UPDATED: Truitt, Kirkland Claim PBC Championships on Final Day of Conference Meet

4/21/2018 | Women’s Track & Field

PEMBROKE, N.C. – Brittany Truitt and Abigail Kirkland earned Peach Belt Conference Championships Saturday as the University of North Georgia track & field team finished in fourth place at the conference meet.

Truitt ran a 17:30.92 to win the 5000 meter race in come-from-behind fashion. After running in second for the majority of the race, the senior turned on the speed over the final 400 meters to pass Embry-Riddle’s Sarah Edens and win the race by over 10 seconds. This is Truitt’s second conference championship in track and field in her career, winning the 800 meter race last year.

Kirkland ran away from the field in the 400 meter hurdles, finishing atop the conference with a time of 1:01.65, leading from start-to-finish in the race. The freshman also ran the final leg of the 4×400 meter relay race where the Nighthawks finished runners-up. In addition, Kirkland was named Freshman Track Athlete of the Year and was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team.

In total, the Nighthawks garnered 98 points, finishing 28 points clear of Augusta for fourth place. Embry-Riddle ran away with the team title with 219 points, followed by Nova Southeastern’s 162 points and UNC Pembroke’s 149.

North Georgia also had conference medalists in the 400 meter (Aleah Johnson, 2nd place), the 800 meter (Tori Rives, 2nd; Imani Arnold, 3rd) and the 1500 meter (Truitt, 2nd).