Over the last decade, Norfolk State's men's and Hampton's women's track team haven't merely won MEAC indoor track championships. It has been more like they have collected conference titles.
Norfolk State's men have won six consecutive indoor crowns while Hampton's women have claimed eight of the last titles, including seven in a row from 2003-09. Both enter the 2011-12 season with experienced squads and are primed to add to their championship collections.
Norfolk State has 24 returnees from its championship squad, and Hampton returns 15 team members from the squad that captured the MEAC title with a record 188.50 points.
"We're definitely a loaded team,'' Norfolk State coach Kenneth Giles says. "The key for us is avoiding any kind of major injuries and keeping our focus. When you're dealing with 18-23 year olds, they can always lose their focus.''
Senior distance runner Josef Tessema, who holds the school indoor records for the mile and 3,000 meters, is the Spartans' glue.
"When you start talking about building a championship team, you have to have a foundation. The foundation is Tessema.
Tessema was the Outstanding Performer in running events at the 2011 MEAC Indoor Championship with 32.50 points as he was first in the mile, the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters and led the Spartans distance medley relay team.
"I expect the same type performance this season,'' Giles says. "He has matured. He understands collegiate track and field.''
Tessema is surrounded by a number of talented and accomplished teammates. Sean Holston was first in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes at the conference championship, and he set the conference record in the 400 meters with a time of 47.44. James Taylor was third in the 200 meters; Keith Nkrumah was third in the hurdles and John James was the high jump champion. In addition, Thomas Speller, who ran a 20.88 in the NCAA regional meet two years ago before sitting out last season, has returned.
"This group can lead any team to a championship,'' Giles says.
Norfolk State opens its season this weekend in the CNU Open in Newport News, Va. Giles says he will use the meet as a tuneup for the UNC Dick Taylor Invitational Jan. 7, and he doesn't plan to use all of his top athletes. Teams from the ACC, Big South, MEAC and CAA will compete in the Dick Taylor Invitational.
"It will be a pretty competitive meet,'' Giles says, adding that it should give him an early indicator of how the Spartans stack up.
Florida A&M, which was second to Norfolk State in the 2011 Cross Country Championship, and Maryland Eastern Shore, which was third in the 2011 Indoor Championship, are teams that could challenge Norfolk State's supremacy in the MEAC.
Florida A&M has added depth in the sprints and hurdles with 10 newcomers. The signees include Florida State Champion and All-American Isaiah Smith of Lake Weir High in Bellvue, Fla., and junior college transfer Niko Williams-Richey, who was named All-American multiple times.
Maryland Eastern Shore will have an experienced squad, led by sprinters Andre Walsh and Damian Miles, who had the fifth and sixth fastest times, respectively, in the conference for the 200 meters. Walsh's times in the 400 meters and 800 meters were among the 10 fastest.
On the women's side Hampton returns its championship squad virtually intact. The Lady Pirates only significant loss was Racquel Vassell, Co-Outstanding Runner at the 2011 Indoor Championship.
Jumper Teiara Denmark, the Outstanding Field Performer at the 2011 MEAC Indoor Championship leads the contingent of returnees for the Lady Pirates. She is joined by middle-distance runners Alaine Tate and Benita Taylor.
"They were the backbone of the team last year,'' Coach Maurice Pierce says.
Sprinter Breana Norman provided an unexpected spark for the Lady Pirates last season. Pierce says Norman "will be the next one'' in the Lady Pirates long line of outstanding sprinters.
Pierce says he also expects Shantae Boney, a multiple-event transfer from Central Arizona Community College, to be a key contributor.
"She's going to be the one who will make the big difference in conference championship,'' Pierce says. "She's so versatile and can do so many events.''
Pierce it will be critical for the Lady Pirates to be free of injuries and to have everyone on the same page in order to extend their string of conference championship, He also says a lot will depend on how he handles the squad.
"I have to do a good job managing races and the amount of competition,'' he says. "I have to use everybody's full talent.''
That includes picking and choosing which meets the Lady Pirates will compete in.
"I have sacrificed going to every big meet every weekend,'' he says. "You don't have to run everybody. For some meets you let your more experienced athletes stay home and heal up and get stronger in the weight room. I think we've done a good job picking and choosing in the past and making sure we put the right people in right races at the right time.''
The Lady Pirates' first meet of the season is Jan.13 in the New York City Gotham Cup.
Pierce says picking and choosing meets will be especially critical this season. He expects the conference to be highly competitive with Florida A&M and Maryland Eastern Shore and Norfolk State being the Lady Pirates' primary challengers, with newcomer North Carolina Central - with its rich tradition in track - as an X factor. He doesn't want his team to be worn down for the conference championship.
"I'm looking forward to the season,'' he says. "There's a lot of parity, and alot of depth. The numbers will change with the addition of North Carolina Central and Savannah State. There will be fewer opportunities to finals. We'll keep doing what we're doing and getting better.''