2012-13 NSU Men's Track Media Guide

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2012-13 NORFOLK STATE MEN’S TRACK & FIELD TEAM

(From left-right): Assistant Coach Jerry Price, Robert Thrasher, Steve Coles, Kyle Green, Michael Mingo-Dabney, De’Von Booker, D’Sean Brown, Marcus Finney, Sammy Kiptoo, Marquis Worsley, Michael Smith, Kenneth Smith, Willard Ward, Quentin Parker, James Taylor, Kameron George, Keith Nkrumah, Jerome Scurry, Erick Green, Andre Pickett, Desmond Fogg, Damian Smith, Ian Copeland, Marcus Anderson, Stefan Battles, Josh Carino, Jamarian Bates, Justin Dozier, Tavaris Waddler, Kipchirchir Kiptoo, Johna-than Anderson, Amos Kipkosgei, Steven Daniels, Student Assistant Quinten Walker, Terrion Smith, Assistant Coach Serge Bengo-no, Head Coach Kenneth Giles

2012-13 NSU TRACK TEAM NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

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NSU President ....................................................................... 4NSU Athletics Director ...................................................... 5About Norfolk State University .................................... 6The Year of the Spartan .................................................... 8NSU Athletics Highlights ...............................................10About Hampton Roads ...................................................12NSU Athletics Foundation ............................................14Strength & Conditioning Program ...........................15Athletics Administration ...............................................16Coaching Staff

Head Coach Kenneth Giles .........................................19 Assistant Coaches ..........................................................20 Meet the 2012-13 Spartans

Roster .................................................................................21 Season Outlook ..............................................................22 Schedule ...........................................................................23 Returner Profi les .............................................................24 Newcomer Profi les ........................................................33NSU 2011-12 Season In Review ..................................38NSU Track & Field Records ............................................39NSU Track & Field Olympians ......................................40The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference .....................41

Norfolk State University

2012-13 Men’s Track

Quick Facts

University InformationLocation ....................................................................Norfolk, Va.Founded ................................................................................1935 Enrollment ...........................................................................7,100Mascot ............................................................................ Spartans School Colors ......................................................Green & Gold Affi liation ...................................................................... Division IConference.....................Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference President .........................................................Dr. Tony AtwaterAthletics Director ............................................. Marty L. MillerAthletics Phone ...............................................(757) 823-8152 Ticket Offi ce ......................................................(757) 823-9009

Sports InformationSID ......................................................................... Matt Michalec Email........................................................ [email protected] SID Phone ..........................................................(757) 823-2628 SID Fax ................................................................(757) 823-8218 Email........................................................ [email protected] Address .......... NSU Offi ce of Sports Information 700 Park Ave., Norfolk, VA 23504Website ..............................................www.nsuspartans.com

Coaching Staff Head Coach ................................. Kenneth Giles (10th year)Alma Mater ....................................................North Florida ‘87Assistant Coaches ................... Jerry Price, Serge BengonoTechnical Coordinator.......................................Cletus Griffi nTrack Offi ce .......................................................(757) 823-8169

Team Information2011-12 MEAC Indoor Finish ..............................................1st2011-12 MEAC Outdoor Finish ..........................................1stLetterwinners Returning/Lost.........................................19/9Newcomers ................................................................................20

The 2012-13 NSU Men’s Track Media Guide was written, edited and produced by the NSU Sports Information Offi ce, director Matt Michalec and assistant Mike Bello. Photography was provided by Jerry S. Altares, Mark’s Digital Photography, SWI Sports Images, Adam Streur Photography, the Detroit Lions, LG Studios and NSU Marketing Services. Special design assistance was provided by S_Gray Design.

TABLE OF CONTENTS NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDENSU PRESIDENT

Dr. Tony AtwaterPresident

Tony Atwater was appointed the fi fth president of Norfolk State University on April 22, 2011. He previously served as a Senior Fellow of the American Associ-ation of State Colleges and Universities, a leadership association serving more than 400 public colleges and universities nationwide.

Atwater served as president and chief executive offi cer at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), a comprehensive, doctoral/research university. It is the fi fth largest university in Pennsylvania and

the largest within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. As president, he led a population of more than 14,600 students and nearly 1,700 employees; oversaw an annual university budget of $220 million; and supported six academic colleges and the School of Graduate Studies and Research. He also directed operations at three regional campuses.

Prior to serving as IUP president, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Youngstown State University in Ohio. In this capacity, he oversaw academic programs, academic policy and academic assessment. He also provided leadership and strategic direction to approximately 750 faculty members, serving six academic colleges, the School of Graduate Studies and Research, and the library.

Other administrative assignments have included serving as dean of the College of Professional Studies and Education at Northern Kentucky University; chairperson of the Rutgers University Department of Journalism and Mass Media; and special assistant to the provost at the University of Connecticut. He also served as associate vice president for academic affairs at the University of Toledo.Throughout his career, Atwater has assumed signifi cant community leadership roles. These efforts include serving on the Governor’s Task Force on Youth and Substance Abuse Prevention in Kentucky;

the Board of Trustees of the Northwest Ohio Public Television Foundation; and the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the 2000-01 delega-tion of Leadership Cincinnati and the Ad-visory Board of KeyBank in the Northeast Ohio Region. Additionally, he was past president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

A native of Nashville, Tenn., Atwater earned a Ph.D. in communication research from Michigan State University in 1983, where he was the recipient of a competitive doctoral fellowship. He completed post-doctoral studies in the Department of Communication at the Uni-versity of Michigan in 1989. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in mass media arts from Hampton University in 1973. Addition-ally, he holds three graduate certifi cates in higher education administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Atwater is a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and is the author of approximately 30 refereed journal articles on news se-lection behavior in the mass media – the subject of his research interests.


SAMPLE TEXT NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDENSU ATHLETICS DIRECTOR NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Marty Miller has been called many things during his tenure at Norfolk State University. Some have called him a rock. Others have referred to him as one of Norfolk State’s greatest ambassadors. Re-gardless of the label, what’s clear is that Miller has served his alma mater in various capacities for more than 40 years, providing NSU with stability in times of need.

His professional career at Nor-folk State has included stints in the

areas of fi nancial aid, career services, student affairs and athletics. After winning more than 700 games as the

school’s baseball coach, Miller was named NSU’s acting athletics director on December 16, 2004. He was appointed to the permanent athletics director post on March 18, 2005.

Early in Miller’s tenure, he was confronted with many challeng-es, the biggest one being the hiring of a football coach. Miller and his search committee worked during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to fi nd a football coach. The hard work paid off when the decision was made to hire Pete Adrian from Bethune-Cookman. With approval of then-President Dr. Marie V. McDemmond, Adrian became the fi rst white head coach in any major sport at NSU and the second ever in MEAC football history.

