Men's Track & Field | 1/29/2026 10:00:00 AM

BALTIMORE, Md. (January 29, 2026) -- The Morgan State men's and women's track & field teams continue their indoor campaign this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30–31, with a split-meet weekend featuring competition in two of the Northeast's premier venues.

A group of Bears will travel to Boston to compete in the John Thomas Terrier Classic, hosted by Boston University, while another contingent heads to Cambridge, Mass., for the Harvard Invitational.

Morgan State heads into the weekend with momentum following a strong showing at the VMI Invitational in Lexington, Virginia, where both squads delivered multiple top performances against a competitive field. The men's team finished second overall with 87.5 points, while the women earned a third-place finish with 63 points.

On the men's side, Morgan State has relied on a balanced effort across the sprints, jumps, and throws. Freshman Demond Smith leads the way after posting a personal-best weight throw of 16.18 meters to win the HBCU Showcase in New York. Fellow freshman Jeryco Sheppard recently cleared 4.00 meters to place second in the pole vault at the VMI Invitational. On the track, sophomore Maxim Copeland clocked a season-best 48.79 to finish runner-up in the 400 meters at VMI, while sophomore Doyin Smith ran a personal-best 6.88 to place third in the 60 meters.

The women continue to show steady progress with key performances across events. Sophomore Keira Stewart captured first place in the long jump at the HBCU Showcase with a personal-best leap of 6.02 meters. Freshman Jayla-Shae Wright cleared a personal-best 1.55 meters to finish fourth in the high jump at VMI, while sophomore Janiya Glass posted a personal-best 7.77 in the 60m. Those efforts have added valuable depth as the Bears build toward peak form later this season.

The meets provide Morgan State with strong fields and fast tracks as the Bears look to post season-best performances and continue building momentum heading into the heart of the indoor schedule.

"We will continue to believe in each other and the process that got us to where we are today, knowing that challenges aren't a sign to go backwards, but an opportunity to move in a different direction towards success," said head coach Neville Hodge. "Go Bears."


John Thomas Terrier Classic
Fri.-Sat., January 30-31
Track & Tennis Center | Boston, Mass.
Live Results | Meet Schedule 

Harvard Invitational
Fri.-Sat., January 30-31
Gordon Indoor Track | Cambridge, Mass.
Live Results | Meet Schedule 


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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.