Birmingham, Ala. - Both University of Arkansas Pine Bluff track & field squads recorded program-high finishes on the final day of competition at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships. The men have finished eighth in a final ranking that came close with the winner finishing with 98 points. The women's squad finished fifth with 53 points matching last year's rank.

I'm happy with that because we're a young team," said Christopher McCoy, UAPB's Head Coach of track and field program. "To come in and do what we did with such a young team that speaks volume for what our staff has done and what our kids are doing. We made some minimal mistakes and that's where the young kids have to pick up the pieces and learn from that and get better."

In the men division junior Matthew Agard jumped out strong by winning the mile with a time of 4:25.09 and taking third place in the 3,000m, third in the 5,000m with a time of 16.27.87 and eighth in the 800m finals in a time of 2:05.60. Justin Cooper ran an indoor personal best in the 400m with a time of 49.40, Jonathan Johnson ran a 7.05, finishing fifth in the 60m finals, Joshua Woods placed fifth in the finals with a time of 8.44. In the 4x4, UAPB (Juwan Parker, Andrew Bingham, Joshua Woods, Justin Cooper) ran a 3:17.68 to finish fourth. The Golden Lions Distance Medley Team ( Jacob Orozco, Andrew Bingham, Justin Cooper, and Matthew Agard) came in fifth in the finals.

In the Men Field event Erick Thomas finish sixth in the throwing competition, with a distance of 15.68m.

Leading the women's team, UAPB Ninfa Barnard swept the long distance events, breaking the SWAC record in the 3,000m with a spectacular time of (10:00.34) point performance, highlighted by a first place finish in the mile with a time of 5:03.99. Barnard also ran a personal best in the 800m with a time of 2:12.64, finishing second in the finals to break another school record.

Standout freshman, Takia Taylor finished seventh with a time of 25.60 in the 200m. In the 4x4 and Medley Relay the Lady Lions set the tone at the Indoor Championship. The Lady Lions (Tineika Toussaint, Takia Taylor, Sharoya Simmons, and Ninfa Barnard) broke the school record in the Medley Relay with a personal best 12:36.30 and running a personal best 3:54.84 in the 4x4 Relay.

In the field events the Lady Lions wasn't finished leaving a foot print at the Indoor, Sierta Roach capture the women's shot put title with a distance of 14.08, breaking the SWAC old record of 14.03. Freshman Chrystal Christopher finished eighth in her first SWAC Indoor Championship, with a distance of 5.35m.

The Golden Lions will take two weeks off to prepare for their first outdoor meet, March 15, 2014 at Rhodes College Invitation in Memphis, TN