Women's Track & Field MEAC Media Relations

NSU Men and Women Lead After Day Two of Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Norfolk State men’s and women’s track and field teams lead after the second day of competition at the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University. 

The Norfolk State women’s team moved into first place on day two capturing 47 total points. The defending MEAC champion Hampton Lady Pirates are second with 39 points, while host North Carolina A&T sit in third with 30 points.

NSU’s Elaine Rhoades captured gold in the women’s heptathlon with 4,500 points. Teammate Ashanti Matthews secured silver with 4,378 points while North Carolina A&T’s Amanda Breeden took bronze with 4,355 points. 

North Carolina A&T’s Shakia Forbes opened the women’s field event winning the long jump with a distance of 6.20m (20-04.25 ft).

Hampton rookie Breana Norman recorded a distance of 1.75m (5-08.75 ft) in the high jump to pick up 10 of the Lady Pirates overall point total.  

UMES' Vanessa Henry won the shot put with a 14.76m (48-05.25 ft) toss to give day one’s leader its only first place finish of the day. 

On the men’s side the defending MEAC champion NSU Spartans picked up 34 additional points on Friday to finish with 56 total points. Maryland Eastern Shore currently sits in second with 39 points followed by Florida A&M in third with 22 points.

UMES’ Jermol Dix, the reigning MEAC decathlon champion, won the event for the second consecutive year with 6,105 points. Dix captured gold with first place finishes in 110m hurdles, long jump, shot put, and discus. 

Maryland Eastern Shore also earned a first place finish in the shot put with Marcus Brown throwing 16.76m (54-11.50 ft). 

Florida A&M’s Leon Hunt finished first in the long jump reaching a distance of 7.70m (25-03.25 ft). NSU’s Darris Shelton (7.70m, 25-03.25 ft) finished second followed by teammate Rashad Cannon in third (7.69m, 25-02.75 ft).

In the last field event of the day, NSU’s John James captured gold in the high jump with a leap of 2.15m (7-00.50 ft). 

The final day of competition begins tomorrow at 9 a.m. with the men's and women's triple jump, discus, pole vault and javelin. Running events will begin at 1 p.m. with the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay. The championships will conclude with the men's and women's 4x400m relay races beginning at 4:15 p.m.

Admission for the 2011 MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships is free but fans can also follow the action with live results on www.MEACsports.com.

 

Men’s Team Scores – through five events

1. Norfolk State                                    56 points

2. Maryland Eastern Shore                    39 points

3. Florida A&M                                     22 points

4. South Carolina State                         21 points

5. Hampton                                          18 points

6. Bethune-Cookman                            13 points

7. Coppin State                                    10 points

8. Morgan State                                     7 points

9. North Carolina A&T                            5 points

10. Howard                                           1 point

11. Delaware State                                0 points

 

Women’s Team Scores – thru five events

1. Norfolk State                                    47 points

2. Hampton                                          39 points

3. North Carolina A&T                           30 points

4. South Carolina State                         26 points

5. Maryland Eastern Shore                    16 points

T6. Florida A&M                                   13 points

T6. Morgan State                                 13 points

8. Delaware State                                 10 points

9. Coppin State                                      1 point

10. Bethune-Cookman                            0 points