By: FVSU Office of Sports Information
The banner year for Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Track & Field continues with the naming of eight FVSU student-athletes to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) First and Second All-Conference Teams. Five Lady Wildcats and and three Wildcats were named to the teams.
For the women, freshman sensation Portia Wilson received two conference honors for her stellar performance this season. In addition being named to All-SIAC First Team, Wilson was named the 2010 SIAC Female Track Athlete of the Year. Wilson posted times of 11.69 in the 100 meter dash and 24.47 in the 200 meter event. Her time of 11.69 in the 100 meters tied the FVSU record for that event and also ranks her fourth in the nation on the NCAA Division II level.
Last year's NCAA Triple Jump Champion Antionette Oglesby returns to the All-SIAC First Team after leading the conference in jump distances in the triple and long jump events. Her long jump distance of 6.09 meters and triple jump distance of 12.17 meters assures her return to the NCAA Championships in defense of her national title.
Nakela Jackson joins Wilson and Oglesby as a member of the All-SIAC First Team. Over the course of the season, Jackson posted the best time in the conference in the 100 meter high hurdles. Her time of 14.53 was also makes her a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Championships.
FVSU's Latonya Payne had the rare honor of being named to the First and Second All-Conference Teams. Payne was selected First Team All-Conference for her performance in the 800 meters. Her best time of the season was 2:16:03. She earned Second Team All-Conference honors in the 400 meters with a time of 55.66.
T'Shara Hicks joins Payne as a Second Team All-SIAC selection. During the season, Hicks posted a time of 1.03.81 in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles.
For the men, Keon Melson and Tyrecce Cole earned First Team All-Conference honors. Melson logged a time of 53.91 in the 400 meters intermediate hurdles while Cole had a long jump distance of 7.11 meters. Melson is a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Championships.
Second Team honors went to 400 meter runner Quartez Strickland. His best time of the season was 48.37.
Finally, in her first campaign as Head Coach of FVSU Track & Field, Ellakeisha O'Kelley was voted the SIAC's Women Track & Field Coach of the Year. The conference award comes in O'Kelley's first season as a head coach of any collegiate program.
-Wildcats Athletics-