Another major challenge upon Miller’s appointment as Direc-tor of Athletics was that he inherited a defi cit exceeding $1,100,000. With his knowledge of fi nancial planning and strong administrative skills, the defi cit was eliminated in FY10 and the department ended the year with a positive fund balance of over $1,200,000.

The NSU athletics department has also made a number of major facilities improvements. With help from alumni, fans, friends and the Department of Facilities Management, the athletics de-partment was able to raise funds to renovate and purchase new equipment for the weight room. In 2007, the school completed a major renovation of the NSU Softball Field, which included the in-stallation of new team dugouts and a press box. Bleacher renova-tions to Joseph Echols Hall were completed for the 2008-09 basket-ball season. A new state-of-the-art track surface was completed in the summer of 2010.

The crown jewel of the facility upgrades made in Miller’s fi rst seven years as athletics director is the purchase of two new Dak-tronics LED video display boards at William “Dick” Price Stadium. The project is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2012.

Another highlight of his tenure as athletics director includes NSU capturing the last eight Talmadge Layman Hill awards, given annually to the top men’s sports program in the conference. NSU has received a total of $185,000 for winning the awards. Miller was also presented in March 2006 with the Tom Fergusson Memorial Award, given annually to the area’s top sportsman by the Norfolk Sports Club. Miller also presided over one of the more historic years in NSU lore in 2011-12. An NSU-record six Spartan teams won MEAC titles, which included the fi rst-ever championships for the football, men’s basketball and women’s bowling teams during

their Division I tenure. The men’s basketball team made its mark in NCAA Tournament history by scoring an upset of No. 2 seed Mis-souri in the second round of the NCAA West Region in March of 2012.

Miller is no stranger to winning. His career record as baseball coach was 718-543-3. Miller fi rst started making a name for himself as a player at NSU from 1965-68. He hit .380 as a sophomore; .438 with eight doubles, two triples, three homers and 27 RBI as a junior; and .406 as a senior, when he became the fi rst Spartan player to be named an NCAA College Division All-American. Miller was an All-CIAA baseball selection in 1967 and 1968, and led the nation in doubles in 1968.

Miller graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1969. An ROTC member in college, Miller was commissioned a sec-ond lieutenant in the U.S. Army after he graduated. While on active duty, Miller was signed by the Minnesota Twins. Miller returned to his alma mater in 1972 as an assistant to baseball coach Bob Andrews. The next season, Miller inherited the head-coaching job, which he held until early in 2005.

Miller is the winningest baseball coach in CIAA history, having led the Spartans to a 584-374-3 record in their years in the league. Miller’s ledger in the CIAA includes 17 conference championships, including seven in a row from 1987-93; 12 post-season appearanc-es; 15 CIAA Coach of the Year awards; six All-Americans and 22 players signed to pro contracts. He also won the 1980 NAIA District 19 Coach of the Year award after his team won the District 19 title. Between 1993-97, Miller won fi ve consecutive Louisville Slugger Awards, given to championship coaches. He was one of a select few baseball coaches to receive the award for fi ve consecutive years.

In 1997, NSU honored Miller by building the Marty L. Miller Baseball Field. One year later, Miller led NSU to the MEAC Tourna-ment championship round in the Spartans’ fi rst year in the league. He was named the MEAC Coach of the Year in 2000, and NSU reached the championship round again in 2001.

The year 2003 was also a special one for Miller. In February, Miller was inducted into the CIAA’s John B. McLendon Hall of Fame. In May, Miller earned his 700th career win with the Spartans when sixth-seeded NSU upset No. 2 Delaware State in the MEAC tournament. In August, Miller the player was honored as one of eight inductees into the Norfolk State University Athletics Founda-tion Sports Hall of Fame.

Miller was also inducted into the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He was also chosen to serve in March 2011 on the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame Commit-tee and is also a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Hon-ors Court. In October 2012, Miller was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame.

Miller, a native of Danville, Va., is a current member and past president of the Norfolk Sports Club. He and his wife Liz have one son, Marty Eric, a former NSU outfi elder.

Marty MillerDirector of Athletics


ABOUT NSU NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

For more information on Norfolk State University, its academic programs and

community service projects, research, campus facilities, and other amenities,

please call the Offi ce of Communications and Marketing at (757) 823-8373.

Norfolk State University was founded in 1935 as a beacon of hope to the region’s youth—especially within the African American commu-nity. Brought to life in the midst of the Great Depression, the university was named the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University at its founding and was one of the last historically black institutions established in the Commonwealth of Virginia. By 1969, Norfolk State University began its transformation into a vibrant, independent college and was bestowed university status in 1979. More than 75 years later, the University remains a source of inspi-ration for those who aspire to fulfi ll their dreams. A four-year public insti-tution, NSU is located in the dynamic Hampton Roads region of Virginia and is close to the Virginia Beach oceanfront and downtown Norfolk. Additionally, NSU is one of the nation’s largest HBCUs with an enrollment of nearly 7,000 students and a faculty of nearly 300, with more than half holding terminal degrees. The University off ers a variety of academic programs within the following schools and colleges: College of Liberal Arts; the College of Science, Engineering and Technology; the Honors College; the School of Business; the School of Education; the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work; the School of Extended Learning; and the Graduate School. NSU off ers 32 undergraduate, 16 master’s and three doctoral degrees.

Expanding Learning Capacity

Norfolk State University has been recognized as one of the top 25 producers of cyber security professionals, according to US Black Engineer and Information Technology Magazine. Additionally, the University has also been named in recent years as one of the top 50 producers of African-American Ph.D. recipients, according to Inside Higher Ed. The fi nding, based on a National Science Foundation report, says that Histor-ically Black Colleges and Universities are graduating a growing share of African Americans who go on to earn Ph.D.s in science and engineering. NSU’s Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences (DNIMAS), established in 1985, is specifi cally geared toward increasing the number of Ph.D.s in science technology, engineering, and mathe-matics. More than 50 percent of DNIMAS scholars have earned advanced degrees. Norfolk State University also has been named a “military friendly school,” which means that the university is successful at off ering the nec-essary fi nancial benefi ts, fl exibility in scheduling and support programs to service members. Most recently, the university entered into an agree-ment with the U.S. Navy to provide the bachelor’s degree in interdisci-plinary studies through the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership coordinated through the School of Extended Learning. The Navy’s distance learning program is vital in providing sailors with the best possible options for obtaining higher educational degrees wherever they may be assigned. Now, sailors may apply to Norfolk State University to obtain a degree in interdisciplinary studies in an online environment. Our School of Extended Learning expertly places the convenience of the digital age at the fi ngertips of learners. The School works with the academic and administrative units of the University by serving as an extension of the NSU campus. It off ers coursework through distance education, continuing education and certifi cate programs. Additional degree programs include Master of Arts degrees in Pre-Elementary Edu-cation, Elementary Education (Pre-K-6), Pre-Elementary Early Education with an emphasis on Childhood Special Education and Urban Education, as well as graduate certifi cates in Transition Special Education and Bilin-gual Special Education.

