Men's Track & Field | 12/6/2025 8:58:00 AM

Final Results

    PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Dec. 6, 2025) – The Morgan State track and field teams opened its season at the Penn Opener on Friday and Saturday inside The Ott Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

This early-season meet offered the Bears a helpful chance to ease into competition and measure themselves against a solid field as they begin the indoor season.

STRONG FRESHMAN DEBUT 
Morgan State newcomer Jayla-Shae Wright put together an impressive all-around performance on the opening day of the Penn Opener at The Ott Center in Philadelphia. Competing in her first collegiate meet, the Jamaican native delivered solid marks across the pentathlon and finished in 5^th place with a score of 3,155 pts.

Women's Pentathlon – Day 1 Results
• 60m Hurdles: 9.89 (15th)
• 800m: 2:42.18 (7th)
• High Jump: 1.55m (T-6th)
• Long Jump: 5.30m (T-4th)
• Shot Put: 10.36m (3rd)
 

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Coach Neville Hodge praised her poise and performance:

"We were really proud of Jayla-Shae today. The pentathlon is a demanding event, and she handled all five disciplines with confidence in her first collegiate competition. She went up against athletes from Big Ten programs and other strong Division I schools and never backed down. She showed the heart of a true champion."

"This was her first pentathlon as a freshman, and we're excited to see her continue to grow on this journey. Go, Jayla-Shae—keep representing yourself and the University with pride."

SATURDAY 
Morgan State entered Day 2 of the Penn Opener aiming to build on the momentum sparked by Jayla-Shae Wright's strong opening-day performance.

FIELD EVENTS

Women
• Weight Throw – Sophomore Terry-Ann Thompson finished with a throw of 15.36m, placing her 10^th in the field.
• High Jump – Sophomore Aleah Alexander tied for 11^th place, able to clear the bar at 1.57m,
• Long Jump – Sophomore Keira Stewart earned 12th place in the women's long jump, recording a best of 5.57 meters on her third attempt.

Men
• High Jump – Sophomore Kesean-Jordan Rhooms took third place, clearing the bar at 1.96m, while freshman Jahshua Lamothe had a top 10 finish by placing 8^th (1.91m).
• Long Jump – Freshman Derrick McCorkle Jr. pulled out a leap of 6.80m on his third attempt.
• Weight Throw – Freshman Jedaiah Beard delivered a toss of 15.20m to take fourth place.
• Pole Vault – Freshman Jeryco Sheppard cleared 4.30 meters in the pole vault, tying for 5th place with Rider's Raymond Senatore.

TRACK EVENTS

Women
• 1 Mile – Senior Aaliyah Headley the Bears with a time of 5:38:21 to finish in fifth-place.
• 60mH Prelims – Freshman Anyra Knight placed 11^th with a time of 8.94.  
• 60m Finals –Sophomore Jatavia Robinson advanced to the finals with a qualifying time of 7.65 seconds and finished fifth in the finals, crossing the line in 7.58 seconds.
• 600m – Freshman Natalia Eastman led the Bears in a crowded field in the 600m, taking fifth place with a time of 1:35.08.
• 300m – Sophomore Janiya Glass recorded a time of 40.22 to take 12^th place.
• 4x400mR – Morgan State's 'A' team (J. Glass, K. Stewart, N. Eastman, A. Showell) raced to a time of 4:05.95.

Men
• 300m – Senior Antonio Sims set a personal best with a time of 34.23 seconds, earning a third-place finish and breaking the previous meet record of 34.51 seconds.
• 1 Mile – Sophomore Caleb Mincy won gold in the mile with a time of 4:13.29, followed closely behind by sophomore teammate Samuel Skinner, who took second place (4:13.36). Freshman Natnael Gbrehmariam took fifth place (4:35.37), and freshman Miguel Graham placed sixth (4:43.27).
• 60mH Prelims – Junior Jadon Ra-Akbar finished 10^th with a time of 8.63, and freshman Abrahm Vargas clocked in at 8.74 to finish 12^th.
• 60m Finals – Doyin Smith advanced to the finals with a qualifying time of 6.91 seconds and finished fifth in the finals, improving slightly to 6.90 seconds.
• 600m – Freshman Keenan Frisby finished 5th with a time of 1:20.13, Cameron Stuckless placed 19th in 1:26.47, and Joshua Moore took 22nd with a time of 1:28.08.
• 4x400mR – The Morgan State 'B' team (S. Skinner, C. Mincey, K. Frisby, M. Graham) placed 10^th with a time of 3:20.95.

Coach Hodge on the Meet:

"As a program, we had some awesome performances on and off the track. We, as a staff, put in the work, and the athletes showed out, giving fans a great show in several events. We came to this meet to test the waters in preparation for our next competition, and the mission was accomplished as a program."

"We were especially proud of the way most of our student-athletes carry themselves. We saw great efforts from both the men's and women's teams. Based on today's results, we were able to pinpoint areas that need improvement before the next scheduled track meet.
The majority of our student-athletes were excited about their performances. Several recorded personal bests and season bests. We will continue to work toward our goals day and night. Until the next meet!"
 
UP NEXT
The Bears return to action in Philadelphia on Saturday, January 10, for the Penn Select Meet.


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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.