WINSTON-SALEM, NC (February 12, 2023) – The Claflin University men and the Fayetteville State University women are the first-day leaders at the 2023 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at the JDL Fast Track on Sunday.

Fayetteville State, the two-time defending conference champions, heads the women's division with 70 points followed by Virginia State with 29 points and Winston-Salem State with 21 points. The last women's team to earn three consecutive league titles was Saint Augustine's when it won 14 straight from 1997 to 2010.

The Broncos' M'Smrya Seward, who was named the 2023 CIAA Women's Field Athlete of the Year on Sunday, captured the long jump with a leap of 5.97 meters. Seward finished second in the high jump (1.61 meters), behind Winston-Salem State University's Kennedy Alexander, who captured the title with a jump of 1.64 meters. Fayetteville State's Repline Cheptoo, who was named the 2023 CIAA Women's Track Athlete of the Year, qualified for Monday's finals in the 800 meters with a time of 2:28.08 and she finished third in the mile run with a time of 5:38.97. Emoni Coleman from Virginia State won the mile run, finishing in 5:36.14. In the women's distance medley relay, it was Fayetteville State that emerged victorious.

Claflin leads the men's division with 33 points. Lincoln (PA) University is second with 28 points, Saint Augustine's is third with 21 points.

The Panthers won two events Sunday as freshman Reginald Gore was the anchor in the Panthers' first-place distance medley relay team, who won in 11:02.78 and he captured the mile run title in 4:35 minutes. Additionally, Gore's time of 2:02.05 in the 800 meters qualified him for Monday's meet.

Lincoln (PA) is in second place after Day 1, thanks largely to Jeremy Gyan winning the pole vault (4.05 meters) and Glenn Butler Jr. repeating as long jump champion with a mark of 7.60 meters. Butler Jr. was named the 2023 CIAA Men's Field Athlete of the Year, earning the honor for the second straight season.

St. Augustine's finished second in the men's distance medley relay with a time of 11:08.97. Terrell Robinson, the 2023 CIAA Men's Track Athlete of the Year, will be looking to add to the Falcons' point total on Monday after finishing first in the preliminaries of both the 60 meters (6.77 seconds) and 200 meters (21.92 seconds).

The meet's final day is Monday, Feb. 13, starting at 9 a.m. with the women's Pentathlon 60-meter hurdles. The field events begin at 11:45 a.m. with the men's triple jump and the running events start at 12:35 p.m. with the men's 400-meter dash finals. The meet is open and free to the public.

The awards ceremony will take place after the champions

Day One Results