VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (February 23, 2022) – Howard University men's track and field team finished runner-up at the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Championships, held inside the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Va.
 
HU accumulated 125 points in the three-day event, a far cry from the program's first year under Howard Director of Track and Field David Oliver.
 
"This was a very impressive showing for our men," said Oliver, who's in his fifth season at the helm. "Although we fell a bit short of the ultimate goal, I couldn't be prouder of this group of student-athletes. In my first year, we finished last and scored only one point. Now, we scored 125 points and our best finish since 1985. This is a huge step in the right direction."
 
Senior Gavin Williams (Dover, Del.) led the way for HU while being named MEAC Outstanding Runner. In the three days, the Delaware product tallied 28 points with two victories and a second-place finish.
 
"Gavin being named Most Outstanding Runner is a tremendous accomplishment," Oliver stated. "He's the first Bison since David Charlton achieved this feat in 1982."
 
On Day Three, Williams and fellow classmate Ayoade Adebiyi (Virginia Beach, Va.) went first (8:54.20) and second (8:54.95), respectively, in the 3000-meter run. Both Bison also competed in the mile run, placing second (4:23.75) and fifth (4:26.47), respectively.
 
Newcomer Julian Lawson (Sewell, N.J.) also took part in the 3000-meter race, finishing sixth overall (9:11.10) while scoring three points for the Bison.
 
In the 60-meter hurdles, seniors Jermanie Byrd (Miami), Darian Clyburn (Louisville) and sophomore Zachary Hawkins (Loganville, Ga.) reached the final where they earned second (7.98), third (8.06) and fifth (8.13), respectively.
 
Byrd, fellow Floridian senior Corinthians Payne (Apopka), junior Cameron Kee (Lawnside, N.J.) and freshman Kaleb Berry (Duncanville, Texas) took sixth place in the 4x400 relay, tallying three points with a 3:17.88 mark.
 
Individually, Berry competed in the 800-meter run where he finished sixth overall (1:57.48) and scored three points for Howard.
 
In the field, DMV native freshman Chase Drewery (Waldorf, Md.) made the biggest splash Wednesday by winning the triple jump with a record-setting performance of 15.39 meters. He broke the 47-year-old school record held by Victor Egwu (15.25 meters).
 
Fellow classmate Kyle Fisher also competed in the triple jump, coming in sixth place (14.31 meters) while scoring three points.
 
In the shot put, juniors Christopher Bratcher (Richmond, Va.) and Nnamdi Olebara (Bowie, Md.) finished sixth (14.37 meters) and seventh (14.19 meters), respectively.
 
Coach Oliver and the Bison will shift their focus to the outdoor season, beginning in the next couple weeks.
 
"We will now turn our focus to outdoor season," Oliver ended. "We must continue to lay the foundation of this program."
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.