BROOKLYN, N.Y - The LIU Brooklyn men's track and field teams opens up the outdoor season this weekend at the University of South Florida Invitational, while senior Brendon Rodney will represent the Blackbirds at the NCAA Championships beginning Friday at the University of Arkansas.
Rodney returns to the national meet for the third straight season to compete in the 200-meter dash. The NEC Most Valuable Performer has won three straight Northeast Conference titles in the event, and broke his own school record this season at the BU Valentine Invitational with a time of 20.69. That mark was the third-fastest run in the country this season, and will be the third seed in Friday's preliminaries.
Rodney was an instrumental part of the Blackbirds winning their second straight 2015 NEC Championship. Along with his first-place in the 200, he was also victorious in the 60-meter dash and was second in the 400.
LIU Brooklyn will look to their recent indoor success into this 2015 outdoor season, after winning eight of 17 events at the NEC Championship. Sophomore Adam Walker-Khan earned his second consecutive Field Athlete of the Meet award after winning the long jump and taking second in the triple jump. Teammate Amir Armstrong was first in the triple jump, while Kemar Lewis was first in the high jump.
The Blackbirds showed their prowess in the sprints, sweeping the 60, 200, 400 and 500 distances. Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme became a three-time winner in the 500-meter dash, and has yet to lose the event in his career. The junior will also get a chance to run in his best even, the 400-meter hurdles once the outdoor season starts.
Mikhail Williamson, Andi Augustin and Tyquan Dukes will also be instrumental in LIU Brooklyn's pursuit of the NEC Outdoor trophy. Williamson was third in the 60-meter hurdles and fourth in the 60-meter dash in February, while Augustin and Dukes were third 500 and 60-meter dash,respectively.
After the USF Invitational, the Blackbirds head back down south for the University of Texas Relays from March 25-28.