Missouri HBCU claims national title at Division II Outdoor Championships
Add another accolade to the trophy case of a KC area HBCU.
The Lincoln University Blue Tigers claimed a national title at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championship last week in Pueblo, Colorado, running a season-best 3:32.62 in the women’s 4x400-meter relay.
They beat out the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats by just 0.29 seconds.
The group consisted of Shaneal Clarke Giddings, Britney Brown, Shevanae Thomas and Shantae George running for the Blue Tigers and earning the program’s first 4x400 relay title since 2014.
The national title comes just weeks after they shattered the Great Lakes Valley Conference 4x400 record in their first season in the conference at the league championships. They ran a 3:41.43, topping the previous record of 3:43.32 ran by Lewis in 2021.
Clarke Giddings also placed sixth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:06.98, and George clocked in at eighth in the 200 meters (23.34) while helping the 4x100 squad earn second-team All-America honors.
Thomas also placed eighth in her respective event the 400 meters, running a 53.35.
The Blue Tigers have historically been a standout name for women’s track and field, winning the Outdoor Track and Field Championships five consecutive times from 2003 to 2007, as well as wins in 2009 and 2014.
