Yanique Malcolm (Jamaica/University of Alabama senior) won the women’s 800 meters on Sunday, the final day of the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by the University of Kentucky.
“We had some really great things happen today,” Alabama head coach Dan Waters said. “Yanique came out and ran the exact race plan that we had for her. She did a tremendous job.”
Malcolm won the women’s 800 with a personal-best time of 2:03.28, which is a Kentucky Track and Field Complex record and ranks second in Alabama history. She is the first Alabama woman to win an individual SEC outdoor title since 2010 and the first in the 800 meters since Donna Cargill won in 1996.
“I was so happy because, being that it’s my senior year, I really came out with the mindset to win this championship,” Malcolm, a former St. Jago student, said. “I came out here, started well and was able to finish strong, so I’m very happy.”
After leading the race during the first lap, Malcolm fell behind Georgia’s Megan Malasarte for much of last 400 meters. With approximately 150 meters remaining, Malcolm made her move, storming from second place to overtake Malasarte in the final 50 meters.
“I knew she was going to be fresh,” said Malcolm, referring to Malasarte. “I knew she was coming. I just prepared for her to come at me and told myself, ‘I’m just going to go, and as soon as I reach the 150-meter mark, I’m going to give it everything that I have.”
In the finals of the women’s 100, former Herbert Morrison student Remona Burchell (Jamaica/University of Alabama junior) clocked an 11.12 and finished runner-up by an eyelash to Texas A&M’s Olivia Ekpone, who ran a time of 11.11.
Alabama finished eighth in the women’s standings with 36 points. The Tide finished ninth in the men’s standings with 34 points. Arkansas won the women’s team title with 123 points, while Texas A&M won the men’s title with 155 points.
Next up for Alabama is the NCAA East Regional meet in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 29-31.
An event-by-event breakdown of Alabama’s performances Sunday:
