VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (February 21, 2026) – Howard University men's and women's track & field prepares for the upcoming 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Championships. The two-day event (Feb. 22-23) takes place at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
 
Tickets are currently available through the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Fans can purchase a two-day pass for $25 or single day passes for $20, excluding taxes and fees. MEAC member institution students and children 10 and under can gain free entry with a valid school ID.
 
Streaming for the championships is available on ESPN+, starting Monday (Feb. 23) at 11:45 a.m. Bison fans can also follow along with the action via live results by Blue Ridge Timing.
 
MEET PREVIEW
 
Last season, the men's team finished second for the fourth year in a row and looking to secure their first championship win since 1985. On the women's side, they won their fourth consecutive title and seeking to secure their fifth straight indoor championship.
 
The MEAC Indoor Championships will feature: Howard; Coppin State; Delaware State; Maryland Eastern Shore; Morgan State; Norfolk State; North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.
 
Sunday's (Feb. 22) action begins at 8:30 a.m., with the women's pentathlon. The MEAC will crown champions Sunday in the men's and women's long jump, 3K meter runs and more.
 
Monday's (Feb.24) slate concludes with the men's 4x400-meter relay final, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
 
BISON TO WATCH
 
There are several Howard athletes to lookout for on the men's and women's side:
 
MEN

• Emerson McKindra (Junior - Linden, N.J.): second in conference in men's 400-meter
• McKindra, alongside senior Dylan Gaines (Houston), sophomore Jayvian Greene (Gainesville, Fla.) and sophomore Elijah Grant (Fort Mill, S.C.) make up the No. 3 ranked 4x400 relay team in the conference
• Ashton Thomas (Freshman - Greensboro, N.C.): third in conference in men's 800-meter
• In the conference, sophomore Drew Dillard (Silver Spring, Md.), seniors Jorim Bangue (Yaoundé, Cameroon) and Justin Watterson (Las Vegas) are currently ranked first, second and fifth, respectively, in the 60-meter hurdles.
• Dillard is ranked first in the conference for high jump.
• In long jump, fifth-year senior Sean Wray (Stafford, Va.) and senior Roman Mills (Freshman – Washington) are ranked second and fifth in the conference, respectively.
• Sophomore Solomon Young (Charlotte, N.C.) is ranked fourth in the conference in the shot put.

 
WOMEN

• In the 60-meter, junior Yahnari Lyons (Hampton, Ga.), graduate Marcia Sey (London, United Kingdom) and junior Aiyana Gray-Williams (Winston-Salem, NC) are ranked first, second, and fourth, respectively, in the conference
• The top five conference positions for 200-meter dash: Lyons; Gray-Williams; senior Zoe Turner (Mableton, Ga.), junior Mackenzie Robinson (Ypsilanti, Mich.) and senior Aniya Woodruff (Harrisburg, N.C.).
• The Lady Bison also hold the top five positions in the conference for the 400-meter: Turner; sophomore Cenaiya Billups (Denver); sophomore Lindsay Johnson (Detroit); sophomore Tiffany Mugubi (Houston) and freshman Carrie Vannoy (Oak Park, Mich.).
• Mugubi holds first place in the conference in the 800 meter and freshman Alexis Jones (New Windsor, N.Y.) in second place
• Jones sits in first place for the mile and the 3000 meter. In second place for the mile is sophomore Ester Kirk (Morristown, N.J.) and in second place for the 3000 meter is sophomore Mira Martin (Columbus, OH)
• In first, third, fourth and fifth in the conference, respectively, for the 60-meter hurdles are Sey, senior Lauren Thompson (Frisco, Texas), freshman Gabby White (Silver Spring, Md.) and Johnson
• The 4x400 relay (Robinson, Sanaa Morris (Senior - Bermuda), Mugubi and Jones) and distance medley relay (Robinson, Morris, Mugubi and Jones) both sit at first place in the conference
• In the triple jump, senior Kelis Armstrong (Plano, Texas) sits in second place in the conference.
• Senior Ija Mumford (Winston-Salem, N.C.) sits in second place in the conference for the long jump
• In the shot put, the first through third place conference positions are held by the following Lady Bison: senior Temi Banwo (Allen, Texas); freshman Mmekom Inyang (Richmond Hill, Ga.) and sophomore Kinnidi Hampton (Rowlette, Texas)
• Banwo and Hampton hold the first and fourth place conference position, respectively, in the weight throw
• In first place in the conference for the pentathlon is Inyang and sophomore Jasmen Walker (Flossmoor, Ill.) following closely behind in second place.

 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
Both squads competed in Chicago and Philadelphia (Feb. 6-7) for the Windy City Invitational, hosted by the Wisconsin Badgers, and the Penn Classic, hosted by the Quakers.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
On March 13-14, several Bison travel to Fayetteville, Ark. for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.