LANDOVER, Md. – North Carolina Central University achieved its best finishes as a Division I program in both the women's and men's team standings at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships from Feb. 21-23, at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Maryland.
The NCCU women placed sixth as a team with 41 points, which is the most in NCCU's Division I era and equals the team's point total from the past three years combined at the MEAC indoor championship event.
The NCCU men placed eighth with 22 points, which is the most at the indoor conference championship since tallying 24 points in 2013.
"We can't be more proud and ecstatic with the overall team energy, effort and resilience," said NCCU head coach T.J. Walker. "The entire team method was to contribute to our success. We saw the results of that this weekend.
"The coaching, athletic training, and strength and conditioning staffs have done a tremendous job of preparing our student-athletes," Walker added. "We have the talent, but they have to truly believe in themselves. They not only had the confidence in themselves, but the support of each other, and that played a huge factor in our success. Our team comradery was incredible. Once you come together, you can achieve things that have not been achieved before. We witnessed that this weekend."
The Lady Eagles traveled back to Durham with seven medals. Senior
Kiana Seabrook started the medal count on Thursday by placing third for a bronze medal in the women's long jump with a career-best leap of 5.73 meters. Seabrook returned to the medal podium after the final championship event, the 4x400-meter relay, with fellow senior
Bethany White, sophomore
Tyresha Alexander and freshman
Olivia Andrews to claim their bronze medals after posting a third-place time of 3:48.46.
NCCU sophomore
Bhrandi Crenshaw entered the competition as the league's favorite to win the women's triple jump, and she did not disappoint. Crenshaw registered a distance of 12.53m to earn a gold medal as the MEAC champion. The women's triple jump also produced a bronze medal for NCCU, as sophomore
Taelor Ferguson recorded a career-best jump of 12.18m to place third.
NCCU redshirt junior
Omega Smalls, who earned a silver medal in the men's high jump at the 2017 indoor conference championships, made a return trip to the podium to accept another high jump silver medal after clearing 2.07m to place second.
Other point-producers for NCCU were Seabrook in the women's 400m dash (4th, 56.88), sophomore
Marvin Jones in the men's high jump (4th, 2.04m), sophomore
Tristan Locklear in the men's heptathlon (4th, 3961 points), White in the women's 60m dash (5th, 7.49), junior
Keila Robertson in the women's triple jump (6th, 12.03m), and freshman
Ashley Jean-Raymond in the women's mile run (8th, 5:40.75), along with the men's 4x400m relay team of sophomore
Gordon Lewis, sophomore
Malik Miles, freshman
Joshua Polk and sophomore
Da'Mon Ingram (5th, 3:21.82).
2019 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships
NCCU Point-Producers
Women's 60m dash
Bethany White (5th) 7.49
Women's 400m dash
Kiana Seabrook (4th) 56.88
Women's 1 Mile run
Ashley Jean-Raymond (8th) 5:40.75
Women's 4x400m relay
NCCU (3rd) 3:48.46 - bronze medal (
Kiana Seabrook,
Tyresha Alexander,
Bethany White,
Olivia Andrews)
Women's Long Jump
Kiana Seabrook (3rd) 5.73m - bronze medal
Women's Triple Jump
Bhrandi Crenshaw (1st) 12.53 - gold medal
Taelor Ferguson (3rd) 12.18m - bronze medal
Keila Robertson (6th) 12.03m
Men's 4x400m relay
NCCU (5th) 3:21.82 (
Gordon Lewis,
Malik Miles,
Joshua Polk,
Da'Mon Ingram)
Men's High Jump
Omega Smalls (2nd) 2.07m - silver medal
Marvin Jones (4th) 2.04m
Men's Heptathlon
Tristan Locklear (4th) 3,961 points
Team Standings
NCCU Women (6th) 41 points
NCCU Men (8th) 22 points