Building for the Future

The University is building for the future with the construction of a three-story, 132,000-square-foot library that houses library services, archives and a 24/7 Internet café, individual and group study rooms, a multimedia project room, virtual conference room, a 24-hour study area, exercise equipment, and an African art gallery. One of the new library’s distinguishing features is a 90-foot high glass atrium that provides areas

to display current student and faculty artwork, and also serves as a gathering area for multi-purpose events. The new library provides the latest technology and create an exciting study and research environ-ment for students. Upon completion in December 2011, the library has also reshaped the look of the campus. The old library was razed and a beautiful quadrangular pedestrian mall between the new library and the New Student Center was created. From the days of the Great Depression to the Digital Age, Norfolk State University continues to achieve. Today, NSU remains an active and vital component of the Hampton Roads region, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation. Our faculty researchers have forged partnerships that have created cutting-edge virtual learning environments and the world’s smallest laser - both of which will have an impact on our every-day lives. Our graduates establish and lead corporations, distinguish themselves in their industries and fi elds of study and provide humanitar-ian aid around the world. Norfolk State University has played a vital role in our community in the past, is serving in a critical role today, and will continue to be an academic leader in the future.

Behold the Green and Gold! ®

Location: Historic Norfolk, Va.; 134-acre campus 2 miles from downtown NorfolkExtended

Campus Center: Virginia Beach Higher Education CenterHistory: • Founded in 1935 as the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University • Became the independent Norfolk Polytechnic College in 1942 • Became an independent institution in 1969 • Granted University status in 1979Enrollment: 7,100President: Tony Atwater, Ph.D.Faculty: 274 full-time equivalentDegree Off erings: 32 bachelor’s degrees; 16 master’s degrees; 3 doctoral degreesAthletics: 15 intercollegiate teams (Division I; competing in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – MEAC)Student

Organizations: 125Website: www.nsu.edu

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY

QUICK FACTS


Sept. 7, 1935 – Samuel Fischer Scott appointed Director of Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University

Sept. 18, 1935 – Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University opened on the second fl oor of the Hunton Branch YMCA Building on Brambleton Avenue

June 1938 – Lyman Beecher Brooks became Director of Norfolk Unit of VUU

March 1942 – The Norfolk Polytechnic College was chartered to take over the functions and assets of the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University.

Feb. 29, 1944 – The Norfolk Division of Virginia State College was established by an act of the General Assembly

April 25, 1951 – The City of Norfolk transferred the deed of the Memorial Park Golf Course to the college as a permanent site

Sept. 1955 – The College moved into a new multipurpose administration classroom building on Corprew Avenue

Sept. 1956 – Norfolk Division of Virginia State College changed from a two-year junior college to a four-year, degree granting institution

1960 – James D. Gill Gymnasium erected

1969 – Mills Godwin Jr. Student Center opened

Feb. 1, 1969 – Norfolk State College emerged as an independent, four-year institution

1970 – Twin Towers dormitories erected

1972 – Lyman Beecher Brooks Library erected

1974 – Technology Center opened

May 1975 – College granted its fi rst master’s degree

June 1975 – President Lyman B. Brooks retired

July 1, 1975 – Harrison Benjamin Wilson became 2nd president

1977 – Samuel F. Scott men’s dormitory opened

1979 – Norfolk State became a University

Aug. 1979 – Academic programs re-organized into nine schools

1982 – Joseph G. Echols Hall erected

1984 – Harrison B. Wilson administration building erected

1996 – L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center erected

July 1997 – Marie V. McDemmond became 3rd president

May 2000 – First independent doctoral degree awarded

2005 – Alvin J. Schexnider became interim president

July 2006 – Carolyn W. Meyers became 4th president

2007 – The Marie V. McDemmond Center for Applied Research dedicated

2010 – University celebrated its 75th anniversary

April 22, 2011 – Tony Atwater became 5th president

March 15, 2012 – New Lyman Beecher Brooks Library dedicated

Norfolk State University TimelineTimeline

Lyman Beecher Brooks Library erectedd

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDENSU TIMELINE


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDETHE YEAR OF THE SPARTAN

NSU Athletics Director Marty L. Miller proclaimed that the 2011-12 school year would be “The Year of the Spartan” even before it began. His words proved to be prophetic as Spartan athletic teams brought home six (6) Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles – the biggest yearly haul in school history.

The NSU men’s cross country and track and fi eld programs captured a yearly sweep of the MEAC titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and fi eld for the fourth consecutive year. But that is nothing new – led

by head coach Kenneth Giles, the Spartan men’s cross country and track programs have secured 25 MEAC championships in the last 13 years.

Meanwhile, the Spartan football team surprised the so-called experts by winning its fi rst-ever MEAC title and reaching the Division I FCS playoff s for the fi rst time. Coach Pete Adrian’s team fi nished 9-2 and reached as high as

No. 19 in the national FCS rankings, the highest in the history of the program.

But the NSU men’s basketball team was the squad that left an indeli-ble mark not only in school record books, but in NCAA lore. Coach Anthony Evans’ Spartans won their fi rst-ever MEAC title in early March. One week later, NSU pulled one of the biggest stunners in modern day NCAA Tournament history by becoming just the fi fth No. 15 seed to ever defeat a No. 2 seed, shocking Missouri 86-84 in

a West Region second-round game. The Spartans fi nished the year with a school Division I-era record 26 victories.

Just two days after the Missouri upset, NSU secured yet another MEAC title as Wilhelmenia Harrison’s women’s bowling team also captured its fi rst-ever crown.

Spartan athletes and coaches also had a banner year individually:• Seven athletes earned All-America honors• Three athletes won MEAC Player of the Year awards• Four athletes won MVP accolades at their respective MEAC championship events• Two coaches (Wilhelmenia Harrison, Pete Adrian) were named MEAC Coach of the Year• Three coaches (Harrison, Kenneth Giles, Anthony Evans) were named

Most Outstanding Coach at their respective MEAC championship events• And two coaches (Adrian, Evans) earned national Coach of the Year hon-

ors by at least one organization

Indeed, 2011-12 was defi nitely a year to “Behold!”


