Forrest, Williams Lead Alcorn to Gold Medals at SWAC Indoor Championships
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Trellas Forrest set a new Southwestern Athletic Conference record in the men’s 400 meters Sunday afternoon, helping Alcorn State finish the two-day SWAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at Birmingham CrossPlex. The Braves earned two gold medals and five podium finishes overall.
Forrest, a senior from Winona, Mississippi, finished the 400 meters in 47.10 seconds, breaking the previous conference record. “Words can’t describe how this feels,” Forrest said afterward. “This is what you work for every day in the cold, the heat, rain, practicing; staying in shape; in the weight room; everything. This will take some time to really understand what I’ve just done. It’s just so amazing, and I can’t describe it.”
Alcorn’s Derrick Williams also brought home gold, winning the men’s 200 meters in 20.97 seconds, defeating Jackson State’s Sedgwrick Pitts Jr. by 0.4 seconds. “Wow, that’s… WOW,” Williams said. “I wanted to come here and try to win a gold medal. This is… wow. I know the coaching staff believed in me, and they push me every day. And for this reason, right here. For a first-place medal. That’s why we do it.”
The Braves’ men’s 4×400 relay team, composed of Preston Summage, Derrick Williams, Trellas Forrest, and Jaden Gardner, finished fourth in 3:14.37. Overall, Alcorn scored 29 points, finishing 10th in the men’s team standings, while Texas Southern claimed the team title with 108 points.
On the women’s side, Izayla Harris finished sixth in the 60 meters in 7.56 seconds. She later secured her first collegiate podium with a third-place finish in the 200 meters, clocking 23.82 seconds. Silvia Jepkorir finished fourth in the women’s 5,000 meters with a time of 18:19.86. The women’s 4×400 relay team of Bianna Wilson, Harris, Sariah Magee, and Rikki Gray earned third place in 3:44.00. Kaylin White added a bronze medal with a third-place finish in the pentathlon, scoring 3,432 points.
Alcorn head coach Alonzo Banks expressed pride in the team’s accomplishments. “I am pleased with so many things from this weekend,” Banks said. “I am so pleased for Trellas and DJ, and I see what Kaylin continues to do in the pentathlon. We did so many good things this weekend, and I also see areas for improvement heading into outdoor season. But today, this is about celebrating the achievements of several student-athletes, many with new personal records. We did so many good things, and I am proud of them.”
The team finished eighth overall in the women’s standings. The NCAA Indoor Championships are scheduled for March 16-17 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Alcorn’s outdoor season begins March 7 at the MC Spring Classic in Clinton, Mississippi. Follow Alcorn State Sports on Twitter (@BravesSports), Instagram (@AlcornSports), and YouTube (Braves Sports Network) for updates and behind-the-scenes content.
Source: Original Article
