2022-23 Final All-Sports Points Tallies


NORFOLK, Va., June 9, 2023 – Howard University captured both the Talmadge Layman Hill Men’s All-Sports Award and the Mary McLeod Bethune Women’s All-Sports Award, the conference announced on Thursday, June 1.
 
The awards were presented during the MEAC All-Sports Awards Dinner hosted at the Disney Contemporary Resort and Convention Center, in partnership with Disney on the Yard, held in conjunction with the conference’s annual spring meetings.
 
The all-sports awards are indicators of the overall strengths of the conference’s men’s and women’s athletic programs. Howard was presented with two $20,000 checks, one for each award.
 
“Congratulations to Howard University, including President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, Director of Athletics Kery Davis, and the administrators, coaches, student-athletes and support staff for winning both the Talmadge Layman Hill Men’s All-Sports Award and the Mary McLeod Bethune Women’s All-Sports Award,” MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills said. “Receiving these awards is indicative of the overall strength of their athletics programs, and the Bison had a phenomenal 2022-23 academic year.”
 
In addition, Coppin State was honored academically, posting the MEAC’s highest academic performance rate (APR). For its efforts, the Eagles’ athletic department received a check for $10,000.
 
Coppin State was also recognized, for the second straight year, as the 2023 recipient of the MEAC’s Highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR). The Eagles’ 89-percent GSR is the highest among MEAC institutions spanning the 2012-15 cohorts, and they received a check for $25,000 from the conference.
 
In the men’s all-sports award tally, the Bison tallied 43 points to edge out Norfolk State (41.5). Howard won the men’s basketball regular-season championship (its first outright title since 1986-87) and shared in the football title, while also recording runner-up finishes in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field.
 
The Spartans won championships in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field.
 
North Carolina Central was third in the men’s all-sports standings with 34 points, sharing the football championship and finishing runner-up in men’s basketball.
 
For the women, Howard (53.5 points) shared the regular-season title in volleyball with Coppin State, while also winning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field championships. The Bison were also tied for runner-up in basketball with Morgan State.
 
Norfolk State (46) was second in the women’s all-sports standings, winning the regular-season championship in basketball, while finishing runner-up in cross country, indoor track & field and softball.
 
Morgan State was a close third with 43.5 points, winning the softball regular-season title, finishing runner-up in outdoor track & field and having shared runner-up status in basketball.
 
This is Howard’s first Talmadge Layman Hill award since 1988 and the Bison’s fourth overall. Howard picked up its second straight Mary McLeod Bethune award and its sixth overall.
 
Points are awarded in a descending order beginning with nine (9) points for championships or first-place regular-season finishes. The second-place team receives seven (7) points. Tied teams split the point total.
 
Points were awarded for regular-season finishes in every sport but cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field, where points were awarded based on finishes at MEAC championships.
 
Disney on the Yard is an initiative established in 2020 to deepen The Walt Disney Company’s existing engagement with HBCUs. The initiative also will help build a robust, long-term pipeline of Black talent through the development of student internships, mentorship opportunities, internal HBCU cultural series, virtual career showcases for students, and more. 
 
The Mary McLeod Bethune and Talmadge Layman Hill Awards
The Mary McLeod Bethune Award, named after the founder of Bethune-Cookman College, awards the top overall women’s athletic program during the course of one full academic year. The first Mary McLeod Bethune award was given in 1987 to Delaware State University. Hampton leads with 14 women’s awards all-time.
 
The men’s All-Sports Award is named after the late Talmadge Layman Hill, a former player and coach at Morgan State, and former Chairman of the MEAC Steering and Planning Committee, as well as the conference’s first President. Howard University was the recipient of the first Talmadge Layman Hill Award in 1972. Norfolk State has the men’s record with 12 awards.
 
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 52^nd year of intercollegiate competition with the 2022-23 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of eight outstanding historically Black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.