Final Results
LANDOVER, Md. - The LIU Brooklyn women's track and field team crowned three champions en route to second place at the 2014 Northeast Conference Indoor Championships on Sunday. Ja'Mesha Richard and Katrina Anderson each took a spot atop the podium, while the 4x400 relay also won a gold medal.
The Blackbirds finished second in the team race for the third-straight season, with 102 total points from both days of the event in 2014. Sacred Heart won the team title with 136 points, followed by LIU Brooklyn, Robert Morris, Saint Francis U. and Mount St. Mary's to round out the top-five.
A mere .002 seconds separated first place from second in the 60-meter hurdles, as Richard just edged out Wagner's Samantha Jensen to take the conference title. Richard finished in 8.591 to gain 10 points for LIU. Camille Thomas was fourth in 8.95.
The Blackbirds began their climb up the team standings in the next several events, starting with the 400-meter dash. LIU Brooklyn took spots two through four for a 19-point effort. Josephine Watson was second in 57.71, Katrina Anderson was third in 58.48 and Anise Cuffee fourth in 58.77.
In the 500-meter dash, Marielena Rivera put up to the top finish in the event with sixth place in 1:19.25. Shakia Williams was eighth in 1:20.29.
In the 60-meter dash, Richard again earned a spot on the podium, placing third in a time of 7.64. Bryanna Williams was fourth in 7.72 and Cuffee was eighth in 7.92.
LIU Brooklyn crowned another champion in the 800-meter run, as Anderson, who led the league all-season, finished first in a time of 2:13.79, more than two seconds faster than the second place finisher. Anderson's 10 points helped move the Blackbirds up into a tie for second place.
The Blackbirds moved outright into second place after the 200-meter dash, as Richard again took the bronze in 25.26, while Watson was fourth in 25.34.
Kyaira Wright-Harmon and Richard continued to add to the team total in the triple jump, with Wright-Harmon placing fourth with a leap of 11.23m and Richard eighth at 11.00m.
LIU Brooklyn finished out the day on a high note, crushing the field in the 4x400 meter-relay. The Blackbirds finished in 3:54.24, more than two seconds ahead of second-place Saint Francis U. The eight points from the event helped secure the silver for LIU Brooklyn.
The indoor season continues for LIU Brooklyn in March, when the Blackbirds compete at the Mason Last Chance Meet on March 2, followed by the ECAC/IC4A Championships on March 7-9 and the NCAA Championships from March 14-15.