Results | Heptathlon | Decathlon | Championship Central | Photo Gallery

GREENSBORO, N.C., May 2, 2019—Thursday marked the first day of competition in the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships at North Carolina A&T State’s Irwin Belk Track, with the Norfolk State men and Florida A&M women leading the way.
 
Norfolk State holds a slim 37.5-34 lead over Bethune-Cookman after the first day. Two-time defending champion North Carolina A&T State is third with 14 points, and North Carolina Central has 11.
 
In the women’s standings, Florida A&M has racked up 52.5 points through three scored events, getting off to a strong start in defending last season’s title. Bethune-Cookman sits in second with 21 points, followed by North Carolina A&T State (18.5 points) in third and Norfolk State (11 points) in fourth.
 
Bethune-Cookman’s Jeremiah Peters claimed the first gold medal of the weekend when he took the MEAC title in the men’s discus throw with a distance of 50.16 meters (164 feet, six inches). He was one of two B-CU titles on the afternoon, as Quamecha Morrison defended her title in the high jump, clearing 1.78 meters (five feet, 10 inches).
 
Morrison also leads the women’s heptathlon, totaling 3,222 points through four events.
 
Bethune-Cookman also has the lead midway through the men’s decathlon, with junior Marc McCoy having racked up 3,574 points through five events. His teammate Brent Heholt currently sits in second with 3,409 points.
 
Norfolk State’s Jacob Milton made it three-for-three in his collegiate career in the high jump, claiming gold for the third straight year after clearing 2.13 meters (six feet, 11.75 inches).
 
Taylor Gorum of Florida A&M, the 2018 Outstanding Field Performer, picked up right where she left off in taking the women’s discus throw with a mark of 53.43 meters (175 feet, three inches).
 
The Rattlers also got a title from Shalet Mitei, who won gold in the women’s 10,000 meters with a time of 37:36.10. In fact, Florida A&M swept the top four positions in that race.
 
Norfolk State swept the podium in the men’s 10,000-meter run to conclude Thursday’s action, with Evans Cheruiyot taking gold with a time of 31:19.23. Meshack Kipchirchir (31:28.24) and Anteneh Girma (32:17.33) were second and third, respectively.
 
In the preliminary round of the men’s 200 meters, Joseph Amoah of Coppin State posted the fast time with a 20.27 – currently the fifth-fastest time in the nation – to advance to Saturday’s final. North Carolina A&T State teammates Rodney Rowe (20.31) and Akeem Sirleaf (20.58) were second and third, respectively.
 
The women’s 200-meter preliminaries were the Kayla White show; the reigning NCAA indoor champion at that distance won her heat with a MEAC-record time of 22.62, which would rank her second in the nation. Her teammate Cambrea Sturgis, who earlier this season outran White at LSU, came in second with a 22.65.
 
Oluchi Ike of Howard posted the fastest time in the women’s 400-meter hurdle preliminaries at 59.81 – the only runner to post a sub-minute time.
 
In the prelims of the men’s 400-meter hurdles, Jaylen Banks of Norfolk State posted the fast time of 51.08. That time would currently put Banks tied for 23^rd in the nation.
 
Friday’s action will get underway at 9 a.m. with the conclusion of the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon. Running events will begin at 2:50 p.m. with the preliminary heats in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.
 
Friday will also see the MEAC hold a special graduation ceremony of track & field student-athletes who are missing their commencement ceremonies to compete in the 2019 MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend. The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m.