DURHAM, N.C. (May 3, 2024) – The Fayetteville State University Women's Track and Field team finished in second place at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championship held on Saturday in Durham, NC. The Broncos narrowly lost to Winston-Salem State by just 0.5 points, with final scores of 136 for the Broncos and 136.5 for the Rams. Claflin University took third place with a total of 120.5 points.
 
Domanique Knowles was honored as the CIAA Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year and also earned the Women's Championship Field MVP title, scoring 23 points in her events. Knowles achieved a personal record of 1.70 meters (5 feet 7 inches) in the high jump, which ranked her fifth all-time among HBCU athletes and 27th in NCAA Division II. She also finished as the runner-up in the triple jump with a mark of 12.18 meters (39 feet 11.5 inches), while securing a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 5.74 meters (18 feet 10 inches).
 
The competition intensified on the final day, showcasing a close contest between Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State leading up to the last event, the 4x400-meter relay. FSU entered the day with a 14-point lead over second-place Claflin (31 points) and third-place Winston-Salem State (27 points). Aaliyah Whyte also contributed to maintaining FSU's lead by winning the shot put with a throw of 13.47 meters (44 feet 2.5 inches) and achieving a season-best in the discus with a third-place finish at 39.72 meters (130 feet 3 inches).
 
Brenda Cheboi made significant contributions, winning the 800 meters with a personal best time of 2:15.71. She returned to the podium twice more, finishing third in both the 1500 meters (4:52.71) and the 3000 meters (11:05.10). The Broncos excelled in the distance events, with Cheboi, Nia Gibson, Repline Cheptoo, and Ashley Bell each scoring points for the team. Gibson earned a silver medal in the 3000 meters with her season-best time of 11:01.35.
 
In field events, Mikalyn Chambers placed third in the long jump with a distance of 5.77 meters (18 feet 11.25 inches).
 
The 4x100-meter relay team, consisting of Jayla Williams, Ziyah Etchison, Malaysia Barber, and Mikalyn Chambers, finished in third place in their event. In the sprints, Jeaneva Golden achieved a personal record of 56.85 seconds, placing fourth in the 400 meters.
 
Winston-Salem State regained the lead by having four runners score points in the 200 meters finals, finishing first and second, along with securing points with fifth and eighth-place finishes.
 
In the 4x400-meter relay, with limited chances of overcoming the deficit, the team of Sierrah Matthews, Sanai Forte, Abraonna Williams, and Jeaneva Golden finished third behind Claflin and Winston-Salem State.
 

WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES

RANK	TEAM	SCORE
1	Winston-Salem State	136.5
2	Fayetteville State	136
3	Claflin	120.5
4	Virginia State	57.5
5	Lincoln (Pa.)	35.5
6	Johnson C. Smith	32
7	Bowie State	29
7	Virginia Union	29
9	Shaw	20
10	Livingstone	13
11	Bluefield State	9

 Complete results can be found here.