Roanoke women’s relay team finishes second at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships

CANTON, NY - The Roanoke College women's outdoor 4x400 team capped off a record setting season by finishing second at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 23. 

The 4x400 quartet of Alease Kinney, Erin McGovern, Jessica Mejia and Lexie Janney came into the finals seeded in the seventh spot out of the nine teams that participated. This was the best finish in any event for Roanoke College since Robin Yerkes finished second in the 400m at the 2010 NCAA Finals. 

The Maroons stayed in the middle of the pack for most of the race until Janney got the baton going into the last leg. She was in the sixth spot when she got the baton, but was still within seconds of the leaders. The junior was able to keep her composure and stay with the pack until the final stretch where she finally made her move. In the final turn Janney was able to jump up several positions by taking the inside lane and making her way to the finish line. The Maroons finished in second with a time of 3:50.58, which was just tenths of a second behind Wisconsin-Eau Claire (3:50.31). This event completes the impressive season for the Maroons 4x400 relay team who will all receive All-American honors for their finish. The women's outdoor track and field squad also had two other events compete at the NCAA National Championships over the weekend. Alease Kinney competed in the 400m on Friday and the 4x100 relay team also competed as well on Thursday.

Kinney finished fifth in her heat with a time of 57.10 and 17th overall completing her impressive season. The junior competed in the 400m on the national stage for the second time in her career. This year, she won the event at the ODAC Championships and broke the event record with a time of 56.03, which was her best time of the season. The women's 4x100 relay team also competed at the NCAA Championships and finished fourth in their heat with a time of 47.64. Only nine relay teams advance to the finals, and they just missed the cut this year by finishing in 11th. The foursome of Esther Prempeh, Melanie Meadows, Alease Kinney and Lexie Janney had their best finish (47.51) when they won this event at the ODAC T&F Championships in April.

As a team the Maroons finish their impressive outdoor track and field season by winning their 11th ODAC T&F Championship. They also sent competitors to the NCAA Championships for the ninth consecutive year.