The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will host its Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Thursday-Saturday, April 30-May 2, at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C.

The defending Hampton Lady Pirates will compete for their fourth consecutive MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship and seventh overall. Sophomore Racquel Vassell qualified for the NCAA regional with a time of 13.73 in the 100m hurdles at the Colonial Relays on April 4. She also ran the second leg of the 4x100m relay team that qualified for the NCAA Regional with a time of 45.16 at the Raleigh Relays on March 28.  

On the men’s side, the Norfolk State Spartans will attempt to capture their fourth straight outdoor title and sixth overall. Junior Marlon Woods, an NCAA Indoor Track and Field All-American, qualified for the NCAA regional with a long jump mark of 7.54m (24-09 ft) at the Sea Ray Relays.

The MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin Thursday, April 30 at 1 p.m. with the men’s decathlon followed by the women’s heptathlon at 1:30 p.m.

Competition continues on Friday with the women’s heptathlon and the men’s decathlon. Other field events for day two include the men’s and women’s long jump, the women’s shot put, women’s pole vault, men’s discus and men’s high jump. The afternoon continues on the track with the men’s 110m hurdles and women’s 100m hurdles beginning at 1:50 p.m. Other running events include the 100m, 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles. The men’s and women’s 5000m races will close out the day’s events.

The final day of competition starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with the men’s and women’s triple jump.  Early afternoon field events include the men’s shot put, pole vault and javelin events. The championships will conclude with the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay races.  A complete schedule of events is available on www.meacsports.com.

Admission for the Outdoor Track and Field Championships is $3 for children and adults ages 12 and older. Children under 12 and college students with valid ID are admitted free. Tickets are available at the Irwin Belk Track the day of the event.

Media interested in covering the 2009 MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship can fill out a credential application located on www.MEACsports.com.

For the latest on MEAC Track and Field and other sponsored sports, log on to www.MEACsports.com.