Sports

And another one

Winning has been perpetual for Grambling State University’s men’s track and field program.

Over this past decade, the program has won eight Southwestern Athletic Conference outdoor titles and this past weekend in New Orleans, the track team captured its fifth straight championship and 30th overall.

Grambling placed first in four of the 21 events but the teams’ overall performance was well enough to edge out Prairie View.  

Grambling totaled 146 points to Prairie View’s 130.

“Once you learn how to win, you know how to win,” said head coach Bertram Lovell, who earned his 30th Coach of the Year honor.

“Every time we go somewhere to compete, my expectations are we’re going to win. We don’t just go out there to just run or jump or throw. Everything we do we go out there and be the best,” said Lovell.

Lovell has won more than 25 championships during his career in Grambling.

Down in New Orleans, the first place winners were: 

νKeenun Guillory, who won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.52.  

νAkeem Williams won first place in the 400-meter with a time of 46.19 seconds. 

νShawn Jackson won the 400-meter hurdle with a time of 52.87.

νThe 4×100-meter relay team, which consisted of Williams, Sylvester Baisden, Kameron Cowan and Jamael McTear, won first place in the SWAC.

Other winners to place were 

Darius Taylor, who finished second in the 800-meter, Stephone Leaks, who also ran the 800-meter finished fifth and Alfred Bartie finished third in the 1500-meter.

Inspite of the program’s championship outcome, Lovell wasn’t over joyed by his team’s performance. Grambling’s 4×400-meter relay team, which included Leaks, Williams, McTear and Jarreau Brown, finished third.

“I think I wanted to win the mile relay (4×400) more than anything else,” said Lovell.

“I know we have one of the best mile relay teams in the country. But we have had a few injuries earlier this season that has kept us from accomplishing the time we needed in that relay.”

 In other events, Cowan placed fourth in the 100-meter and third in the 200-meter. Williams finished fifth in the 200-meter and Brown who also ran the 200-meter finished fourth.

Next GSU men’s track and field program will run at Samford University just before the NCAA Regionals, which begin May 23.