WEEKLY RELEASES

With only two weeks remaining until the 2018 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, MEAC track and field squads are heating up as several student-athletes posted personal and MEAC-best marks over the past weekend.

Welcome Back
Participating in his first competition since the 2017 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championship, SC State’s Demek Kemp (Monroe, Ga.) made his presence known immediately as he posted a first-place finish (6.65) in the 60-meter dash at the Keydet Invitational in Lexington, Va. this past weekend. Kemp had to battle through three rounds of action as he finished first in the prelims (6.74) and semifinals (6.68).  He saved his best for last as his winning time of 6.65 is the seventh-fastest time in the nation while second in the MEAC. Kemp also tied the SC State school record.

Another Bulldog in Daniel Seawright made his indoor track debut in style. In just his first year of intercollegiate competition, he placed in three events for SC State at the VMI Meet on Jan. 27. He won the long jump with a leap of 24-4 ½, a personal record; finished fourth in the triple jump with a jump of 43-9 ¾; and was fifth in the 60-meter dash. (7.05).

MEAC Athletes Once Again Make National Noise
A total of seven MEAC student-athletes (individual and relay teams) are ranked within the top 20 nationally in their respective events. Four of the seven come from the men’s side while three are from the women’s ledger.

N.C.A&T’s Jaylan Mitchell ranks No.2 in the 60-meter while SC State’s Demek Kemp ranks 11th in the event. Rodney Rowe of N.C. A&T moved up to 14th in the 200 as teammate Michael Dickson did the same in the 60-meter hurdles (17th).

Norfolk State’s Martha Bissah is 16th in the 800 while Kayla White of N.C. A&T ranks 18th in the 60-meter hurdles. BCU’s Quamecha Morrison ranks No. 7 in the high jump.
    
Aggie Men’s 4x400 Relay Team Soars 
The North Carolina A&T State men’s relay teams are ranked twice in the top 50 nationally. Rowe, Hamilton, Stewart, and Harding are ranked 34th for their 3:10.69 performance at the Clemson Orange and Purple Invitational. Aiken, Hamilton, Stewart, and Harding are ranked 45th with a time of 3:11:91 at the JDL College Kick-Off Classic. NCAT also leads the MEAC in the event.


Future Indicator, Past Performance
One good way to see which team may have a strong shot to make noise in the MEAC race is to take a look at the cross country results from the fall.

Norfolk State won this year’s cross country title for the men while Florida A&M captured first on the women’s side. In distance events, which constitutes a significant chunk of points in both indoor and outdoor championships, both teams feature student-athletes amongst the top runners nationally. 

Fresh Faces
The future of MEAC track is strong as several freshmen are having strong campaigns in their first season on the track.

North Carolina A&T State’s Trevor Stewart ranks 25th nationally in the 400 while Morgan State’s Keon Rantin ranks 75th in the 200. Semaj Anderson of N.C. A&T ranks 52nd in the triple jump.

He’s Back
Coppin State’s Joseph Amoah finished second overall at the Penn State National Open last weekend, running a 6.81 in the prelims, followed by a record-breaking 6.72 in the semifinal finals before running a 6.73 in the finals to take the silver.  Amoah’s old school-record was 6.78 which he ran at the 2017 IC4A Championships.

Deacon of Throws
Coppin State junior Kristen Deacon was victorious in the weight throw for the third-straight meet and once again recorded a personal-record with a toss of 17.74m (58’ 2.5”).

Rounding Into Form
Running in her best event for the first time this indoor season, Norfolk State’s Martha Bissah was the runner-up in the 800 meters in a personal indoor-best time of 2:06.59. She was the top collegiate finisher in the invitational (fastest) section of the 800 at Penn State on Jan. 27 and ran the 16th-fastest time in the nation this season in the process.

How High
The Norfolk State high jump duo of Jacob Milton and Garth Warner are heads and shoulders above the competition as both rank 1-2 in the MEAC. Milton leads the way with a 7-0.5 jump while Warner ranks second with a height of 6-10.75. Milton ranks 24th nationally.