The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will host the 2012 Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 27 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in Princess Anne, Maryland.
The championships will begin with the women's five-kilometer race at 9:45 a.m. followed by the men's eight-kilometer race at 10:30 a.m. For a complete men's and women's cross country championship information, visit Championship Central at www.MEACSports.com.
Norfolk State, the four-time defending MEAC men's champion, has finished among the top five in three meets this season. Junior Nathnael Meseret has paced the Spartans this season, winning the Great American Cross Country Challenge with a time of 25:26.00.
Florida A&M's Elias Chesire leads the MEAC on a 8K course with a time of 24:34.0. Chesire guided the Rattlers to a fifth place finish among 21 teams at the NCAA Pre-National Invite and recorded an individual 10th place finish.
On the women's side, the defending MEAC champion Hampton Lady Pirates will vie for their third fifth overall title. Junior Devyn Thompson has led the Lady Pirates in 5K races this season. Her fastest time of 19:31.50 occurred at the Great American Festival Invite. As a team, Hampton won the meet for the third consecutive year.
Morgan State's Ishakeema Swain, holds the top time in the MEAC on a 5K course this season with a time of 18:37.98 at the Delaware State Invite.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, MEAC student-athletes will wear pink racing bibs, while the head coaches will wear pink ribbon pins during the competition. The MEAC encourages fans to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness month.
The 2012 MEAC Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships are free and open to the public.
Maryland Eastern Shore is located on One Backbone Road in Princess Anne, Maryland.