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NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS

The Norfolk State University intercollegiate athletics program has experienced unprecedented success at the NCAA Division I level during the past seven years (2005-12). This period of progress has been highlighted by improvements in virtually every area critical to transforming the NSU athletics program into a highly competitive program that will consistently challenge for Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and NCAA Division I championships. The catalyst for these advancements has been Marty Miller, who was appointed athletics director at NSU in December 2004 and will continue to lead the Spartan athletic program for at least the next fi ve years. Miller be-lieves that the mission of the athletics program is an extension of the mission of Norfolk State University. He places an emphasis on areas that impact the welfare of student-athletes. Improving graduation rates, gender equity, and the retention of student-athletes are equally – if not more – important, than winning conference and national championships. However, the initiatives designed to enhance the student-athlete experi-ence and improve the overall administrative process have been successful due to the achievements of the teams and individual student-athletes. Perhaps the biggest achievement came in early 2009, when the athletics department was recertifi ed to receive NCAA accreditation for the next 10 years. By achieving certifi cation status, NSU is considered to be operating its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the NCAA’s Division I membership. Numerous staff and coaching hires have been made to enhance the de-partment’s effi cacy. New personnel have been hired in the areas of academic support, compliance, business operations and development to meet the growing demand in those departments. Head coaches have been hired in every sport since Miller took over, with great success across the board.

Pete Adrian has orchestrated the steady progress of the football team, which culminated in the program’s fi rst-ever MEAC title and NCAA Division I playoff appearance in 2011. Men’s basketball coach Anthony Evans kept the banner year for NSU rolling after leading the Spartans to the MEAC champi-onship in 2012 and perhaps the most defi ning moment in the history of NSU athletics: an upset of No. 2 seed and nationally-ranked No. 3 Missouri in the NCAA tournament second round.

Kenneth Giles’ cross country and track teams have dominated the MEAC, amassing 20 conference titles since 2005, while Wilhelmenia Harrison led NSU to its fi rst-ever bowling champion-ship in 2012.

Claudell Clark, meanwhile, helped guide the baseball team to a runner-up fi nish at the MEAC Championships in 2008 and 2011. Brandon Duvall was named the MEAC Coach of the Year in 2010 after guiding the volleyball team to its best overall and MEAC record in Division I. Heidi Cavallo led the Spartan softball team to just its second winning conference season during the MEAC era in 2012. The accomplishments of NSU stu-dent-athletes in the classroom since 2005 have been equally impressive. The number of student-athletes annu-ally named to the MEAC Commission-er’s All-Academic Team has steadily increased the last several years, reaching a record 67 in 2011-12.

Academics• Had 79 student-athletes earn a spot on the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll (min. GPA:

3.0) in the spring of 2012• Had record 67 student-athletes (sophomores or higher) named to MEAC All-Aca-

demic team (min. GPA: 3.0) in 2011-12• Increased student-athlete graduation success rate from 40% to 62% • Won the inaugural Division I Football Championship Subdivision Academic Progress

Rate Award for having the MEAC’s highest cumulative APR for three straight years from 2008-09 to 2010-11

• David Kemboi was one of 50 student-athletes nationwide named to the 2006-07 Division I Men’s Cross Country All-Academic team as selected by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)

• Thea Aspiras named to the 2010-11 National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) All-Academic First Team

• Women’s tennis earned the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team Award in 2011 and ‘12 for having a team GPA of at least 3.20; 3 players each year named ITA Scholar-Athletes for having a GPA of 3.50 or better

Program Awards• Won the last eight MEAC men’s all-sports

awards (Talmadge Layman Hill Award) and earned the NSU Athletics Depart-ment $185,000 from 2005-12

• Won both the football and men’s basket-ball MEAC Championships in 2011-12, just the second time in 20 years a MEAC school pulled off the feat

• Had the baseball, men’s basketball and football teams all post winning records in 2007-08 for the fi rst time in the Division I era

Facilities• Added two new state-of-the-art Daktronics video boards to Dick Price Stadium

(spring/summer 2012)• Resurfaced the NSU Tennis Complex and installed new nets (summer 2012)• Renovated and resurfaced the Dick Price Stadium track (summer 2010)• Renovated the Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall basketball arena to add new chair-

back seating (August 2008 and 2009)• Completed refurbishing of women’s sports locker rooms in Gill Gymnasium (fall

2008)• Completed softball fi eld renovations in 2007-08, including construction of a press

box, dugouts and restrooms• Replaced the outfi eld wall at Marty L. Miller Baseball Field (summer 2007)• Renovated weight room in Gill Gymnasium in 2005, increasing size of existing room

and purchasing new equipment

Nor folk State University

Athletics Seven-Year Highlights(2005-Present)

The following is a list of accomplishments and improvements

the NSU athletics program has experienced since 2005.

Basketball player Rodney McCauley (left) and bowler

Jessica Overton (right) were named the 2012 Male

and Female Scholar Ath-letes of the Year, respective-ly, at the department’s end-of-year awards ceremony.

McCauley and Overton were two of the record 67 student-athletes named

to the MEAC All-Academic Team for 2011-12.

Kenneth Giles has led the men’s track and fi eld team to seven

straight indoor/outdoorconference title sweeps

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ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTSFootball• Won school’s fi rst-ever MEAC title in 2011 and made fi rst NCAA Division I FCS playoff appearance• Went 9-3 overall in 2011, the most wins in the D-I era and most for any Spartan football team since going 10-2 in 1984• Off ensive lineman Blake Matthews and kicker Ryan Estep named to Associated Press FCS All-America second team in 2011• Quarterback Chris Walley named 2011 MEAC Co-Off ensive Player of the Year, NSU’s fi rst ever; Matthews named MEAC Off ensive Lineman of the Year• Won three diff erent HBCU national titles in 2011 – the Boxtorow.com, HSRN and American Sports Wire Black College Football polls• Had three straight winning seasons in 2009 (7-4), 2010 (6-5) and 2011 (9-3) for fi rst time since the mid-90s• A record 10 NSU players were named All-MEAC in both 2007 and 2011, and 38 overall named All-MEAC from 2007-11• Pete Adrian named NSU’s fi rst MEAC Football Coach of the Year in 2007 and then again in 2011• Adrian also named FCS Coach of the Year by College Sporting News in 2011

• Earned school’s fi rst-ever national FCS national ranking in 2007 and reached as high as 18th in 2011 in the FCS Coaches Poll

• Had its fi rst NFL draftee since 1996 when Don Carey was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2009 draft

Cross Country• Won 11 of the last 12 MEAC men’s titles, including a conference-record seven

straight from 2000-06• Won the school’s fi rst-ever MEAC women’s title in 2009• Sent a runner to the NCAA Division I National Cross Country Championship for the

fi rst time in school and MEAC history in 2006 (David Kemboi)• Head coach Kenneth Giles named MEAC Men’s Most Outstanding Coach for 11 of

the past 12 seasons

Men’s Basketball• Won school’s fi rst-ever MEAC Championship in 2012 and earned fi rst NCAA Division I

