competing for the women will be Latycia Milton, who hails from St. Helena Island, SC, acquired an automatic qualifying leap of 40'10.5” in the triple-jump, which ranks her 5
th in the nation in the triple jump. Milton a senior, Mathematics Education major will be competing in her second consecutive NCAA Championships in his event. Latycia has earned ALL-South Region Field Athlete of the Year in 2011 and 2012.
Tenekka Brown is a senior Sociology major from Columbia, SC., has qualified for the NCAA National Championships in the 400M Hurdles. She is currently ranked 16
th in the Nation with a time of 1:01.55 achieved at the SIAC track & Field Championships in April. Tanekka has also competed in the 100M Hurdles for the Lady Panthers' Outdoor Track & Field Team.
On the men's side two time All-American triple jumper and two time, South Region Track & Field Athlete of the Year LaQuan Priest has earned his second consecutive trip to the NCAA Track & Field Championships, by winning the SIAC triple jump championship, in Atlanta, Ga., with a leap of 50'7.5”. That jump has propelled Priest to 2
nd in the nation in the triple jump. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) member for Claflin University also earned Field Athlete of the Meet at the “Jet Johnson Bulldog Relays” held at South Carolina State University, in March.
Larry Brunson competing in his first NCAA Nationals in the 110M Hurdles is a senior, Management Major at Claflin University. Brunson's best time this season came at the Norfolk State University Relays, with a time of 14.23, which ranks him 10
th in the nation at the present time.
And Zach Giles, a junior Sociology Major, currently is ranked 11
th in the nation in the 400M Dash. Giles captured the SIAC Championship in the 400M, at the SIAC Track & Field Championships, with a time of 47.23. Giles has fought through injuries this season and seems to be running his best races at this time. He is looking forward to moving up in the National rankings by finishing among the top runners during the North Carolina Relays next week.
