The Norfolk State University (NSU) men’s track and field team won its seventh straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championship after dominating at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C. May 3 through May 5.
NSU earned 145.50 total points for the lead, while North Carolina A&T finished in second place with 95 points. Bethune-Cookman scored 78 points for third place.
Norfolk State’s top performer was Keith Nkrumah, who was named the Co-Outstanding Runner of the Meet, earning 20 individual points throughout the championship. NSU track and field coach Kenneth Giles was also honored with his seventh consecutive Most Outstanding Coach honor.
“The guys did a great job,” Giles said. “They were dominant. We were missing three of our seniors due to graduation but everyone else stepped up and we were able to win another championship.”
Morgan State’s Emmanuel Stewart was named the Most Outstanding Field Athlete with 28 total field points; other individuals honored include Delaware State’s Donte Holmes, who broke a nine-year record in the 800 meter race with a first place finish time of 1:48.55.
On the women’s side, Hampton University claimed the 2012 MEAC Championship, recording 136 total points for their ninth MEAC title in school history. University of Maryland-Eastern Shore (UMES) came in second place with 106 points, while North Carolina A&T took third place with 84 points.
“It feels good to win another championship,” said Hampton coach Maurice Pierce, who was named the women’s Most Outstanding Coach for the eighth time. “My assistant coaches and athletes did a great job. It wasn’t our best performance but at the end of the day we scored the most points so I’m excited to win.”
South Carolina State’s Shamire Rothmiller scored 26 points to win the Outstanding Field Athlete honor while UMES’s Cynthia Anais scored 25 points to claim the Outstanding Runner award.