Tournament berth• As No. 15 seed, defeated No. 2 seed Missouri in NCAA second round, just the fi fth time

ever a 15th seed knocked off a 2nd seed in the NCAA Tournament• Finished the year with a 26-10 record, a Division I-era wins record and the most victories

at NSU since 1994-95• Kyle O’Quinn named MEAC Player of the Year, MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, MEAC

Tournament Most Outstanding Performer and the Lou Henson Award winner (national mid-major player of the year) in 2012

• Head coach Anthony Evans named the Clarence “Big House” Gaines Award winner as top minority basketball coach in Division I

• O’Quinn taken with the 49th overall pick in 2012 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, the fi rst MEAC player drafted since 1998 and the fi rst NSU player since 1988

• Nominated for an ESPY Award for Best Upset for the win over Missouri

Track & Field

• Became fi rst MEAC men’s track program to win both the indoor and outdoor confer-ence championships for seven consecutive academic years (2006-12)

• Sprinter Sean Holston placed sixth at the 2012 NCAA indoor championships, earn-ing fi rst-team All-America honors

• Holston, Champagne Bell, Aramis Massenburg and Darris Shelton earned honorable mention All-America honors at the NCAA outdoor championship in 2011, while Keith Nkrumah did the same in 2012

• Won the school’s fi rst MEAC women’s indoor championship in 10 years in 2010, and fi rst outdoor title in 10 years in 2011

• Had two athletes (Marlon Woods, Corey Vinston) earn NCAA Division I All-American status in the same championship meet for the fi rst time in school history in 2009

• Head coach Kenneth Giles named MEAC Men’s Most Outstanding Coach 14 times

Bowling• Won school’s fi rst-ever MEAC title in 2012• Wilhelmenia Harrison named MEAC Coach of the Year in both 2011 and 2012• Topped previous school record of 67 wins with a 91-40 campaign in 2011-12• Thea Aspiras named to the All-MEAC fi rst team in both 2011 and 2012, a fi rst for

NSU, while Chelsea Krall earned second team honors in 2012• Aspiras also named to the NTCA All-America second team and the MEAC Rookie of

the Year in 2011, each a fi rst for NSU• Reached as high as No. 10 in the national rankings in 2011-12, topping the previous

best of 16th in 2010-11

Media Exposure• Made numerous appearances on national media outlets, including ESPN and CBS,

as well as in national newspapers such as The New York Times following upset of Missouri in NCAA men’s basketball tournament

• Received over 90,000 web site visits in March 2012, a record for a single month for www.nsuspartans.com

• Averaged over 29,000 web site visits per month during the 2010-11 academic year, the best one-year period in school history

• Conducted live video streaming for all basketball, football, baseball, softball and volleyball home games in 2011-12 for the fi rst time ever

• Redesigned www.nsuspartans.com in the summer of 2010• Conducted live video streaming for the fi rst time in 2009-10, broadcasting 16 athlet-

ic events on the department’s web site• Began airing a weekly radio show, Inside Spartan Sports, on Fox Sports affi liate

WXTG 102.1 FM in January 2009• Had fi ve sporting events televised on ESPN networks (three football games, two

men’s basketball) in 2008-09• Hosted the school’s fi rst two nationally-televised softball games in 2007 and 2008• Had six sporting events televised on ESPN networks (three football games, two

men’s basketball, one softball) in 2007-08, most in school history• Transitioned the department’s web site from the www.nsu.edu domain to the

current www.nsuspartans.com domain in the fall of 2007

No. 15 seed NSU’s upset of No. 2 seed Missouri was (at the time) just the fi fth all-time 15-over-2 upset in NCAA tournament history.

NSU became the fi rst MEAC school since 2003 to sweep the MEAC men’s and women’s indoor track and fi eld titles when they accomplished the feat in 2010.

Defensive back Don Carey be-came the fi rst Spartan football player to be drafted in 13 years when the Browns selected him

in the 2009 draft.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEHAMPTON ROADS

The vibrancy of city life, the charm of the sea-shore, the verdant countryside, the wild preserves and the historic landmarks are just a few of the features found in Hampton Roads. The area, which includes the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Ches-apeake, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton and Suff olk, has a growing population of about 2 million.

There are numerous attractions within each city. Norfolk has its Waterside, a festive marketplace similar to those in Baltimore, St. Louis and Boston. The fi nancial and cultural hub of Virginia, Norfolk is the home of the world’s largest naval installation and serves as headquarters for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As a cultural center, its features include the Chrysler Museum, the Douglas MacArthur Memorial, the Nauticus National Maritime Center, the Virginia Symphony and several theater companies, including Norfolk State University’s own NSU Players.


Besides a long and beautiful coastline, Virginia Beach off ers numerous landmarks, including the fi rst landing cross (where the fi rst settlers touched the shores of the New World in 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock); The Adam Thor-oughgood House, probably the oldest brick house in America, dating back to 1636; and Mount Trashmore, a project that turned a mountain of solid waste into an innovative recreational compound with bicycle trails, picnic areas, and soapbox derby and cross-country courses around two lakes used for a myriad of recre-ational water sports. The unique 17-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel links Virginia Beach with Virginia’s Eastern Shore and a national wildlife refuge.

The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the Children’s Museum are located in Portsmouth. Newport News has the Mariners’ Museum, which houses one of the world’s most extensive nautical collections, while Hampton is home of the Air and Space Museum.

NSU is just off Interstate 264 within walking dis-tance of downtown and other major area attractions, such as the Scope, Chrysler Hall and MacArthur Center Mall.

Hampton Roads has three daily newspapers, one African-American weekly, three independent TV sta-tions and more than 30 radio stations.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEHAMPTON ROADS


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEATHLETICS FOUNDATION

A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Norfolk State University’s proud legacy of achievement in collegiate athletics began at the NCAA Division II level as a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). NSU was one of the league’s most dominant programs, winning championships in every sport the school off ered. In 1997, NSU joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), one of only two NCAA Division I conferences comprised of historically black colleges and universities. Other conference members include: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard Univer-sity, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University. NSU made an immediate impression in the conference in 2000-01, winning the Talmadge Layman Hill Award – presented annually to the member whose men’s teams compile the most points based on team fi nishes in conference competition. The Spartans have won the Talmadge Layman Hill Award each year from 2005-12. In all, NSU has won men’s conference titles in basketball, cross country, football, and indoor and outdoor track. The NSU women have won MEAC championships in cross country, indoor and outdoor track, basketball and bowling during their tenure in the conference.

