Courtesy of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Howard’s Gbai, Williams Set New School Records
CHICAGO, Ill. — Howard University seniors Jessika Gbai and Gavin Williams headlined the weekend for track & field, each producing record-setting performances at the Badgers Windy City Invite, hosted by the University of Wisconsin.
On Day One, Gbai, along with fellow classmate Ameenah Saalih and newcomer Sherri-Anne Norton, each advanced to the 60-meter dash semifinal, clocking in at 7:54, 7.65 and 7.63, respectively. Gbai’s mark tied her with Saalih, which she set back in January 2020.
All three Bison missed the cut for the 60-meter dash final.
Williams placed eighth overall in the mile run, recording a new school benchmark of 4:14.10. Mohamad Bah held the previous mark for five years (4:18.19).
Morgan State Grabs Nine Top-5s at Kenneth Giles Invite
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Morgan State University men’s track & field team put together a successful weekend at the 2nd Annual Kenneth Giles Invitational hosted by Norfolk State, capturing one individual title and nine top-5 performances at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
This weekend’s meet – Morgan’s second in a row at the VBSC – also served as a conference championship tuneup for the Bears. The 2022 MEAC Indoor Championship also takes place Feb. 21-23 at the VBSC.
In the field events, Lamar Davis cleared 7.09 meters (23-3.25) on his second attempt to place third in the long jump competition, while Kobe-Jordan rhooms finished in fifth-place with a leap of 7.05 meters (23-1.75) and Derick Robinson finished eighth with a mark of 6.85 meters (22-5.75).
Malik Brown finished fifth place in the pole vault with a personal-best mark of 3.65 meters (11-11.75).
Zackery Dillon recorded a personal-best toss of 16.8 meters (55-2.25) to place first in the shot put, while teammate John Purvis finished with a fifth with a toss of 15.20 meters (49-10.5).
Coppin State Strong at Kenneth Giles Invite
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Latifa Ali won gold in the 60-meter dash and took bronze in the 200-meter dash to lead the Coppin State women’s track & field team at the Kenneth Giles NSU Invitational on Saturday at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
Ali clocked the fastest time in the MEAC in the 60-meter dash; she finished with times of 7.43 in the 60 and 23.88 in the 200. A junior from Kumasi, Ghana, Ali ran a 7.53 in the prelims of the 60, followed by her season-best 7.43 in the semis before taking the crown with a 7.45.
Ali’s time of 23.88 was just .14 off the first-place finisher.
The 4x400m Relay team of Salomay Agyei, Jahmel Wyatt, Claudina Constantine and Kamillah Monroque also took first on the day, clocking a 3:49.89. The combo also ran extremely well in their open events, with Constantine and Agyei taking fifth and sixth, respectively in the 800-meter run in times of 2:22.60 and 2:22.69.
Monroque took sixth in the Mile in 5:18.23, with Wyatt falling behind in 5:37.58.
Results | Men’s Recap | Women’s Recap
Norfolk State Shines at Kenneth Giles Invite
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Jahquan Christopher broke a nine-year old school record in the heptathlon as the Norfolk State men’s track & field team competed in its final regular-season meet, the second annual Kenneth Giles Invitational over the weekend at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
Christopher amassed 4,545 points to top Marcus Finney’s record by exactly 100 points. Finney set the mark in 2013. Christopher was first in five of the seven events in recording the top score for a MEAC athlete in the heptathlon this year.
Arieana Parker smashed her own school weight throw record by more than a foot to highlight a stellar weekend for the Norfolk State women.
Parker’s best throw traveled 60 feet, 10 inches, better than the 59-7.5 that she notched at the same Virginia Beach Sports Center facility last February. The mark is also the top mark in the MEAC this season by nearly three feet.
Results | Men’s Recap | Women’s Recap
