Four Jamaican student-athletes from Lincoln University in Missouri were triple all-American honorees for the 2020 National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II Indoor Track and Field season, announced last Tuesday by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Sixteen Jamaicans were recognised – 12 females and four males – nine in total from Lincoln, coached by Jamaican Victor “Poppy” Thomas and were among the 716 athletes from 117 institutions who made the list.

Like the Division One list which was released at the same time, there were some criteria that were adopted by the executive committee due to the cancellation of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in March.

Among the new criteria were all “student-athletes listed on the start list for the anticipated event…The four student-athletes per anticipated relay who produced the performance that was declared and accepted into their event” would be named as all-Americans.

Additionally, for this year they said, “There will not be a distinction of ‘first-team’, ‘second-team’, or ‘honourable mention’ to these recognitions.”

Lincoln University had 28 total certificates, second most behind Grand Valley State with 47, as Kelly-Ann Beckford, Kissi-Ann Brown, Chrissani May, and Christine Moss all had three each out of the 15 total women to achieve the feat.

Beckford, the former Albert Town High School and G C Foster College athlete was all-American in the 800m, mile run and the distance medley relays (DMR); Brown, who attended St Jago High School, was recognised in the 400m, 4x400m, and the DMR; former Holmwood Technical High School ISSA Champs gold medallist May got the nod in the 800m, 4x400m, and DMR, while Moss, who attended St Elizabeth Technical High School, qualified in the 200m, 400m, and the 4x400m.

Four women had two recognitions – Oweneika Watson of Adams State in the long jump and 60m hurdles; Rene Medley of Lincoln in the 60m and 200m, as well as Cameka Whitter of Oklahoma Baptist and Shannon Kalawan of St Augustine, both in the 400m and the 4x400m.

Roxan Foster of American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the 60m and two others from Lincoln – Rusheda Blake in the triple jump and Melissa Tyme in the DMR, and Davia Smith of St Augustine in the 4×400 were also named.

On the men’s side the Lincoln pair of Ryan Brown in the long jump and triple jump and Javan Grey in the 60m and 200m had two recognitions each, while Rajindra Campbell of Missouri Southern in the shot put and Tarees Rhoden of Oklahoma Baptist in the 4x400m were also named on the list.

— Paul Reid