Why Support Norfolk State University Athletics?• NSU competes at the nation’s highest level of intercollegiate athlet-ics – National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I – and is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).• The need to increase funding for scholarships for deserving stu-dent-athletes motivated by achievement both in athletics and academ-ics.• Improvements and maintenance of equipment and facilities enable NSU student-athletes to perform at their full potential.• A competitive athletics program contributes to the enjoyment of the collegiate experience.

Total Sports - 15

Women’s SportsBasketballBowling

Cross CountryIndoor Track & Field

Outdoor Track & FieldSoftballTennis

Volleyball

Men’s SportsBaseball

BasketballCross Country

FootballIndoor Track & Field

Outdoor Track & FieldTennis

...........................................................................


Athletics Foundation

Board of DirectorsFran Steward, President

Merv Pitchford, Vice PresidentJohn Warren, Treasurer

Craig Cotton, Executive DirectorMarty Miller, Athletics Director

Michael K. BrownCurtis Maddox*Langston PowellZackary Rogers

James Satterfi eld*Donna Sample Smith

Joel Wagner

* - Emeritus


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDESTRENGTH & CONDITIONING

The NSU Strength and Conditioning Program is administered by Reese Bridgman, NSU’s assistant AD for strength and conditioning. Bridgman has 28 years of coaching experience in athletics at the high school, college and professional levels. His resume includes a seven-year stint as head strength and conditioning coach at Central Florida, where he worked with future profes-sionals such as Daunte Culpepper, Asante Samuel and Brandon Marshall of the NFL and Mike Maroth of Major League Baseball. The NSU Strength and Conditioning Program exists to provide all NSU student-athletes with scientifi cally-sound performance-enhancement programs in the areas of strength, speed, explosive power and sports nutrition. Programs are conducted in the NSU athletics weight room, a 2,000-square foot facility in Gill Gymnasium that houses the equipment and accessories needed to devel-op championship-level NCAA Division I athletes. The strength and conditioning program also uses the NSU athletics department’s game and practice fi elds.The program develops athletes by means of function-al strength training for strength and power utilizing Olympic lifts, power lifts, plyometric drills and additional supplementary lifts, particularly dumbbell exercises. The program trains speed in both linear and change-of-direc-tion movement. Athletes are taught recovery by develop-ing good eating habits that are appropriate for athletes training at the Division I level and by emphasizing the correct amount of rest. Athletes are trained in a team setting as a part of a year-round program. Athletes train two times per week in season and three to four times per week during the remainder of the year with a break between semesters and at the end of their sport’s season. Their annual plan consists of in-season, off season, preseason and holiday

programs. All training schedules are administered within NCAA guidelines for contact time with athletes in both required programs and voluntary programs. Part of the emphasis within the NSU Strength and Conditioning Program is on the student-athlete develop-ing lifetime character qualities of teamwork, discipline, dedication, determination, respect for others and respect for hard work. Student-athletes are also expected to de-velop an interest in lifetime fi tness. “The Strength and Conditioning Program at NSU tries to remember that our athletes came to us to participate in and excel in their given sport, not to become weight lifters or body builders,” Bridgman says. “For this reason, we approach strength and conditioning as a means to an end, and we encourage our athletes to learn from and enjoy the journey.”


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION

SHERIE CORNISH GORDON

Sherie Cornish Gordon is en-tering her seventh year in athletics administration at Norfolk State for the 2012-13 school year, currently serving as the senior associate ath-letics director for administration and as the department’s senior woman administrator.

Gordon’s primary responsibilities are supervising fi ve sports (bowling, volleyball, softball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis), managing the department’s budget, supervision of the equipment and facility operations, oversight of game-day management and providing strategic guidance for the department’s marketing, promotions and development initiatives. Gordon came to NSU in 2005 after serving as a se-nior administrative assistant at American University. She also served as an athletics department intern at Maryland in 2004-05 and as an assistant women’s basketball coach at her alma mater, Morgan State, during the 2003-04 school year. Gordon is currently a participant in the NCAA Path-ways Program (formerly NCAA Fellows Program). She is a 2006 graduate of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators’ (NACWAA) Institute for Administrative Advancement, a 2009 graduate of the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females and a 2010 and 2011 participant in the NACDA Mentoring Institute. In addition, Gordon is a member of NACWAA, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the Collegiate Athletics Business Management Association (CABMA) and the Minority Opportunities Athletics Association (MOAA). She currently serves on the program committee for CABMA. Gordon was an accomplished basketball player at Morgan State, where she scored more than 1,000 career points. She was a four-year letterwinner and was a team captain her fi nal three seasons. A native of Severna Park., Md., Gordon earned her bachelor’s degree in sports administration from Morgan State in 2002 and her master’s in sports management from Temple in 2004. Gordon currently resides in Suff olk, Va., with her husband, Ross, and son, Ethan.

CRAIG COTTON

Craig Cotton enters his 12th year as associate athletics director for external operations in 2012-13 at Norfolk State. He is also in his seventh year as executive director of the NSU Athletics Foundation. Cotton joined the NSU athletics staff after serving as marketing manager

at Howard University. Cotton’s primary duties at NSU include developing and managing marketing and public relations projects with particular focus on the “Team Spartan Corporate Partners Program,” a comprehensive sports marketing initiative designed to attract corporate sponsorship and funding for the athletics program. Previously, Cotton worked for seven years in the Delaware State Public Relations Offi ce. He arrived at the Dover, Del.,-based institution in 1992 and served as sports information director for two years before his ap-pointment as the university’s director of public relations and marketing in 1994. From 1988-1992, Cotton was associate director of sports information at Temple. He worked for seven years (1981-1988) as sports information director and adminis-trative assistant to the director of intercollegiate athletics at Maryland Eastern Shore. Cotton was also was a press operations manager for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, Ga.; 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina; and the 1994 U.S.

Olympic Festival in St. Louis, Mo. Cotton is a native of Greensboro, N.C., and a 1980 graduate of North Carolina A&T State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English-mass communications. He received the M.Ed. degree at Temple in 1995. Cotton and his wife, Cynthia, reside in Norfolk, Va.

KAREN HOLMES

Karen Holmes begins her fourth year on staff in the Norfolk State ath-letics department in 2012-13. As the associate athletics director for mar-keting and corporate development, her primary responsibilities are to plan, coordinate and execute athlet-ic fundraising and outreach events

and to recruit corporate sponsors for the department. Prior to NSU, Holmes served as the foundation man-ager at the Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau. She was responsible for planning and directing the foundation’s operations to include fundraising, staffi ng, budgeting and research. Holmes has also held positions as a business account representative at Opportunity, Inc., in Norfolk and as a se-nior marketing consultant in television and radio. Holmes is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD), National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administra-tors (NACMA) Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Holmes also serves as the MEAC’s NAADD representative. Holmes, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in interdis-ciplinary studies from NSU in 1998. She is also a 2010 graduate of the NACWAA’s Institute for Administrative Advancement.

