Bethune-Cookman Wins MEAC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats made it three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships in a row Saturday by winning the 2016 affair at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.

The Wildcats tallied 151 points to out-distance North Carolina A&T State, who was second with 134 points and Maryland Eastern Shore (110) in third.

Steven Thomas, of Coppin State, was the Outstanding Field Athlete award winner after winning the discus, finishing second in the hammer and fifth in the shot put for 22 points in the meet.  Maryland Eastern Shore’s Khalil Rmidi Kinini was named the Outstanding Runner. He won the 1500m, 5000m, 10000m and 3000m steeplechase to accumulate 40 points.

Bethune-Cookman’s Donald Cooper was selected as the Men’s Track and Field Outstanding Coach for the third time.

“It was a tough battle all weekend and the weather really caught us off guard the first day,” said Cooper. “All we could do was encourage the student-athletes and keep reminding them the weather was going to get warmer.  We strategized throughout the summer and with cross country trying to make it not another one-point affair and we did.”

The first meet record of the event was set by North Carolina A&T State’s 4×100 meter relay team of Maurice Eaddy, Christopher Belcher, Michael Dickson and Rodney Rowe in 39.58.  South Carolina State was second in 40.35, while North Carolina Central took third in 40.42.  The former record was by Hampton in 2010 running 39.71

The second meet record of the weekend fell in the 100m as Belcher broke a 35-year old record in 10.07.  William Haynes, of Florida A&M, held the record, with a time of 10.23, set in 1981.

Men’s Final Team Scores

MEN’S

All-MEAC First Team

Khalil Rmidi Kinini, Maryland Eastern Shore (10,000m, 3,000mSC, 1,500m, 5,000m); Steven Thomas, Coppin State (DT); Ed’Ricus Williams, Bethune-Cookman (HJ); Christian Kinney, Hampton (Dec.); Sulaiman Fared, Hampton (SP); Frank Quarles, North Carolina A&T State (LJ); Rico Duncan, Maryland Eastern Shore (HT); Dominic Harper, Bethune-Cookman (PV); Michael Tiller, Bethune-Cookman (TJ); Maurice Eaddy, North Carolina A&T State (4×100); Christopher Belcher, North Carolina A&T State (4×100, 100m, 200m); Michael Dickson, North Carolina A&T State (4×100); Rodney Rowe, North Carolina A&T State (4×100); Trey Holloway, Hampton (100mH); Joel Roberson, Morgan State (400m); Mark Blackmon, Maryland Eastern Shore (800m); Chris Collins, Bethune-Cookman (JT); Christopher Gaddist, South Carolina State (400mH); Justin Hamilton, North Carolina A&T State (4×400); Dorian Claggett, North Carolina A&T State (4×400), Corey Aiken, North Carolina A&T State (4×400), Dajuan Harding, North Carolina A&T State (4×400)

All-MEAC Second Team

Perry Cabean, North Carolina A&T State (10,000m); Clifton Thompson, Norfolk State (DT); Nehemiah Lipford, North Carolina A&T State (HJ); Jerrick Powell, Hampton (Dec.); Christopher Lee, Norfolk State (SP); Kenneth Fisher, Bethune-Cookman (LJ); Oussama Chouati, Maryland Eastern Shore (3,000mSC); Steven Thomas, Coppin State (HT); Princy Dorsainvil, Bethune-Cookman (PV); Shane Green, Coppin State (TJ); Christopher Gaddist, South Carolina State (4×100); Jeffrey Jones, South Carolina State (4×100); Demek Kemp, South Carolina State (4×100); Tyrell Richard, South Carolina State (4×100); Ronaldo Ball, Coppin State (1,500m); Malik Lewis, Bethune-Cookman (100mH); Steve Coles, Norfolk State (400m); Maurice Eaddy, North Carolina A&T State (100m); Michael James, Coppin State (800m); Rolando Reid, Morgan State (JT); Evan Johnson, Morgan State (400mH); Rodney Rowe, North Carolina A&T State (200m); Joel Robertson, Morgan State (4×400); Donovan St. Louis, Morgan State (4×400), Stephen Varella, Morgan State (4×400); Evan Johnson, Morgan State (4×400)

All-MEAC Third Team

Xavier Walton, Bethune-Cookman (10,000m, 3,000mSC); Rico Duncan, Maryland Eastern Shore (DT); Milan Bullock, Howard (HJ); Taj Showalter, Maryland Eastern Shore (Dec.); Antony Britt, South Carolina State (SP); Nicholas Williams, Bethune-Cookman (LJ); Matthew Aleruchi, South Carolina State (HT); Trey Clark, Hampton (PV); Kenneth Fisher, Bethune-Cookman (TJ); Joshua McClam, North Carolina Central (4×100); Deontae Williams, North Carolina Central (4×100); Jonathan Williams, North Carolina Central (4×100); Issac Roberts, North Carolina Central (4×100); Desmond Fogg, Norfolk State (1,500m); Christopher Gaddist, South Carolina State (100mH); Dajuan Hardin, North Carolina A&T State (400m); Rodney Rowe, North Carolina A&T State (100m); Mark London, Coppin State (800m); Christian Kinney, Hampton (JT); Kevin Vincent, North Carolina Central (400mH); Nigel Brown, Savannah State (200m); Antwuan Poole, Savannah State (4×400), Todd Woodring, Savannah State (4×400); Brandon Davis, Savannah State (4×400)