Howard Women’s Track & Field Wins Their First MEAC Outdoor Title Since 1980
NORFOLK, Va. (May 14, 2022) – Howard University women’s track & field team took home the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Championship with a dominant performance.
HU finished with 226 points, well ahead of second-place Norfolk State (166). With the win, HU captured its first women’s outdoor title since 1980.
Howard dominated the relay events, winning both races with record-setting performances.
Seniors Jessika Gbai (Philadelphia), Ameenah Saalih (Willingboro, N.J.) and Ozioma Scott (Georgetown, Guyana) and rookie Sherri-Anne Norton (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) capped off the afternoon with a victory in the 4×400 relay, clocking in at a new meet record (3:31.04).
Gbai, Norton and freshmen Tiffani-Rae Pittman (Bowie, Md.) and Lamaria Washington (Miami) claimed first place in the 4×100 relay with a new school benchmark of 44.62.
Individually, Gbai set the tone with a pair of wins in the 100 meter (11.48) and 200-meter (22.95). Pittman also competed in the same races where she finished runner-up in both, producing an 11.61 and 23.72, respectively.
Scott earned second in the 400-meter dash (53.14) while Washington claimed third in the 100-meter race (11.83).
In the 100-meter hurdles, sophomore Kaya-Rae Dunbar (Burtonsville, Md.) and senior Jessica Wright (Durham, N.C.) placed first (13.43) and third (13.64), respectively.
Wright, alongside third-year Bison Monika Williams (Denver), take part in the 400-meter hurdles where they earned gold (57.42) and silver (1:01.41), respectively.
Junior Dasia Wilson (Philadelphia) won the 800-meter race, producing a 2:12.20 time.
Senior Melanie White (Orlando, Fla.) finished runner-up in the 1500-meter run after recording a 4:48.61 mark.
In the field, senior thrower Diana Effiom (Dallas) won the hammer after tossing 53.77 meters. Junior Erin Hatcher(Burtonsville, Md.) also took part in the event where she earned the bronze medal (52.25 meters).
Other notable Bison performances from Championship Saturday included senior Ja’Tae Joyner (Bowie, Md.) taking third in the triple jump (12.06 meters) and junior Minyarn Smalls (Cary, N.C.) claiming third in the javelin (33.18 meters).
The top three finishers in each event were named to the All-MEAC Team.
Howard Director of Track & Field David Oliver was named the meet’s most outstanding coach after sweeping the indoor-outdoor titles for the first time in program history.
Coach Oliver and the Bison look to build on this year’s success as they look to repeat as indoor and outdoor champions.
(Story and Information courtesy of Howard Athletics )
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com
