Courtesy: MEAC Sports
NORFOLK, Va., May 14, 2022 — 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
First Team
Joseph Manu, CSU (100m, 200m), Malachi Little, DSU (400m), Dylan Beard, HOW (110h), Kai Cole, NSU (4×100), Anthony Franklin, NSU (4×100), Bryan Madison-Ahouman, NSU (4×100), Savien Hayes, NSU (4×100), Abayie Opuni, CSU (4×400), Randy Serville, CSU (4×400), Amadou Ba, CSU (4×400), Jayeed Norbai, CSU (4×400), Regan Kimtai, NSU (1,500m), Evans Cheruiyot, NSU (3,000SC, 5,000m, 10,000m), Marvin Jones, NCCU (HJ), Peter Kamanu, DSU (pole), Joshua Peterson, NSU (LJ), Kobe-Jordan Rhooms, MSU (TJ), Zackery Dillon, MSU (discus), Nasir Neal-Watson, UMES (shot), Christopher Bratcher, HOW (hammer), Mekhi Abbott, HOW (javelin), Nathaniel Are, HOW (dec)
Second Team
Kai Cole, NSU (100m, 200m), Abayie Opuni, CSU (400m), Jermanie Byrd, HOW (110h), Lamar Davis, MSU (4×100), Keon Rantin, MSU (4×100), Ali Bowens, MSU (4×100), Adrian Holley, MSU (4×100), Malcolm Garbutt, DSU (4×400), Glenn Skinner, DSU (4×400), Julian Brown, DSU (4×400), Malachi Little, DSU (4×400), Devin Smith, DSU (1,500m), Regan Kimtai, NSU (3,000SC), Meshack Kipchirchir, NSU (5,000m, 10,000m), Kobe-Jordan Rhooms, MSU (HJ), Joshua Goslee, UMES (pole), Jaelyn Blanc, NCCU (LJ), Isaac Haywood, NSU (TJ), Dexter Ratliff, SCSU (discus), Tyrell Martin, DSU (shot), Ezra Monteiro, HOW (hammer), Matthew Swepson, NCCU (javelin), Jahquan Christopher, NSU (dec)
Third Team
Brenton Shippy, SCSU (100m, 200m, 4×400), Janoi Brown, UMES (400m), Tayshaun Chisholm, DSU (110h), Bryce Pepukayi, CSU (4×100), Abayie Opuni, CSU (4×100), Joseph Manu, CSU (4×100), Mauriel Carty, CSU (4×100), Jaden Barker, SCSU (4×400), Devin Brewington, SCSU (4×400), Jalon Kimbrough, SCSU (4×400), Albert Norman, DSU (3,000SC), Gavin Williams, HOW (1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m), Joshua Sutton, NSU (HJ), Malik Brown, MSU (pole), Jeff Hammond, CSU (LJ), Jaelyn Blanc, NCCU (TJ), Matthew Swepson, NCCU (discus, shot, hammer), James Perkins, UMES (javelin), Ezekiel Hawkins, HOW (dec)