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NEW YORK, NY— The York College men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams made school history, sweeping the 2010 CUNY Athletic Conference championships at the Armory in New York City Sunday evening. It is the first time that both teams have won the CUNYAC championship in the same season. The women’s team took home its first ever indoor title, while the men captured their fifth and their first since 2006.
It was a blowout on the women’s side, as the Lady Cardinals tallied 202 points, which was 89 points better than second-place Lehman College, who finished with 113 points. The Cardinals’ total points and the margin for victory are new CUNYAC records.
York’s Alexandra Nkrumah took home the Most Valuable Performer award. She has now won four straight CUNYAC Track and Field MVP awards, as she was the MVP of both the Indoor and Outdoor Championships last season and the top individual at the outdoor meet in 2008. "I feel happy and sad at the same time," said Nkrumah. "It feels great to finally help York to win the Championship. But sad because I can no longer help York continue this tradition after this year."
Nkrumah took gold in two events, winning the 55-meter hurdles, in a time of 9.39, and the 800-meter run in a time of 2:25.48. She also added a second-place finish in the high jump (1.42 meters) and third place finishes in the 400-meter run (59.66) and the long jump (4.73 meters).
The Cardinals also saw two runners earn NCAA provisional times during the meet. Chianne Ashman took home first place in the 55-meter dash, in an NCAA provisional time of 7.13 and Kadisha Wickham won the 400-meter run, in an NCAA provisional time of 58.46. Wickham also added a first place finishes in the 200-meter dash (25.16) and the high jump (1.57 meters).
In the distance events, Taneisha Renaud (12:21.04) and Alexis Schloss (12:43.10) went first and second respectively in the 3000 meter run. Renaud (5:22.52) and Schloss (5:30.97) also finished in third and fourth respectively in the 1,500 meter run.
Shanine Bogan took home first in the shot put (11.72 meters) and second in the weight throw (12.58 meters).
The Lady Cardinals also dominated the relay events. The distance medley relay team of Schloss, Antoinette Smile, Wendella Rankin and Renaud took first in a time of 13:30.44. The 4 x 400 relay team of Nkrumah, Rankin, Wickham, and Allana Wilson won in a time of 4:06.64.
Meanwhile, the men’s title came down to the wire, as the Cardinals (102 points) were just seven points better than defending champion, Lehman College (95 points).
It was a total team effort on the men’s side, as a number of student-athletes contributed points to the victory. Chinedu Agu handled the sprint events, winning the 400-meter run (50.16) and placing second in the 200-meter dash (22.76). In the 800-meter run, Tarik Weekes (1:58.40), Ronel Phillip (2:01.83) and Lance Fleming (2:05.82) finished in first, third and fifth respectively. In distance events, Kenny Jacquet finished in first place in the 5,000 meter run (17:13.99) and third in the 1,500 meters (4:27.09). Alex Niles and Brian Francisco, meanwhile, finished tied for third place, jumping a height of 1.72 meters.
Just like the ladies, the men’s team swept the relay events. The distance medley relay team of Fleming, Weekes, Jacquet and Agu won in a time of 11:05.03, while the 4 x 400 relay team of Agu, Phillip, Fleming and Weekes won in a time of 3:25.12.
"Its tremendous feeling to be able to win both titles tonight," said York College head coach Tom Pope, who has led the Cardinals to 16 CUNYAC Men's & Women's Indoor and Outdoor Championship titles, by far the most in the 15-year history of the event. "Twenty years from now these kids will be able to look back and remember this. I'm a wealthier person for knowing young people like that."
York will now run at the ECAC Championships, which will take place this weekend at Smith College in Northampton, MA.