PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The Howard University men's and women's track and field teams opened the indoor season on a high note at the Maryland Eastern Shore Lid-Lifter Invitational on Saturday at the Hytche Athletic Center.
As a team, the Bison recorded 20 finishes in the top three spots, including nine first place marks. The squad also had multiple athletes qualify for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and ECAC/IC4A Championships.
The women's team ran to second in the overall standings behind 123 points. Uchechi Onuoha started the runners off in the 60m hurdles. She won the race in a time of 8.72 seconds to qualify for MEAC and ECAC Championships. Tahirah Dickenson was second in 9.08. Onuoha also took home second place in the 200m dash (26.28).
Michelle Cole completed the 500m dash in 1:18.28 for first place, which made the cut for the ECAC Championship, and Aliyah Hale finished second in 1:18.72. Sydney Benson picked up a win in the 800m after running the race in 2:21.87. Hanah Billups claimed the top spot in the high jump by leaping 1.60m and won the triple jump (11.87m).
In the 1600m, Jade Hardy paced herself to come in third in 5:45.66, followed by Simone Counts in fourth (5:59.21).
Counts and Hardy teamed up with Jasmine Hardy and Alyssa Rishell to win the distance medley relay with a time of 13:21.71. Rishell was also part of the 4x400m relay team with Aigner Bobbitt, Oluchi Ike and Karen Bolouvi that placed third in 4:04.22.
Rikkia McGill and Mi-ah Watkins each set personal records and qualified for the MEAC Championship in the women's weight throw. McGill was fifth with a throw of 13.89m, while Watkins threw 12.18m to come in seventh.
The men's squad ended the meet in third with 99 total points, behind MDES (162) and Delaware State (143).
Daniel Stokes leapt to first in the high jump with a mark of 1.93m, followed by Roodly Ovil in second on 1.80m. Daniel Stokes set a personal record behind a throw of 14.27m to win the weight throw.
The Bison swept the top three spots in the triple jump. Matthew Colvin qualified for the MEAC and IC4A Championships thanks to a jump of 14.90m. Landrie Hatcher (13.66m) and Ovil (13.29m) placed second and third, respectively.
On the track, Olujimi Scott ran the 500m dash in 1:04.24, which surpassed the qualifying standard for the MEAC and IC4A Championships.
Solomon Brown placed third in the 800m (2:05.62) and Korey Lombard was third in the 200m dash (23.53). In the 60m hurdles, Abraham Robertson finished second in a time of 8.59, while Hatcher came in fourth in 8.92.
Howard is back in action on Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Towson Invitational.
