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Montclair State senior sprinter Tierra Hicks became the second Red Hawk
woman to capture an outdoor NCAA Division III national title as she helped
the MSU women’s team to a 21st-place finish at the NCAA Championships
held at St. Lawrence University on May 24.
Hicks won the 400 Intermediate Hurdles as she posted a school-record time
of 59.22 to earn her first-ever NCAA crown. Hicks, who posted the
second-fastest time in the preliminaries on May 23 (60.96) recorded
Division III’s best time and she also set the Merrick-Pinkard Track
record at St. Lawrence University in the process. Hicks defeated Jackie
Dight of Ohio Northern University, who has the fastest time in the prelims
(60.66).
In finishing first Hicks, the Montclair State Student-Athlete of the Year,
also garnered All-American honors for the sixth time in her career as she
completed one of the most decorated athletes in the
history of the Track and Field program.
It is the second consecutive year that MSU has had a woman win a national
title. In 2002, Nacole Moore took home the national championship in the
shot put. Montclair State scored 10 points to
finish in 21st place. Wheaton (MA) won its third straight national crown.
Freshman Hashan Johnson competed in the women’s long jump, however she
did not qualify for the finals. Johnson posted a leap of 4.67 meters
(15-feet, 4-inches) as she finished 11th in the preliminary round.
On the men’s side, junior Ed Hamilton was seventh in the 400 meters as
the men’s team placed 56th overall with three points. Wisconsin-LaCrosse
won the Division III title with a come-from-behind victory on the final
day.
Hamilton posted a time of 52.15 as he finished seventh. Hamilton then
anchored MSU’s 4x100 relay team that placed eighth with a time of
3:14.21. Hamilton was joined on the quartet by Paul Noel, Chris Monaco and
Jerome Morgan.
Senior Nick Serpico, the Outstanding Male Field Athlete at the NJAC
Championships, closed out his track career as he placed ninth in the
javelin. Serpico registered a throw of 188-feet, 6-inches.
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