BRADENTON, Fla. – The Saint Augustine’s University track and field program continues to roll along.
The Falcons claimed their fourth straight men’s title and the Lady Falcons finished as women national runner-ups on the final day of the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the IMG Academy Track and Field Stadium on Saturday, May 28.
The title was the 38th for the highly successful program under legendary Head Coach George Williams including their 15th men’s outdoor championship. Starting the day with zero points, the Falcons zoomed past their opponents to win in dominating fashion. They scored all 85 points on the final day to rout Tiffin University and Texas A&M University-Kingsville, who both tied for second with 36 points.
“I thought the men would perform well, but I didn’t expect them to win like they did,” said Williams, who has won the most NCAA track and field championships of any coach regardless of division.
The Lady Falcons nearly captured their fifth national outdoor title. They were edged out by national champion Pittsburg State University 52-51 in the women’s division which wasn’t decided until the final event. Hillsdale College placed third with 45 points.
“I wish the women had won,” Williams said. “We were right there. We gave too many bonuses away. I want all the kids to be winners. The women work hard, so I hate to see them lose by one point like that.”
Had the Lady Falcons won, it would have been the first outdoor sweep for Saint Augustine’s University since 2001 and the first women’s crown since 2002. Still, the finish was the highest for the Lady Falcons in an outdoor meet since 2003 when they placed second.
The Falcons relied on their relay teams and depth to surge ahead Saturday. They had multiple qualifiers in four events – the 100 and 200 dashes, the 800 run and the triple jump. They scored 57 points in those four events and 20 points in the relays to take control.
