Results | Championship Central
LANDOVER, Md., Feb. 28, 2020—Bethune-Cookman sits atop both the men’s and women’s team standings after day two of the 2020 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
The Wildcats lead the men’s standings with 58.5 points after six events scored. Norfolk State is second with 52 points, followed by three-time defending champion North Carolina A&T State (48), Maryland Eastern Shore (21) and Morgan State (18).
On the women’s side, Bethune-Cookman has 45 points through six events, while three-time defending champion North Carolina A&T State Is second with 39.
The rest of the top five is Norfolk State (31), Morgan State (25.5) and Maryland Eastern Shore (24).
Bethune-Cookman swept the multi events on Friday, with Thea Shaw taking gold in the women’s pentathlon and Marc McCoy winning the men’s heptathlon. Shaw racked up 3,533 points to finish 157 ahead of Morgan State’s Diamond Moore, winning the 60-meter hurdles, high jump and 800 meters.
McCoy won the long jump and the high jump, and was second in the shot put, en route to piling up 4,691 points to beat teammate JaQuaveon Beachem by 152 points.
Bethune-Cookman also won gold in the men’s weight throw on Friday, as Sidney Holston won with a mark of 19.16 meters.
Norfolk State’s Jacob Milton repeated as champion of the men’s high jump, clearing 2.14 meters (7 feet, 0.25 inches) to edge Bethune-Cookman’s Kelton Williams. Including last year’s outdoor high jump title, Milton has won three straight MEAC crowns.
The women’s high jump saw Paul Salmon take gold with a mark of 1.70 meters (5 feet, 7 inches). The Aggies also got a throwing event gold medal from Loren James, who won the women’s weight throw with a distance of 18.08 meters.
Norfolk State won the women’s distance medley relay running away with a time of 11:53.32, taking the lead on the second leg before anchor Martha Bissah took over on the final leg and gapped the rest of the field.
Fridah Koech, Malika Pride and Kara Grant were also on that squad.
On the men’s side, North Carolina A&T State ran a 10:04.29 to win the men’s distance medley in runaway fashion, with Abbas Abbkar, Regan Kimtai, Akeem Lindo and Mar’Quise McGee doing the honors.
If Saturday is the day North Carolina A&T State sweeps the MEAC indoor championships for the fourth straight year, it will be a case of strength in numbers; Friday’s preliminary races saw the Aggies shine in a variety of distances.
Madeleine Akobundu posted the top preliminary time in the women’s 60-meter hurdles at 8.21, pacing three Aggies who qualified for Saturday’s final. Four Aggies qualified for the women’s 400-meter final, with Tori Ray (54.29) leading the way.
The men’s 400 meters is shaping up to be Randolph Ross’ personal playground. The world leader at that distance cruised into the MEAC final on Friday with a 46.82, just edging out teammate Trevor Stewart (who is on the Bowerman Award Watch List).
In total, four Aggies are in the men’s 400-meter final.
Cambrea Sturgis again showed that she is one of the nation’s top sprinters, posting Friday’s fastest prelim time in the women’s 60 meters at 7.37. She will lead four Aggies in the final on Saturday.
The men’s 60 meters will have two Aggies in the final, after Jaylan Mitchell (6.75) and Tavarius Wright (6.80) posted the top two preliminary times on Friday.
Coppin State’s Joseph Amoah had the third-fastest time at 6.81.
The men’s 60-meter hurdles saw Coppin State’s Aaron Lewis post the fastest prelim time at 8.00 flat.
Saturday’s action will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the women’s pole vault. The first running event will be the women’s mile at 12:30 p.m.
FloTrack will have live streaming of the afternoon action starting at 1 p.m.