BALTIMORE, MD — The Delaware State Men's and Women's Track & Field program continue their outdoor season, posting a strong performance at the two-day Morgan State Legacy Invitational on April 17th–18th.
The Hornets highlighted the meet, securing eight combined first-place finishes.
On the men side, Christopher Johnson continued his streak, shattering a new DSU history record in the Shot Put. Johnson won the event with a mark of 17.42m (57'02"), while also adding a third-place finish in the Hammer Throw. Derrick Sirmons (Hurlock, MD) earned sixth-place in the Shot Put (14.31m).
Ja'Mari Manson (Bloomfield, CT) claimed third-place in the High Jump (2.00m).
On the track, the Hornets delivered multiple standout performances, led by Ian Cain, who captured first-place in the 800m with a time of 1:50.35, ranking #2 in DSU school history. Lekan Sotonwa continued the momentum in the distance events, winning the 1500m (3:55.38) while also securing second-place in the 5000m (15:03.12).
Tori Willis Jr. led the sprint group with a first-place finish in the 400m hurdles (53.25), while Alonzo Sims Jr. followed with a third-place finish (53.50). Willis Jr. also anchored the 4x400m relay team alongside Sims Jr., Cain, and Sage Phillips to a first-place finish (3:11.53), ranking #10 among HBCU programs.
Additional performances included a fourth-place finish in the 4x100m relay from Jaquan Johnson, Anai Burney-Green, Messai Maynor, and Willis Jr. Burney-Green also placed seventh in the 200m (21.44). In the distance events, Jonathan Drew placed fifth in the 5000m (16:20.61), followed by Mugo Waweru in seventh (16:41.68). Da'Shawn Keller added a seventh-place finish in the 800m (1:54.2), while Sirmons also contributed in the Discus with a fifth-place finish, alongside Johnson's sixth-place mark.
On the women's side, the Hornets continued their dominance with multiple first-place finishes and record-breaking performances. Miriam Okwudibonye led the way, winning the 400m hurdles with a time of 58.86, earning a DSU school record, ranking #35 in the NCAA East Region, and #2 among HBCUs. She also contributed to the first-place 4x400m relay team alongside Merasia Johnson, Kahlia Smith, and Annil McIntosh, finishing in 3:46.12, ranking #9 among HBCUs.
Joy Taiwo added another first-place finish for the Hornets, winning the 100m hurdles (14.36).
In the distance events, Rebecca Jansen secured second-place in the 1500m (4:48.87), setting a new DSU school record. Ilianna Surowiec followed with a fifth-place finish in the 5000m (19:33.04), ranking #26 among HBCUs.
In the field events, Valerie Ashamu cleared 1.70m to earn third-place in the High Jump, while Aniyah Smith placed third in the Javelin (33.57m). Kirja Hickman added a fourth-place finish in the Shot Put (12.13m).
On the track, Merasia Johnson placed fourth in the 800m (2:14.28), followed by Mileah Cotton in ninth (2:18.28). Mariah Winfield continued to impress with a seventh-place finish in the 100m finals (11.93), after running 11.86 in the prelims to rank #2 in DSU history. She also added a fifth-place finish in the Long Jump (5.61m), alongside Sanaa Virgil, who placed seventh (5.57m) and fifth in the Triple Jump (11.66m).
The Hornets also saw strong performances in the 4x100m relay, as Okwudibonye, Winfield, Kahlia Smith, and Marianah Lipkins placed fifth (46.74), while Okwudibonye added a sixth-place finish in the 200m (24.66).
Up Next:
The Hornets will compete in the Penn Relays on April 23rd-25th.
