Stevens, Robinson, Williams and Slack Named Division II Outdoor T&F National Athletes of the Year

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Stevens, Robinson, Williams and Slack Named Division II Outdoor T&F National Athletes of the Year
May 28, 2014

NEW ORLEANS – With the 2014 Division II Outdoor Track & Field season having come to a close at an exciting NCAA Championships in Allendale, Mich., member coaches of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) have made their selections for National Athletes of the Year.

Scintillating steeplechaser Tabor Stevens of Adams State and record-breaking high jumper Jeron Robinson of Texas A&M-Kingsville claimed the Men's Track Athlete and Men's Field Athlete award.

The Women's Track Athlete award went to dual champion Danielle Williams of Johnson C. Smith, while all-time DII heptathlon record-holder Salcia Slack of New Mexico Highlands – a multiple-time champion herself – claimed the Women's Field Athlete honor.

MORE INFO: Past Winners


Tabor Stevens,
Adams State

Stevens, a junior from Canon City, Colo., dominated his signature 3000-meter steeplechase event from the moment the gun fired in the final en route to a defense of his national title from a year ago. His winning time of 8:35.05 broke the previous championships record of 8:36.84 set by Nicodemus Naimadu of Abilene Christian in 2007, and was good for the No. 2 time among all collegians this season.

He won the race Friday evening by more than 15 seconds after pulling away from the pack within the opening kilometer. He moved up to No. 8 on the all-time Division II performers list with the performance, improving one position from his 8:38.46 win earlier this season at the RMAC Championships.

The next night he was back out on the track for the 5000 meters final, in which he finished runner-up in 13:59.96 by less than a second to teammate Kevin Batt for his second sub-14 performance in as many races in 2014.


Jeron Robinson,
Texas A&M-Kingsville

Robinson, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, also made history as the Men's Field Athlete of the Year after defending his outdoor high jump title from a year ago with a DII-record-tying clearance of 7-6½ (2.30m) – good for a new meet record by one centimeter and a share of the 2014 collegiate lead. After clearing his first six heights on first attempts, he survived third attempts at both 7-4½ (2.25m) and his ultimate winning height.

He surpassed the meet record set by Keith Moffatt of Morehouse in 2006 and tied the all-time Division II record currently held by Moffatt from after the collegiate season in 2006 and Jim Dilling of MSU-Mankato in 2007.

This marked Robinson's second clearance of 7-6 (2.29m) or higher this season, as he also accomplished that height earlier this season at the Cactus Cup.


Danielle Williams,
Johnson C. Smith

Fractions of a second were all that separated Williams, a senior from St. Andrew, Jamiaca, from becoming the first woman in Division II history to win three track events in the same championships. Prior to winning titles both at 100 and 200 meters, Williams lost out to teammate Samantha Elliott in the 100-meter hurdles by just .006 as both ran 13.05.

Her next race, at 100 meters, would ultimately be a runaway by comparison as she edged out top-seeded Ada Udaya of New Haven by .06 in 11.55. She capped her day at 200 meters, where she was able to just barely hold off Janae Johnson of Lincoln (Mo.) by .01 of a second in 23.48.

Her season also included a runner-up 100-meters hurdles finish at the Penn Relays and CIAA titles in all the aforementioned events.


Salcia Slack,
New Mexico Highlands

Slack, a junior from Kingston, Jamaica, came into the championships as the Division II record holder in the heptathlon and left a multiple-time NCAA champion. She scored 5714 points to win the heptathlon title, and jumped 20-9 (6.32m) to win the long jump crown. She came back to finish third in the triple jump at 42-9 (13.03m).

Even among the best heptathletes in the Division, Slack still won three of the seven components in Allendale (shot put, javelin, long jump and finished in the top three in all but one.

Not only did she break the Division II heptathlon record with a score of 5833 at the RMAC Championships, she also brought in a massive 54-point surge to the Cowgirls' team score at the meet with wins in the 100-meter hurdles, the triple jump and the javelin, and finishing runner-up in the long jump.




U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
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Contact: Kyle Terwillegar
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