MYRTLE BEACH, SC - Fayetteville State delivered a complete and competitive performance across all event groups at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational, finishing fifth overall in the women's collegiate team standings with 52 points.
The Broncos placed among a deep and talented field, as Connecticut claimed the team title with 134.5 points, followed by South Carolina (108.33) and Coastal Carolina (69). College of Charleston finished fourth with 55.33 points, narrowly edging Fayetteville State, which rounded out the top five.
Fayetteville State's scoring efforts were highlighted by strong showings on the track, in the field, and in the relays. In the sprints, Malaysia Barber paced the Broncos in the 100 meters, posting a 12.35 in preliminaries, while Amaya Cummings (12.52) and Ziyah Etchison (12.74) added depth. Barber and Cummings also doubled back in the 200 meters, finishing in 25.42 and 25.70, respectively, as Angel Scott and Jayla Williams contributed additional finishes.
Sierrah Matthews recorded one of the Broncos' top track performances of the meet with a sixth-place finish in the 400 meters, crossing in 58.04. The middle-distance group was led by Faith Kiplimo, who captured first place in the 800 meters with a winning time of 2:11.61. Ashley Bell added a seventh-place finish, while Nia Gibson and Repline Cheptoo also competed in the event.
Distance runners continued to add points as Videlma Jebet placed eighth in the 3,000 meters before finishing second in the 5,000 meters with a time of 18:22.39. Pelisha Kosgei followed closely, placing 11th in the 3,000 and fifth in the 5,000 to give the Broncos key scoring performances.
In the hurdles, Tanzania Washington led Fayetteville State with a 15.37 in the 100 hurdles preliminaries and later finished 32nd in the 400 hurdles. The relay units were also productive, as the 4x100 team placed ninth in 47.88, while the 4x400 relay squad of Jeaneva Golden, Ashley Bell, Angel Scott and Sierrah Matthews earned a third-place finish in 3:59.91. The Broncos added another podium result with a second-place finish in the 4x800 relay.
Field events rounded out Fayetteville State's scoring, led by Kimora Chawlk's seventh-place finish in the high jump. Mikalyn Chambers posted a top-10 finish in the long jump and recorded an NCAA Division II–qualifying mark of 12.02 meters in the triple jump. In the throws, Aaliyah Whyte and Adriana Quamina combined for multiple top finishes, including a fourth-place showing by Quamina in the discus.
Fayetteville State closed the Shamrock Invitational with a fifth-place finish and will look to carry that momentum into its next competition on Saturday, March 28, at the Blue Bear Invitational in Salisbury, N.C., hosted by Livingstone College.