ALISHA TUCKER

Alisha Tucker is entering her seventh year working in the Norfolk State athletics department during the 2012-13 season. She is in her third year as the associate athletics director for student services after serving as assistant athletic director for compliance for the previous four

years. In her current role, she provides oversight for the compliance and athletics academic support offi ces. In addition to her duties at NSU, Tucker is involved in administrative activities on the national level. Tucker was appointed to the NCAA’s Amateurism Fact-Finding Committee in 2010 and will serve on that committee until 2014. She also is a member of the NCAA Low Resource Institution working group and NCAA Academic Performance Program Users working group. In addition, Tucker serves as a peer reviewer for the NCAA’s Division I Athletics Certifi cation program. She is also instrumental in working with the NCAA’s Supplemental Support Fund which provided monies to NSU in support of athletics academic initiatives. In 2011, Tucker was selected to participate in the NACWAA (National Association for Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators) Institute for Administrative Advancement (West Class) as well as the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar Advanced Tract. Before coming to Norfolk State, Tucker served as the athletics eligibility specialist and curriculum coordi-nator at Marshall. She began her career as an intern at Michigan State in 2001. She was promoted to assistant compliance coordinator and then earned a promotion to compliance coordinator at MSU in 2003. Tucker has also worked in compliance offi ces at Villanova and Richmond. Tucker earned her bachelor’s degree in English liter-ature and composition from Virginia in 1996. She earned her master’s in sports management from Old Dominion in 2001. A Hampton native, Tucker was a track and fi eld

athlete at Hampton High School. She was also a sprinter and hurdler on the Virginia track team. Tucker was also the liaison between the student-government and the athletics department serving on various committees. She is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and currently resides in Portsmouth, Va.

DR. CARRAY BANKS JR.

Dr. Carray Banks Jr. is in his third year as Norfolk State’s faculty athletic representative in 2012-13. In this capacity, he represents NSU and its faculty in relationships with the NCAA and MEAC. The faculty’s voice and infl uence regarding inter-collegiate athletics are channeled

primarily through the faculty athletic representative. Banks, who is also the head of the Department of Technology in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at NSU, has lent his talents to many athletic endeavors at the University. He worked for six years as an academic enhancement counselor for the men’s basket-ball team. In addition, he has served on the NSU Athletics Foundation Sports Hall of Fame selection committee as well as the chairman of the steering committee for NSU’s NCAA recertifi cation in 2008. He was also a staple at home athletic events, serving as member of the offi cial game clock management team at Spartan basketball and football games for several years. Banks supervised the data generation and graphic media advertisements on the graphics display boards during football games at William “Dick” Price Stadium. Banks received his bachelor’s degree in industrial arts education from Elizabeth City State, his master of arts degree from Ball State, and his doctor of philosophy degree in vocational and industrial education from Penn State. Banks resides in Virginia Beach with his wife, Alesia, and daughter, Aliyah.

JACQUELINE NICHOLSON

Jacqueline Nicholson will begin her fi fth year working in the Norfolk State athletics department in 2012-13. She enters her third year as the assistant athletics director for academic support after serving as athletics academic coordinator for her fi rst two years.

Nicholson oversees the operations of the Stu-dent-Athlete Academic Support Offi ce, which includes a team of academic coordinators, interns and tutors. She also advises players on issues of NSU and NCAA eligibility requirements and monitors progress toward their degrees, with specifi c responsibilities toward the men’s basketball, football, men’s track and fi eld and baseball teams. Nicholson oversees the NCAA/CHAMPS Life Skills Program and the Spartan Youth Club and serves as the advisor for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Nicholson also assists with the submission of NCAA APR reports and APP reports. Previously, Nicholson worked as an academic coor-dinator intern at Virginia Tech during the 2007-08 school year, assisting with the Hokies football team. She also served as a graduate assistant in the university academic advising center at Virginia Tech from 2005-07. Nicholson is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), a certifi ed member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A), and the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). She serves on the awards committee for NACWAA and the membership committee for N4A. Nicholson is a 2011 graduate of NACWAA’s Institute for Administrative Advancement and a 2011 and ’09 graduate of the N4A Professional Development Institute. A native of Clayton, N.J., Nicholson was a four-year


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION

letterwinner for the Hokies track and fi eld team as a sprinter and hurdler. She was a member of the Virginia Tech all-academic team and athletics director’s honor roll. She earned her bachelor’s degree in human development in 2005 and her master’s in educational leadership and policy studies with a focus in higher education in 2007, both from Virginia Tech. Nicholson and her daughter Kylie reside in Chesa-peake, Va.

REESE BRIDGMAN

Reese Bridgman is in his fi fth year as the Spartans’ strength and conditioning coach in 2012-13. Bridgman oversees the strength and conditioning eff orts for all 15 of Norfolk State’s sports programs. Bridgman previously served as the strength and conditioning coach

for the Newport News Apprentice School’s football pro-gram from 2005-07. He was also the Builders defensive coordinator in 2007 after coaching the defensive line in 2005 and 2006. Before moving to the Hampton Roads area, Bridg-man was the head strength and conditioning coach for Central Florida from 1997-2003. Bridgman helped train 20 UCF football players who went on to make active NFL rosters, including the likes of Daunte Culpepper, Asante Samuel, Travis Fisher, Atari Bigby, Steve Edwards, Brandon Marshall and Rashad Jeanty. Other top-notch athletes he helped tutor at UCF include Major League pitcher Mike Maroth. Along with his strength and conditioning expertise, Bridgman has an extensive background as a football coach at the high school, college and professional levels. Bridgman coached two seasons in the Arena Football League. He coached linemen and was the strength coach for the Orlando Predators in their ArenaBowl runner-up season of 1995. The following year, he worked in the same capacity for the Milwaukee Mustangs. Bridgman’s one stint as a head football coach came at East Central Community College in his home state of Mississippi from 1992-94. He has also worked as an assistant football coach at NAIA Georgia Southwestern College and at a pair of Division II schools, Southeast Oklahoma State and East Texas State (now known as Texas A&M-Commerce). He also was men’s track coach during his tenure at Southeastern Oklahoma State. Bridgman, a native of Tylertown, Miss., got his foot-ball coaching start at Hattiesburg (Miss.) Prep in 1983. Bridgman is certifi ed through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA), and the National Association of Speed and Explosion (NASE). He was recognized by the NSCA as a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach with Distinction (RSC-C*D) in 2011. Bridgman received his bachelor’s degree in athletic administration and coaching from Southern Mississippi in 1985. He earned his master’s in physical education with an emphasis in exercise physiology from East Texas State (Texas A&M-Commerce) in 1986. He and his wife, Kelly, reside in Chesapeake.

