GREENSBORO, N.C., May 8, 2021—North Carolina A&T State’s runners weren’t quite perfect on Saturday, but they were close, and the result was winning the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women’s outdoor track & field title at Irwin Belk Track.
It was the Aggies’ third title in the last four tries. The Aggies tallied a meet-record 290 points, winning all but three races on Saturday and picking up three field event titles.
Norfolk State came in second with 144 points. The rest of the team standings read Howard (125), Morgan State (93), Delaware State (52), South Carolina State (36) and North Carolina Central (4).
G’Jasmyne Butler of North Carolina A&T State was named the meet’s Outstanding Performer, while teammate Loren James took home Outstanding Field Performer honors and Duane Ross was again named Outstanding Coach.
Butler, who had already won the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday, also won the 800 meters on Saturday with a time of 2:08.36. The Aggies swept the podium in that race, as they did in the 100-meter hurdles. TeJyrica Robinson took that race in 12.99, followed closely by teammates Paula Salmon and Madeleine Akobundu.
That 12.99 ranks Robinson top-15 nationally.
Cambrea Sturgis had a hand in three of the Aggies’ titles on Saturday. She won both the 100 and the 200, running an 11.03 and a 22.88, respectively, and she was also part of the Aggies’ winning 4×100-meter relay team that took gold in 43.75.
Sturgis ranks top three nationally in the 100 and top 10 in the 200.
The Aggies’ Delecia McDuffie won the 400 meters in 52.73 while also running on the 4×100 squad, and Kamaya Debose-Epps and Jonah Ross were also on that relay team.
Sydni Townsend won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.09.
The three running titles North Carolina A&T State didn’t get on Saturday went to Howard. Destiny Stanford won two of those, taking gold in the 1,500 meters in 4:27.26 – overtaking Norfolk State’s Martha Bissah down the final stretch – before winning the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:59.82.
The Bison also broke the Aggies’ stranglehold on the 4×400-meter relay, winning that race in 3:35.59. Howard also got a field title from Ta’Jae Joyner, who won the triple jump with a distance of 11.91 meters. In field action, James took the shot put with a mark of 15.53 meters, while Kenady Wilson cleared 1.79 meters to win the high jump and Makayla Watkins won the discus in 41.93 meters.
Dajah Price of Norfolk State won the MEAC title in the heptathlon with 3,974 points. The top three finishers were named All-MEAC.
ALL-MEAC TEAMS
First Team
Cambrea Sturgis, NCAT (100m, 200m, 4×100), Delecia McDuffie, NCAT (400m, 4×100), G’Jasmyne Butler, NCAT (800m, 3,000SC), Destiny Stanford, HOW (1,500m, 5,000m), TeJyrica Robinson, NCAT (100h), Sydni Townsend, NCAT (400h), Kamaya Debose-Epps, NCAT (4×100), Jonah Ross, NCAT (4×100), Ozioma Scott, HOW (4×400), Jessica Wright, HOW (4×400), Ameennah Saalih, HOW (4×400), Jessika Jbai, HOW (4×400), Fridah Koech, NSU (10,000m), Kenady Wilson, NCAT (HJ), Sandra Brown, NCAT (PV), Madeleine Akobundu, NCAT (LJ), Ja’Tae Joyner, HOW (TJ), Loren James, NCAT (Shot), Makayla Watkins, NCAT (Discus), Diana Effiom, HOW (Hammer), Catherine Glenn, DSU (Javelin), Dajah Price, NSU (Hept)
Second Team
Kamaya Debose-Epps, NCAT (100m, 200m), Malika Pride, NSU (400m, 4×100), Carolyn Brown, NCAT (800m), Martha Bissah, NSU (1,500m), Paula Salmon, NCAT (100h), Jessica Wright, HOW (400h), Indya Richards, NSU (4×100), Kiara Grant, NSU (4×100), Dahja Price, NSU (4×100), Sydni Townsend, NCAT (4×400), Mykayla Perry, NCAT (4×400), Payton Russell, NCAT (4×400), Nilaja Florence, NCAt (4×400), Fridah Koech, NSU (3,000SC), Jada Banks, SCSU (5,000m), Faith Jemutai, NSU (10,000m), Paula Salmon, NCAt (HJ), Ishana Asinor, MSU (PV), Ja’Tae Joyner, HOW (LJ), Stephanie Jobe, SCSU (TJ), Jaida West, MSU (Shot), Loren James, NCAT (Discus, Hammer), Rachel Field, MSU (Javelin), Micaela Fleetwood, MSU (Hept)
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