North Carolina Central University

OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

     SAN ANGELO, TX -- North Carolina Central University won two national championships and earned three All-American honors in the final day of the 2002 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.
     The men's 4x100-meter relay, consisting of sophomore Jamie Richardson (Paterson, NJ), freshman Detric Branch (Garner, NC), freshman Steven Enoch (Burlington, NC) and junior Jason Smoots (Gadsden, AL), put together their best time of the season (39.88) for an upset victory over favorites Fort Hays State (39.95) and Abilene Christian (40.02).
     "They ran their best race of the season in Thursday's preliminaries (40.37), so I did not expect them to run under 40 seconds," said head coach Michael Lawson about his first national championship relay squad in 13 seasons at NCCU. "But they tore it up. Everything clicked, and they were flawless."
     An hour later, Smoots, who was wearing a ribbon in memory of his grandmother, Elma Ager, who passed away earlier in the week, repeated as the national champion in the 100m dash. Smoots' career-best time of 10.07, edging Christie VanWyk of Abilene Christian (10.08), provided the junior with his fifth national title.
     "I did not have the best start, but it was enough to stay with the pack," Smoots said. "It was a close race right to the end, but I was not going to be denied. I made up my mind that I was going to win it for my grandmother." 
     As a team the NCCU men placed fifth with 28 points, their best finish in 31 years (NCCU tied for fourth with 30 points in 1971).
     Senior Katerina Glosova (Cernotin, Czech Republic) placed second in the 800m run with a time of 2:08.86 to receive All-America honors. Glosova, who won a national championship in the indoor 800m run, finished less than a second behind the winner, Ieva Zunda of Lewis University (2:08.19). "She got boxed in early and could not get out," said Lawson.
    Junior Kennisha Moten (Fayetteville, NC) earned All-America honors by placing fifth in the 400m dash with a time of 55.58. Moten has now achieved All-American status in each of her last three national championship meets (2001 outdoor, 2002 indoor, 2002 outdoor).
    Freshman Chanda Powell (Durham, NC) became an All-American by recording a career-best leap of 19-feet, 9.75-inches to place seventh in the long jump. Powell bettered her previous best jump by more than nine inches.
    As a team the NCCU women placed 23rd with 14 points.

NOTE: NCCU last won a relay national championship in 1970, when Ken Thompson, James Stewart, Floyd Williams and Larry Black won the 440 yard relay.

Thursday, May 23, 2002
Men's Long Jump (Finals)
Steven Enoch (2nd) 25' 8.25" (7.83m) - All-American

Men's 4x100m Relay (Prelim.)
NCCU (2nd Heat 2 / 4th overall) 40.37 - advance to finals

Men's 100m Dash (Prelim.)
Jason Smoots (2nd Heat 3 / 3rd overall) 10.15 - advance to finals
Steven Enoch (7th Heat 2) 10.70

Women's 400m Dash (Prelim.)
Kennisha Moten (1st Heat 4 / 7th overall) 54.48 - advance to finals

Women's 100m Dash (Prelim.)
Rosalyn Pollard (4th Heat 3) 11.80

Friday, May 24, 2002
Men's Triple Jump (Finals)
Steven Enoch (13th) 48' 11.5" (14.92m)

Men's 200m Dash (Prelim.)
Jason Smoots (4th Heat 3) 21.23

Women's 100m Hurdles (Prelim.)
Chanda Powell (3rd Heat 3) 14.24

Women's 200m Dash (Prelims.)
Rosalyn Pollard (3rd Heat 2) 24.37

Women's 800m Run (Prelim.)
Katerina Glosova (2nd Heat 1 / 2nd overall) 2:10.46 - advance to finals

Saturday, May 25, 2002
Men's 4x100m Relay (Finals)
NCCU (1st) 39.88 - National Champions
(Jamie Richardson, Detric Branch, Steven Enoch, Jason Smoots)

Women's Long Jump (Finals)
Chanda Powell (7th) 19' 9.75" (6.04m) - All-American

Women's 400m Dash (Finals)
Kennisha Moten (5th) 55.58 - All-American

Men's 100m Dash (Finals)
Jason Smoots (1st) 10.07 - National Champion

Women's 800m Run (Finals)
Katerina Glosova (2nd) 2:08.86 - All-American

Complete Results at:  http://www.flashresults.com

Men's 4x100m Relay (Finals - NATIONAL CHAMPIONS)

Men's 100m Dash (Finals - NATIONAL CHAMPION)

Men's 4x100m Relay (Preliminaries)

Men's 100m Dash (Preliminaries)

Last Revised:  May 25, 2002