There are just two more weekends of competition before the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships, and as teams gear up for the event, favorites and standouts are continuing to make themselves known.
Joseph Amoah of Coppin State further cemented himself as one of the nation's best sprinters this past weekend, recording a 20.90 in the 200-meter dash -- tying him for the nation's 14th-fastest time and earning him MEAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week honors. Norfolk State's Jacob Milton was named Men's Field Athlete of the Week after setting a personal best this past weekend in the high jump at Liberty.
On the women's side, Norfolk State's Martha Bissah and North Carolina A&T State's Kayla White shared Women's Track Athlete of the Week honors -- Bissah for setting the nation's best time in the 800 meters, White for ranking top five nationally in two events -- and the Aggies' Loren James earned Women's Field Athlete of the Week accolades.
Deep into the 2019 indoor season, several MEAC student-athletes rank among the top 25 in the nation in their respective events. On the men’s side, North Carolina A&T State’s Rodney Rowe tied for seventh in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.70. Trequan Barnes of Norfolk State is ranked ninth 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 fourth with a time of 46.01, and Trevor Stewart of North Carolina A&T State, who is 19th with s time of 46.66.
North Carolina A&T State’s Michael Dickson is ranked 12th in the 60-meter hurdles, and he is joined by Aaron Lewis of Coppin State, who is tied for 15th, and North Carolina A&T State’s 4x400-meter relay team sits in 11th place with a time of 3:07.22. In the jumps, Milton is tied for 19th in the high jump.
On the women’s side, White placed eighth nationally in the 60-meter dash with a 7.25 time; she is also fourth in the both the 200 meters (23.03) and 60-meter hurdles (8.07). Cambrea Sturgis of North Carolina A&T State is comes in at seventh place in the 200-meter dash with the time of 23.19, while Bissah leads the nation in the 800-meter run. Madeleine Akobundu of North Carolina A&T State is tied for 10th in the 60-meter hurdles (8.14), while Bethune Cookman’s Quamecha Morrison is tied for 10th in the high jump.
The Aggie men rank 25th nationally, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) computer rankings. On the women's side, Norfolk State (44th) and North Carolina A&T State (50th) are in the top 50 in those rankings.
In the Southeast Region, the Aggie men are third and women are eighth.
The 2019 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held Feb. 21-23 in the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Md.
Friday, Feb. 8
Delaware State at UMES Cappy Anderson
Howard at VMI Winter Relays
Maryland Eastern Shore at UMES Cappy Anderson
Morgan State at BU Valentine Invitational
North Carolina A&T at Liberty Elite Invitational
North Carolina A&T at Tyson Invitational
North Carolina Central at Darius Dixon Memorial
South Carolina State at VMI Winter Relays
Saturday, Feb. 9
Delaware State at UMES Cappy Anderson
Howard at VMI Winter Relays
Maryland Eastern Shore at UMES Cappy Anderson
Morgan State at Boston Univ. Valentine Invite
North Carolina A&T at Liberty Elite Invitational
North Carolina A&T at Tyson Invitational
South Carolina State at VMI Winter Relays