RESULTS
PHOTO GALLERY
LANDOVER, Md. - The Hampton University men and the Bethune-Cookman women moved into the top spot after the second day of the 2018 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex.
North Carolina A&T State's Todd Townsend defended his heptathlon title from a year ago. He won the hurdles in a time of 8.03 while placing third in the pole vault (11-3) and sixth in the 1,000-meter run. Bethune-Cookman's Jonathan Moore won back-to-back 800-meter indoor championships as he posted the best overall time in the event.
In the distance medley relay, Hampton opened up in the second and third legs but anchor leg Emmanuel Too had to hold off a late charge by Maryland Eastern Shore's Oussama Chouati and North Carolina A&T State's Marquise McGee en route to a winning time of 10:08.96.
Over at the high jump pit, a battle between the MEAC's top jumpers in Norfolk State sophomores Jacob Milton and Garth Warner captivated the crowd.
Entering the event at 6-9, Milton needed only one attempt at the aforementioned height in additon to one successful attempt at 6-11. Warner followed with only one attempt at 6-9 but ran into a bump as he failed to clear his first two attempts at 6-11. Warner got over the hump on his third and final attempt to keep pace with his teammate.
As the only two jumpers in the MEAC who've cleared seven feet this season, the bar moved to 7-1 as both misfired on their first attempt but came through in the clutch as they both set a personal best on the second attempt. Both jumpers attempted to crack 7-3 but came up short on all three attempts. As a result of less missed attempts overall, Milton won his second consecutive MEAC Championship.
North Carolina A&T State’s Derrick Wheeler recorded a mark of 59-3.50 in his second-to-last attempt in the weight throw to win his first career MEAC Indoor Championship. It went down to the wire as Wheeler had to hold off BCU’s Sidney Holston (59-2) up to the final throw.
There were no major surprises in the prelims of the running events on Friday as North Carolina A&T State led the way with a total of eight runners qualifying in the 60-meter hurdles, 60-meter dash and 400. A&T posted three of the top four times in the 60-meter hurdles led by Michael Dickson's 7.83. Coppin State's Aaron Lewis was second with a 7.92 followed by North Carolina A&T State's Todd Townsend (8.15) and Robert Miller (8.04).
Dujuan Harding (48.38) and Trevor Stewart (48.57) of North Carolina A&T State finished with the top two times in the 400 while Trequan Barnes from Norfolk State logged the third-best time of the event with a 48.41.
In the highly-anticipated 60-meter dash which featured five runners ranked in the top 30 nationally, North Carolina A&T State's Jaylan Mitchell ran a 6.69 for the top time of the afternoon followed by South Carolina State's Demek Kemp's time of 6.71. Rodney Rowe of North Carolina A&T State rounded out the top three times with a 6.72.
Hampton leads the pack with 58 points entering Saturday’s finale with Bethune-Cookman right behind at 55 points. North Carolina A&T State is currently in third with 43 points with Norfolk State (32) and Florida A&M (26) coming in at fourth and fifth, respectively.
After the second day of competition on the women’s side, Bethune-Cookman leads the women’s team standings with 64 points, with defending champion North Carolina A&T State in second with 50.5 points. Hampton (47), Florida A&M (41.5) and Norfolk State (30) round out the top five.
The first women’s title of the day went to Hampton’s Kaitlin Scott, who took gold in the pentathlon with 3,516 points.
Quamecha Morrison of Bethune-Cookman won the women’s high jump for the second year in a row, leaping 6-0.75 inches. Akassja White, also of Bethune-Cookman, took gold in the women’s weight throw with a mark of 59-10.25 inches.
Martha Bissah of Norfolk State also defended her title in the 800-meter run, holding on for the gold with a time of 2:09.23. Kristoni Barnes of North Carolina A&T State ran a 2:10.37 to finish second.
Bissah also anchored the Spartans’ distance medley relay team, which won gold with a time of 11:59.52. Bissah passed North Carolina A&T State’s Camille Martin on the backstretch of the last lap.
In other action, North Carolina A&T State’s Kayla White posted the top time in the preliminary heats of the women’s 60-meter hurdles, turning in an 8.38 to edge teammate Madeleine Akobundu (8.42). Morrison had the preliminaries’ third-fastest time with an 8.47.
White, the defending 60-meter hurdles indoor champion, also had the fastest time in the 60-meter dash, tying with North Carolina Central’s Bethany White with a 7.44. India Brown, also from North Carolina A&T State, was third fastest at 7.48.
Asia Joe of Bethune-Cookman posted the fastest women’s 400-meter dash time, winning her heat on Friday with a 55.09. Defending 400m champion Tori Ray (55.81) and Nia Lundy (55.99) of North Carolina A&T State were second and third fastest.
The meet concludes on Saturday as the women’s pole vault starts at 9:30 a.m. with the running events beginning at 1 p.m. ESPN3 will televise Saturday's championship day events live from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST.
A complete schedule of events and live statistics for the 2018 MEAC Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships can be found at www.MEACsports.com.