WASHINGTON (February 25, 2020) – Howard University men's and women's track & field squads are geared up for the 2020 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Championships, held at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Md. (8001 Sheriff Rd, Landover, MD 20785). The three-day event starts Thursday (Feb. 27) and concludes Saturday (Feb. 29).
MEET PREVIEW
HU men are seeking their first conference championship since 1985 while the women are pursuing its fourth MEAC title, but first since 1989 under William Moultrie.
Director of Track and Field
David Oliver and more than two dozen Bison look to leave their marks in Landover.
BISON TO WATCH
MEN
The trio of
Jermanie Byrd (Miami),
Darian Clyburn (Louisville) and
Kameron Davis (Miami) headline the men's side, producing elite performances in the 60-meter hurdles, which all three Bison are contending for medals.
Second-year runner
Gavin Williams (Dover, Del.) looks to follow up his outstanding cross country campaign with another trip to the podium after setting a new school record in the mile run (4:18.27).
In the field, newcomers
Nnamdi Olebara (Bowie, Md.) and
Ian Wheeler (Houston) are competing for medals in the shot put and pole vault, respectively.
WOMEN
A pair of relay squads highlight the women's side: 4x400 relay and Distance Medley Relay (DMR). In the conference, both teams ranked top two in their respective events.
Individually, freshman
Dasia Wilson (Philadelphia) looks to keep the momentum and bring home gold in the 800-meter run.
Other noteworthy runners to watch are seniors
Oluchi Ike (Upper Marlboro, Md./400-meter) and
Uchechi Onuoha (Yardley, Pa./60-meter hurdles).
Jumpers
Rachel Edler (Stone Mountain, Ga./Triple Jump) and
Ja'Tae Joyner (Bowie, Md./Long Jump) spearhead the field events, each finishing top 5 in the conference, respectively.
MEET SCHEDULE
DAY ONE
Competition begins Thursday at 2 p.m., with the men's heptathlon, followed by the women's 5,000 meters and women's long jump at 2:15 p.m. The day continues with the men's 5,000-meter race and semifinals of the men's and women's 200-meter races. Day One concludes with the men's long jump final.
DAY TWO
The championships continue Friday with the men's heptathlon at 9 a.m. Other field events include the women's pentathlon, men's and women's high jump, and men's and women's weight throw. The student-athletes return to the track for the semifinals in the men's and women's 60-meter hurdles, 60-meter dash and 400-meter dash. The day closes out with the men's and women's distance medleys.
DAY THREE
The competition ends Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m., with the women's pole vault, followed by the men's and women's shot put, men's pole vault, and the men's and women's triple jump. Running events begin at 12:30 p.m. with the women's mile run. Rounding out the afternoon's events will be the men's and women's 4x400-meter relay race, starting at 3:40 p.m.
HOW TO WATCH
For the second straight year, FloSports, through its FloTrack platform, will stream Saturday's action live.
A complete schedule of events and live statistics for the 2020 MEAC Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships can be found at
www.MEACsports.com.
Admission for the MEAC Indoor Track and Field Championships is $10 Thursday, $15 Friday (Feb. 28) and $20 Saturday. Fans can purchase a three-day pass Thursday for $15, or a two-day pass Friday for $20. Tickets are available at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex on the event dates.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
