GREENSBORO, N.C. – It took winning the final event of the day, but North Carolina A&T State won the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Track & Field championship on Saturday at Irwin Belk Track.
The Aggies won their second straight title and fifth overall. They tallied 153 points to Bethune-Cookman’s 150. As a result of Saturday’s win, the Aggies become the first back-to-back men’s champions since Bethune-Cookman’s three consecutive titles from 2014-16. N.C. A&T State’s second straight MEAC title marks it first back-to-back crowns since winning three straight titles from 1994 to 1996.
North Carolina A&T State held a one-point lead over Bethune-Cookman heading into the final event, the 4×400-meter relay. While the Wildcats were game, the quartet of Justin Hamilton, Trevor Stewart, Dajuan Harding and Michael Dickson ran an outdoor-record 3:04.75 to edge Bethune-Cookman for the title.
The Wildcats left everything at the final line to place second with its best time in the mile relay since 2012. (3:06.51).
Duane Ross was again named Outstanding Coach, and Jeremiah Peters of Bethune-Cookman was named the Outstanding Field Performer.
Savannah State’s Malik Franklin opened the day by winning the triple jump, leaping 49 feet, 10.5 inches (15.20 meters).
Wesley Kirui of Hampton won his third event of the meet, taking gold in the 1,500-meter run with a 3:54.96, before winning his fourth event by taking the 5,000-meter run with a 15:17.82. He was named the meet’s Outstanding Runner, and his 40 points are a MEAC outdoor record for an individual in the MEAC Championships.
North Carolina A&T State, the defending MEAC champion, opened the running events by taking the 4×100-meter relay with a time of 39.42. Michael Bell, Joel Thomas, Dickson and Rodney Rowe were the foursome to win the title.
Dickson also added a title in the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a 13.59.
Rowe ran a 20.42 to take the gold medal in the 200-meter dash. That result helped the Aggies take the team lead over Bethune-Cookman, 143-140.
Tyrell Richard of South Carolina State ran a MEAC outdoor-record 45.21 to win the MEAC title in the 400-meter dash.
Joseph Amoah of Coppin State won the 100-meter dash with a 10.23. Rowe turned in a 10.30 to finish second, and Demek Kemp of South Carolina State was third with a 10.35.
Bethune-Cookman’s Jonathan Moore won the MEAC title in the 800-meter run, turning in a 1:49.30 to successfully defend his title from a year ago.
Hampton’s Jaelen Williams ran a 50.12 to take the men’s 400-meter hurdles with a new MEAC outdoor record.
Bethune-Cookman’s Dominic Harper won the pole vault, clearing 15 feet, 1.75 inches (4.62 meters).
Rounding out the top five in the team standings were Hampton in third with 131 points, Florida A&M in fourth with 65 points and Morgan State fifth with 60.
FIRST TEAM
Joseph Amoah, CSU (100m), Rodney Rowe, NCAT (200m, 4×100), Tyrell Richard, SCSU (400m), Michael Dickson, NCAT (110h, 4×100, 4×400), Jaelen Williams, HAM (400h), Michael Bell, NCAT (4×100), Joel Thomas, NCAT (4×100), Justin Hamilton, NCAT (4×400), Trevor Stewart, NCAT (4×400), Dajuan Harding, NCAT (4×400), Jonathan Moore, B-CU (800m), Wesley Kirui, HAM (1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, Steeple), Jacob Milton, NSU (HJ), Dominic Harper, B-CU (Pole), Lloyd Hylton, MSU (LJ), Malik Franklin, SSU (TJ), Robert Duncan, DSU (Discus),Jeremiah Peters, B-CU (Shot), Derrick Wheeler, NCAT (Hammer), Judah Corriette, MDES (Javelin), Jerrick Powell, HAM (Dec)
SECOND TEAM
Rodney Rowe, NCAT (100m), Tyrell Richard, SCSU (200m), Trevor Stewart, NCAT (400m), Aaron Lewis, CSU (110h), Jaylen Banks, NSU (400h), Abbkar Abbas, SSU (800m), Emmanuel Too, HAM (1,500m), Kareem Fair, B-CU (4×100), Henrick Bailey, B-CU (4×100), Jordan Williams, B-CU (4×100, 4×400), Randy Green, B-CU (4×100), Jonathan Moore, B-CU (4×400), Christopher Jackson, B-CU (4×400), Caleb Okwaraji, B-CU (4×400), David Too, FAMU (5,000m), Anteneh Girma, NSU (10,000m), Oussama Chouati, MDES (Steeple), Garth Warner, NSU (HJ), Connor McMillan, FAMU (Pole), Daniel Seawright, SCSU (LJ), Lasheon Strozier, NCAT (TJ), Kurt Goodlitt, MSU (Discus), Aaron Wilkerson, NCAT (Shot), Sidney Holston, B-CU (Hammer), Kurt Goodlitt, MSU (Javelin), JaQuaveon Beachem, B-CU (Dec)
THIRD TEAM
Demek Kemp, SCSU (100m), Joseph Amoah, CSU (200m, 4×100), Jordan Williams, B-CU (400m), Robert Miller, NCAT (110h), Stanley Davis, HAM (400h), Christopher Jackson, B-CU (800m), Oussama Chouati, MDES (1,500m), Keshaun Hodges, CSU (4×100), Aaron Lewis, CSU (4×100), Devin Teagle, CSU (4×100), Beatty, HAM (4×400), Jaelen Williams, HAM (4×400), Brenan Garrett, HAM (4×400), Tayvon Burris, HAM (4×400), Onesmus Kemboi, FAMU (5,000m), Festus Kemboi, FAMU (10,000m), David Too, FAMU (Steeple), Kelton Williams, B-CU (HJ), Adam Funkhouser, DSU (Pole), JaiQuan Earls, B-CU (LJ), Joel Sampson, B-CU (TJ), Jeremiah Peters, B-CU (Discus, Hammer), Aaron Hanna, FAMU (Shot), Aarn Lee, DSU (Javelin), Desmond Lindsey, HAM (Dec)
Courtesy: MEAC
