ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Benedict College men's outdoor track and field team won its second consecutive SIAC Championship with a dominating performance, beating runner-up Morehouse College by 62.5 points on Saturday at Winthrop University's Irwin Belk Track.
The Tigers scored 226.5 points, winning five gold medals during the three days of events. On Saturday, Benedict picked up two more gold medals as Kevin Francis won the 110-meter high hurdles and the Tiger 4x400-meter relay team put on an impressive performance with more than a five-second victory.
Benedict's Richard McQueen was named the men's Cleve Abbott Award winner, presented to the top overall point scorer. McQueen finished second in the decathlon, second in the pole vault, fourth in the long jump, fifth in the 110-meter high hurdles, seventh in the javelin throw to earn 27 points.
Chase Ransom was named Most Outstanding Field Performer. Ransom finished first in the shot put and second in the hammer throw and discus for 26 points.
Coach
Frank Hyland was named the men's Coach of the Year.
Benedict entered the final day with a 66.5-point lead over Morehouse. The Maroon Tigers scored 89 points on Saturday, but Benedict held them off by scoring 90 points.
Albany State was third with 113 points, followed by Fort Valley State (80), Savannah State (61), Tuskegee (59.5), Spring Hill (49), Lane (33), Central State (25) and Kentucky State (5).
Ras Jesse Delancy, fresh off being named the SIAC men's volleyball Player of the Year and helping the Tigers to a third-place finish in the championship, joined the track team and finished third in the high jump in his first meet.
Malcom Carter Jr. finished second in the men's 400-meter hurdles, while teammate Kevin Francis was close behind in third.
Nelson Kipkemboi finished second in the 5,000-meter run.
The final event of the day was the 4x400-meter relay race. The Tigers' foursome of Shemar Hylton, Jesaiah Jones, Malcom Carter Jr., and Philip Jackson's dominating performance of 3:13.44 beat second-place Fort Valley State, which came in five seconds behind at 3:18.30. The time is the 17
th-fastest in NCAA Division II.