WASHINGTON (August 29, 2024) - The Howard University women's and men's cross country teams kick off the season Friday, August 30, with high expectations.
HOWARD WOMEN
Last season, the women finished second in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Championships.
Their hopes are buoyed by the return of seniors All-MEAC selections
Joslyn Crosby (Bossier City, La.) and
Camille Egbula (Simpsonville, S.C.), who finished third and fourth, respectively.
Breanna McDonald, a third member of the All-MEAC team, has graduated but the Bison have enough talent to compete and go even further.
"It certainly helps to have Joslyn and Camile returning," said
Dameon Morgan, who is in his second season as Howard Cross Country head coach. "From a coach's standpoint, you like to have upperclassmen who have been around, had some success and know the program. In the early season, I can see the two of them exhibiting that leadership to a young, but talented incoming group. We are very excited over the potential of this group of freshmen."
Morgan is gushing at the future potential of his incoming class of
Mira Martin (Columbus, Ohio),
Chloe Poindexter (State Colle, Pa.),
Ester Kirk (Morristown, N.J.) and
Chandainey Boyce (Pawtucket, R.I.) and what they bring.
"In practicing and working out with them, you can see the potential," Crosby continued. "They bring something special to the program and I am excited about the possibility."
Sophomores
Orlaan Winston (Kent, Wash.) and
Sarah Seam (Gaithersburg, Md.) and junior
Jordyn Miller (Chicago) have experience under their belts with the program and were part of last season's success.
"All along, I have felt that it is important to create a legacy," Crosby stated, a nursing major. "Each year, we have worked with that in mind. I am happy to have been a part of this experience and I am looking forward to picking up where we left off and continue to build for the future of the program."
HOWARD MEN
On the men's side, Howard was resting its push on the talents and success of
Wendensen King, who was named to the All-MEAC team and had a year remaining but opted to accept an internship. So, returning veterans
Kaleb Berry (Duncanville, Texas),
Kobe Hutson (Bridgetown, Barbados),
Jordan Good (Burlington, N.C.) and
Marsellis Davis (Columbus, Ohio) will be expected to fill the void.
Like the women's team, Morgan is building a program and feels that the five newcomers mark the future of the men's program:
Habtamu Epley (Chicago, IL);
Eyob Gill (Arden, N.C.);
Adams Odhiambo (Melissa, Texas);
William Shepherd (Plano, Texas) and
Paul Robinson (Bowie, Md.).
In pursuit of confidence building with so many young athletes, Morgan has strategically tailored the schedule.
"We start out early at The Mount (Mount St. Mary's) meet where we compete every year," said Morgan. "It is the kind of experience that helps get the nerves out of the young athletes. From there, it gets a little more competitive as we compete at the Delaware State Invite, facing competition that we will meet at the conference championship. We get a real test in the prestigious Paul Short Invitational where we will see top level national competition."
SCHEDULE
Howard hosts its own meet, the Bison Invitational (October 18 at Kenilworth Park in D.C.) before the MEAC Championships (November 2) in Smyrna, Del.
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Morgan has set some goals for the program. For the women, it is a MEAC championship and qualifier for the NCAA Regionals and for the men to finish at least third in the conference.
ACADEMICS
It is important to note that Howard had a total of 10 student-athletes--including Egbula--named to the 2023 MEAC All-Academic Team.
"When it comes to Howard, these recruits already know of the University's academic reputation," Morgan stated, who is looking to continue the standard of academic excellence. "The University sells itself and we just want to make sure that our student-athletes help to continue that tradition."
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
