STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— The LIU Brooklyn men's track & field team used a 118-point showing on Saturday afternoon to vault from sixth place to atop the podium, claiming the 2019 Northeast Conference Indoor Championship at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. The Blackbirds have won five of the last six indoor team titles.  
 
Junior Kimorie Shearman was named the meet's Most Valuable Performer after winning the 60-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter events on Saturday. His outstanding performance also garnered Most Outstanding Performer in the sprint events.
 
Senior Roderick Moodie opened the day for the Blackbirds with a runner-up finish in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.10. LIU followed that by grabbing 23 points in the 60-meter dash. Shearman led the charge with a first-place and personal best time of 6.85 seconds. Senior Caleb Williams finished third with a time of 6.92 and classmates Ernest Agyeman and Kobe White grabbed fifth and sixth place respectively for the Blackbirds.
 
The strong morning continued as the Blackbirds capitalized on three runners in the 400-meter event by earning 17 team points. Shearman registered his second medal of the day with a top-time of 47.41. Junior Collin Sewell took fourth with a time of 49.53 and sophomore Justin Brown placed seventh with a time of 49.92. 
 
LIU was rolling in the 500-meter, race earning a podium sweep and a staggering 28 points in the event. Senior Braylon Wilkerson led the way with a time of 1:03.65 to his first NEC championship of the season. Kasique Oliver placed second with a time of 1:04.04, and Deshawne Bunion finished third with a time of 1:04.68. Senior Logan Jones rounded out the group with a fifth place showing 1:05.31. Oliver followed that up with an eighth place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 1:58.11.
 
The Blackbirds solidified their lead in the 200 meter dash, grabbing 16 points with four runners in the event. Shearman posted the top time with an IC4A mark of 21.62 seconds for his third championship of the day. Wilkerson, Sewell and Williams finished sixth, seventh and eighth to round out the event.
 
LIU grabbed 17 points in the triple jump event on Saturday. Freshman Jahsira Dunbar recorded a personal-best and IC4A mark of 14.80 meters to place second overall. Junior Jared Lovelace and freshman Krishna White finished fourth and fifth respectively.
 
A second place finish in the 4x400 relay for the team of Bunion, Brown, Jones, and Kwesi Henderson at 3:17.70 capped the championship performance for LIU.
 
The Blackbirds finished on top of the podium with 127 team points. Saint Francis U placed second with 122.5 team points on the weekend. Wagner and CCSU finished third and fourth with 101.5 and 98 points respectively.
 
FDU (73 points), Mount (70 points), Sacred Heart (33 points), Bryant (23 points) and St. Francis Brooklyn (13 points) rounded out the championship.