NORFOLK, Va. – With COVID-19 forcing a premature end to the 2019-20 athletics season, it would be easy to ponder the "what ifs" if you're Norfolk State Director of Track & Field Programs Kenneth Giles.

Would Kiara Grant and Martha Bissah have had a shot to bring home Norfolk State's first-ever individual Div. I national title? Would the Spartan men and women have been in position to win conference outdoor team titles? Could the Spartans have exceeded their 2019 total of 10 NCAA East Regional individual qualifiers?

But instead of focusing on the "what if?", Giles prefers to focus on what was. Indeed, despite the cancellation of the outdoor season, the Spartan track and cross country programs excelled this year.

The year got off on the right foot in the fall with both the Spartan men and women winning MEAC cross country titles. For the men, it was the MEAC-record 13th cross country title in program history. Meshack Kipchirchir became the first Spartan male to win an individual MEAC cross country title since 2011. Evans Cheruiyot and Lelei Too finished just behind Kipchirchir, giving Norfolk State a sweep of the top three places.

Anteneh Girma and Festus Bett also earned All-MEAC honors on the men's side.

The women won their first MEAC title since 2009, led by the incomparable Martha Bissah. Bissah became the first female athlete in conference history to win three straight cross country titles. Fridah Koech, Caroline Samoei and Kara Grant also earned All-MEAC honors.

The Spartan men and women also were strong on the track once indoor season began. The teams improved each week before capping the season with runner-up finishes at the MEAC Indoor Championships in late February. Bissah won MEAC Indoor Most Outstanding Track Athlete honors for the third time in her career after sweeping individual MEAC titles in the 800, mile and 3,000 meters and also running on the winning distance medley relay. For the second straight year, she qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship in the 800 meters. She helped the Spartan women to their highest team finish at a MEAC track championship since 2011.

Kiara Grant also qualified for the NCAA indoor nationals for the second consecutive season in the 60 meters, while also earning spot at the NCAAs in the 200 meters. Grant tied her own MEAC indoor meet record while winning the 60 meters for the second year in a row. Unfortunately for Bissah and Grant, the NCAA Indoor Championship was canceled on the eve of the first day of competition.

Malika Pride (400 meters), Kara Grant (800 meters) and Koech (5,000 meters) won silver medals at the conference indoor meet, while Kylis Gilmore (pole vault) brought home a bronze.

The men were equally impressive at the MEAC Indoor Championship. The standouts included Jacob Milton, who kept alive his MEAC high jump gold medal streak. For the fourth straight year, Milton won the indoor gold medal in his specialty, that coming despite a hamstring strain just a few weeks prior. Combined with outdoor high jump titles his freshman through junior years, Milton was never defeated in the high jump in conference championship competition, going 7-for-7.

Freshman Azad Williams won Norfolk State's other gold medal at the MEAC indoor meet, claiming the shot put title in his first conference championship.

Kamil Jihad (800 meters) and Girma (3,000 meters and 5,000 meters) won silver medals in their events. Lelei Too (3,000 meters), Kai Cole (200 meters), Evans Cheruiyot (5,000 meters), Azziah Russell (pole vault) and Jaylen Banks (heptathlon) all placed third in their individual events.

While the disappointment of outdoor season being canceled will linger, leave it to Giles to put the season in proper perspective.

"This was one of the most memorable seasons for the track & field program. To start the year with two cross country team and individual championships, and then have two runner-up finishes indoors, I feel we were in prime position to do something special outdoors," Giles said. "This season shows that we're the best overall program in the conference when you consider cross country, indoor and outdoor track. We can compete in any conference in the country."