There is less than a month until the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships, and this past weekend saw several MEAC student-athletes turn in outstanding performances.
Norfolk State was strong at the Pnn State Nationals this past weekend, and Trequan Barnes was named MEAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week after he turned in a MEAC-best 46.17 in the 400-meter dash. He finished second in the event, and his time is the fourth-fastest in the nation.
Martha Bissah was equally as impressive in the 800-meter run, turning in MEAC-best 2:04.27 -- which is the fourth-fastest in the nation. She was named MEAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week for her efforts.
Bethune-Cookman swept the field weekly honors after a pair of strong performances at the JDL College Meet Madness. Jeremian Peters, who won both the shot put and the weight throw this past weekend, and leads the MEAC in the shot put, was named Men's Field Athlete of the Week.
Quamecha Morrison, who is tied for ninth in the nation in the high jump, was named Women's Field Athlete of the Week.
Among the other MEAC track & field student-athletes ranked nationally...
On the men’s side, North Carolina A&T’s Rodney Rowe tied for 23rd in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.11. Trequan Barnes of Norfolk State is ranked 4th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.17, and he is joined by Tyrell Richard of South Carolina State, who is ranked ninth with s time of 46.42, and Trevor Stewart of North Carolina A&T State, who is tied for 24th with s time of 47.03.
North Carolina A&T State’s Michael Dickson is ranked 13th in the 60-meter hurdles, and he is joined by Aaron Lewis of Coppin State who is tied for 16th and North Carolina A&T’s 4x400-meter relay team sits in 17th place with a time of 3:08.96. In the jumps, Norfolk State’s Jacob Milton is tied for 21st in the high jump.
On the women’s side, North Carolina A&T State’s Kayla White placed eighth nationally in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.25. Cambrea Sturgis of North Carolina A&T State is comes in at 14th place in the 200-meter dash with the time of 23.43, while Martha Bissah of Norfolk State comes in ranked fourth in the 800-meter run.
Madeleine Akobundu of North Carolina A&T is tied for ninth in the 60-meter hurdles.
The North Carolina A&T State men are ranked 30th nationally according to the latest computer rankings from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), and they are ranked fourth in the Southeast Region. The NCAT women are ninth in the Southeast Region.
In other rankings, the Coppin State and Morgan State men are 11th and 13th in the Mid-Atlantic Region, respectively, and the Bethune-Cookman men are 24th in the South Region.
The 2019 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships will be hedl at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Md. on Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 21-23. North Carolina A&T State is the two-time defending champion of both the men's and women's meets.
Friday, Feb. 1
Bethune-Cookman at USC Carolina Challenge
North Carolina Central at Camel City Invitational
Norfolk State at Liberty Elite Invitational
Savannah State at USC Carolina Challenge
Saturday, Feb. 2
Bethune-Cookman at USC Carolina Challenge
Coppin State at Scarlet & White Invitational
Delaware State at Wildcat Invite/Ocean Breeze
Howard at Liberty Flames Invite
Morgan State at Villanova Invitational
Savannah State at USC Carolina Challenge
Sunday, Feb. 3
Florida A&M at USA Invitational
Maryland Eastern Shore at Vince Brown Invitational
Savannah State at USC Carolina Challenge