Men's Track & Field | 2/22/2026 7:40:34 PM

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Feb. 22, 2026-- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) kicked off its 2026 Indoor Track & Field Championships on Sunday morning at the Virginia Beach Sports Center, with the defending men's and women's champions already leading the standings.
 
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opened the 2026 Indoor Track & Field Championships Sunday morning at the Virginia Beach Sports Center, and the reigning champions wasted no time setting the tone atop the leaderboard. 

On the women’s side, defending champion Howard leads Norfolk State, 49–36. Morgan State sits in third place with 25 points. 

In the men’s standings, Norfolk State leads with 52.5 points, followed by Delaware State with 43 points. 

Howard’s Alexis Jones captured the first gold medal of the day, winning the women’s 3,000-meter run in 10:07.34. Norfolk State’s Daniel Mathenge followed with a strong performance in the men’s 3,000 meters, claiming the title in 8:17.37. 

The Bison continued their momentum as Temi Banwo secured first place in the women’s weight throw with a mark of 18.49 meters. Christian Washington delivered another standout performance this season on the highest stage, soaring 7.20 meters to capture gold in the men’s long jump. 

Morgan State earned its first gold medal when Jeryco Sheppard cleared 4.66 meters to win the men’s pole vault. 

In the men’s shot put, Delaware State’s Christopher Johnson topped the field with a throw of 16.63 meters. Howard’s Drew Dillard claimed the men’s high jump crown after clearing 2.10 meters. 

Norfolk State’s Yowome Ayim leaped 5.83 meters to capture gold in the women’s long jump, while teammate Brooklyn Robinson earned silver with a mark of 5.73 meters. 
North Carolina Central closed out the day in commanding fashion, capturing the women’s distance medley relay (DMR) title in 11:27.91. On the men’s side, Delaware State secured gold in the DMR with a winning time of 9:57.14. 

Action resumes Monday at 8:30 a.m. with the men’s heptathlon. Field event finals begin at 10:00 a.m. with the men’s weight throw, followed by the women’s triple jump at 11:00 a.m. The championship meet concludes with the women’s 4x400-meter relay at 3:20 p.m. and the men’s 4x400-meter relay at 3:30 p.m. All events will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at noon. 

For additional details, visit the Championship Central page. 

About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is celebrating its 55th year of intercollegiate competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC consists of eight distinguished historically black colleges and universities along the Atlantic coast: 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.