Alabama State sends two relays to the National Championship
Alabama State Men's Track & Field
The Alabama State Hornets don’t just qualify one of their Men’s Relay Team’s, they qualifed two of them for the NCAA Division I Track & Field National Championship in Austin, Texas June 7th through the 10th.
Senior Matthew Clarke, who is a part of the 4×100 Team, is thrilled to be ending his career as a Hornet competing for a national title.
“I felt as though we had trained so hard as a group together that we knew this was going to happen. So it wasn’t a big shock, but it just felt amazing to qualify for nationals and compete and represent ASU,” says Clarke.
Junior Khabeeba Mills from the 4×4 Team expresses how proud he is of his team for being able to qualify amid so many talent teams.
“It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that so many people compete all over America to make it to the National Championship and we are happy to be one of the few qualifiers to go there, so it’s a great feeling,” explains Mills.
One theme that has carried this team through the season has been execute. All season long each athlete has executed which has lead them to right where they are now, heading off to compete with the best teams in the country to bring home a National Title to Montgomery. According to both Head Coach Ritchie Beene and Assistant Coach Morrie Turner, the mindset of going out and executing was ingrained in each athlete from the beginning of preseason.
“Execute started in preseason just like everything else. What you start in preseason is going to take you through regular season and postseason, the fine details, and that’s why the young men know the term execute. They know what that means literally and physically,” says Beene.
“When it comes to higher level competitions, execution is a must. You just have to have the peace of mind at any time you get out there no matter what lane you’re in, you’re elite enough to get the job done and execute at a high level. That’s always been a theme since the first day of fall training until now. I don’t think we would’ve gotten this far without execution,” explains Turner.
The Hornets are not just making the trip to Austin to participate in the Meet, they are headed to Austin with every intention of being one of the contenders to bring home the trophy.
“It would mean a lot for the legacy already put on this institution, for the legacy of this guy right here (Beene), for mine, and for those athletes. It means a lot to get out there and reap all the fruits you’ve sown. If we have a shot to be on top of that podium we’re going to put it out there and celebrate that at the end of the day,” says Turner.
The 4×100 Team is comprised of Victor Smith, Matthew Clarke, Justus Trainer, Jamarion Stubbs, and alternate Kendrick Winfield.
The 4×4 Team is comprised of Kendrick Winfield, Daquan Tate, Khabeeba Mills, Jamarion Stubbs, and alternate Joshua Knox (Knox competed in place of Stubbs for Regional Competition.)
