Canton, NY

"We were in the hunt for the title for a while, but we had little margin for error,” said Hogg, now in his seventh season at the Bronx school. "Still the team did really well, especially the 4x100 relay. No one expected us to do this well again and there's a level now that they want to compete at. It's not our goal as coaches, but the team wants to become the #1 team in the country. That's their goal in the future.”

For the final time, the Lightning were paced by senior Paulette Baldwin (Trenton, NJ) who won the 100 Meter Hurdles for the second consecutive season with a mark of 14.43, while battling a serious case of cramping. Baldwin, now an 11-time All-American (the most in CUNY history) also took third in the Long Jump (5.90m) and ran the anchor leg of the team's runner-up 4x100 Meter Relay (46.61, CUNY Record) with sophomore Alecia Watson (Bronx, NY) and freshmen Mechelle Barnwell (Brooklyn, NY) and Latoya Joseph (Mount Vernon, NY).

"Paulette couldn't even walk after the race,” said Hogg about the cornerstone of his program. "She has been a star for four years and its a joy to have someone with that kind of attitude and determination. She will be sorely missed.”

Watson, a four-time All-American going into this weekend's festivities more than doubled that amount with the relay, two more second place finishes in the 100m Dash (12.12), 200m Dash (24.86), one third place in the Triple Jump (12.50m) and an eighth place nod in the Long Jump (5.63m).

Besides the relay, Barnwell also had two award-winning finishes in the 200m Dash (5th place, 25.15) and the 400m Dash (6th place, 55.42).

On the men's side, senior Nabie Fofanah (Bronx, NY) slotted fourth in the 100m Dash (10.90) and third in the 200m Dash (21.45). Fofanah was the only CUNY male to participate this weekend, while York and Medgar Evers Colleges also had female participants in the event. Fofanah was also an All-American during the 2001 outdoor season.

"We're living the impossible dream with two second place finishes in one year,” said Lehman Athletic Director Dr. Martin L. Zwiren. "We look forward to maintaining the level of competitiveness we've had in women's track in the upcoming years. The College is going to provide all of the resources financial and otherwise to see that it happens.”

Two athletes (Keisha Bennett and Jamilla Dick) from Medgar Evers College and four from York (Kenya Benjamin, Tolulope Ojo, Shakima Thomas and Daphine Wilson) also competed in the NCAA Championships.


 

A sophomore at Kingsborough, Haye (Brooklyn, NY) became a four-time All-American in one weekend with four third place finishes: Triple Jump (11.00m), High Jump (1.48m), Heptathalon (3312 points) and on the 4x100m Relay (combined with Rukiya Miller, Kimberly Johnson and Adedoyan Adebowake) in 52.87. The 4x100m Relay from Bronx (Yanique Drummond, Edrica Edmund, Nickeysha Lewis and Maryanne Onwaunumpke) slotted second in the same race in 51.55 for second team All- American honors for each athlete. Individually, Miller earned honorable mention for a fifth place finish in the 100m Dash (13.77). QCC's two relay teams in the 4x400m and 4x800m races finished sixth and fifth respectively for their points.

On the men's side, KCC's Lorris Adams (Brooklyn, NY) took home a silver medal in the 800m (1:52.96) and slotted sixth in the 200m Dash (23.56). Also the Wave's 4x100m Relay team finished fifth (43.66) for a total of one All-American and five honorable mentions. For Queensborough, sophomore Leroy Cort (Guyana) had a silver medal performance in the Javelin Throw (52.86m) and an 8th place leap in the Triple Jump (11.02m).

Medgar Evers Leads CUNY Schools At ECAC Championships

Dick, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, was also a member of the 400m Relay team that finished second to the overall champions, Wheaton College. The relay team, which included sophomores Godlyn Philbert and Keisha Bennett and freshman Vanessa Pean, ran a time of 48.74. Bennett also finished fifth in the 400 meters. In the Shot Put, freshman Amanda David (Brooklyn, NY) placed third. David currently holds the Medgar Evers College and the City University of New York Athletic Conference records in the shot put.

"This was very good performance for the team,” said Medgar Evers head coach Alphonso Dance. "With the exception of Jamilla, we are very young. If we continue at this pace, we will be a force in the future.”

York College also had a strong showing with senior Daphine Wilson (Brooklyn, NY) slotting fourth in the 400m Dash (58.03) and the 4x400m Relay taking fifth place (3:57.46) giving the Jamaica, Queens school nine team points. Other women's highlights included Hunter's Donna Mahoney in the 5,000m (school record 17:53.79) and the 1,500m (4:44.00), which placed the junior from Staten Island 4th and 10th respectively.