NORFOLK, Va. – In a repeat of the indoor meet back in February, Norfolk State won the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men’s outdoor track & field championship at Dick Price Stadium.
For the Spartans, it was their first outdoor title since 2012 and their 10th overall.
Kenneth Giles was named the meet’s Outstanding Coach.
The Spartans finished with 192.5 points, while Howard came in second with 163.5 points. Delaware State (95.5), Morgan State (87), North Carolina Central (75), Coppin State (71), Maryland Eastern Shore (66.5) and South Carolina State (53) rounded out the team standings.
Norfolk State came into the final day already holding the team lead, and nothing that happened on Saturday put that in jeopardy. The Spartans got the running events started right, taking the 4×100-meter relay gold medal after turning in a 40.12.
Regan Kimtai then gave the Spartans a distance title, running the 1,500 meters in 3:57.78. Jordan Williams won the 400-meter hurdles for Norfolk State, running a 51.87.
The Spartans’ Evans Cheruiyot was named Outstanding Runner after winning the 5,000 meters on Saturday (15:19.54) to go with his 3,000-meter steeplechase and 10,000-meter titles from earlier in the meet.
Joseph Manu of Coppin State had a dominant Saturday in his own right, claiming gold medals in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He ran a 10.20 to claim the 100 meters over Norfolk State’s Kai Cole, and that duo was again 1-2 in the 200 meters – where Manu established a new PR in 20.42.
Coppin State also took the 4×400-meter relay, winning gold in 3:10.29.
Howard’s Dylan Beard won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.71, while Christopher Bratcher kicked off the day by winning the men’s hammer throw by edging out teammate Ezra Monteiro with a distance of 46.61 meters (Monteiro tossed the hammer 46.42 meters).
Mekhi Abbott gave the Bison the men’s javelin with a distance of 60.41 meters.
Delaware State’s Malachi Little won the MEAC title in the 400 meters with a time of 47.05, while Peter Kamanu gave the Hornets the pole vault title after clearing 3.19 meters.
South Carolina State earned a gold medal when Tyler Jeffers came from behind down the stretch to win the 800 meters in 1:52.28.
Kobe-Jordan Rhooms gave Morgan State a gold medal in the men’s triple jump, leaping 15.31 meters.
North Carolina Central’s Matthew Swepson was named the Outstanding Field Performer after coming in second in the javelin throw and finishing third in the discus, hammer and shot put.
The top three finishers in each event were named All-MEAC.
Outstanding Runner: Evans Cheruiyot, Norfolk State
Outstanding Field Performer: Matthew Swepson, North Carolina Central
Outstanding Coach: Kenneth Giles, Norfolk State
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, race, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University. Email Dennis at dfreeman@news4usonline.com