MEGHAN ANTINARELLI

Meghan Antinarelli begins her third year in 2012-13 as assistant athletics director for sports medicine at NSU. Previously, she served for eight years as an athletic trainer within the department. In her current role, Antinarelli oversees the operations and policies of the sports

medicine department. Antinarelli, who is originally from Wellesley, Mass., received her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from the University of Massachusetts in 1998. She received her master’s degree in athletic training at

Old Dominion University in 2001. She and her husband, Joseph, live in Suff olk and have one son, Nicholas.

MATT MICHALEC

Matt Michalec enters his 10th full year heading up the Norfolk State sports information depart-ment during the 2012-13 athletic campaign. After serving as sports information director for eight years, Michalec was promoted to assistant athletics director for communica-

tions in the spring of 2011. Michalec is in charge of coordinating media relations eff orts for all 15 of NSU’s athletics programs. His duties include the production of press guides, serving as the media liaison for the athletics department, keeping statistics at all home athletic contests, and maintaining the university athletics web site. In 2012, Michalec earned the District 3 Fred Stabley Writing Award for event coverage from the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) for his recap of the NSU football team’s MEAC Champion-ship-clinching win over Morgan State. In 2006, he was named the Black College Baseball SID of the Year. Previously, Michalec worked for two years as a part-time sports reporter and editorial assistant at the Daily Press newspaper in Newport News, Va. Michalec graduated magna cum laude with a bach-elor’s degree in English and a minor in communications from Old Dominion in 2002. He served as sports editor for ODU’s student newspaper during his time there. He got his professional start by working for two years as a sportswriter at the York Town Crier and Poquoson Post newspapers in York County, Va. Michalec is a member of the College Sports Informa-tion Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). Michalec and his wife, Annie, live in Newport News and have a son, Brandon, and daughter, Alexis.

MIKE BELLO

Mike Bello enters his third year as assistant sports information director at Norfolk State in 2012-13 after a pair of internships at Division I institutions. At NSU, he serves as the main contact for volleyball, men’s basketball, softball and bowling. Prior to arriving at NSU, Bello

spent the 2009-10 season at the University of South Florida as a full-time intern, where he was the main contact for track and fi eld and cross country as well as the secondary contact for men’s basketball and football. While at USF, Bello was part of a new initiative there that did away with traditional printed media guides and went to a new, interactive and online format that featured videos, photos and text all intermixed on a web-based platform. His duties at USF also included the upkeep and expansion of records for men’s basketball and football, being in charge of the offi cial stats at football games, assisting with several softball tournaments as well as reg-ular season softball and volleyball games, and numerous multi-media initiatives. During the 2008-09 athletics season, Bello worked as an intern in the sports information offi ce at Harvard. There, he was the main contact for men’s tennis and men’s volleyball while assisting with the promotion of all 41 sports, the most in Division I. One of his main duties at Harvard was running all multi-media initiatives, from streaming home football, basketball and hockey games to cutting up highlight clips following those contests. He also spent the 2007-08 season volunteering with the sports information offi ce at Kent State University as part of his graduate work there. Bello has also volunteered with numerous league

and NCAA sporting events, including the 2009 Women’s Volleyball Final Four, the 2009 NCAA East Regional in men’s basketball, the 2009 Women’s Frozen Four, the 2009 NCAA Lacrosse Championships, the 2008 MAC Basketball Championships, as well as the 2010 BIG EAST Championships in baseball and men’s and women’s golf. He has also volunteered with the Cleveland Glad-iators of the Arena Football League and the Boston Break-ers of the Women’s Professional Soccer League. Bello earned a bachelor of arts degree from Penn State in journalism in 2004, and a master of arts degree in recreation and sports management in 2009 from Kent State.

DERRICK COLES

Derrick Coles starts his third year as the compliance coordinator at Norfolk State in 2012-13. His duties consist of handling many of the day-to-day operations of NSU’s compliance offi ce, specifi cally: mon-itoring playing/practice seasons, monitoring recruiting contacts/calls,

overseeing the National Letter of Intent program, NCAA Special Assistance Fund and MEAC reports. In addition, Coles assists the associate athletics direc-tor with rules education for coaches and student-athletes and serves as a member of the eligibility certifi cation team. Before coming to Norfolk State, Coles was the assistant director of sports information at Hampton. Coles assisted with the day-to-day activities of the Offi ce of Sports Information, as well as serving as the primary media contact for women’s basketball, volleyball, bowling and men’s and women’s tennis. He was also the secondary media contact for football. Before coming to Hampton, Coles spent six years as an assistant within the athletic department at Virginia Union. His duties included assisting the sports information department with programs, media guides and game-day activities, as well as working with the com-pliance offi ce in reviewing academic records, practice schedules and athlete eligibility matters. Coles received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Virginia Union in 2007 and his master’s in sports management from Virginia State in 2009. He is a native of Richmond, Va., and his volunteer work includes the Special Olympics, the Rudy Johnson Foundation, the James Farrior Foundation, Richmond Sports Backers and Upward Sports Academy. Coles is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and is also a member of the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC).

CHRISTINA RUFFIN

The 2012-13 campaign will mark Christina Ruffi n’s second year working in the Norfolk State athletics department as the athletics academic coordinator. Ruffi n’s responsibilities include advising all NSU student-athletes on issues of NCAA eligibility requirements and

monitoring progress toward their degrees. Ruffi n is also in charge of coordinating the academic support eff orts for women’s basketball, women’s track and fi eld, volleyball and bowling while assisting with football. She also oversees the tutoring and life skills program. Ruffi n came to Norfolk State from Georgia State, where she worked as a tutorial coordinator and football academic graduate assistant from January 2010 through June 2011. Before moving to Atlanta, Christina worked for North Carolina State as a 4-H agent in Hertford Coun-ty, N.C. A native of Smithfi eld, Va., Ruffi n was a four-year letterwinner for the North Carolina A&T women’s tennis team. She was a member of the MEAC and N.C. A&T


SAMPLE TEXT NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION

all-academic teams. Ruffi n earned her bachelor’s degree in sport science and fi tness management with a concen-tration in business administration from N.C. A&T in 2008 and her master’s in sport administration from Georgia State in 2011.

JESSICA COLE

The 2012-13 season will mark Jessica Cole’s fourth year as the head assistant athletic trainer at Norfolk State. Previously, Cole served as the assistant athletic trainer at Virginia State in Petersburg, Va., for two years from 2007-09. She also worked for two and a half years as the athletic

trainer at Chelsea Community Hospital Outpatient Physi-cal Therapy in her native Chelsea, Mich. Cole earned her bachelor’s degree in athletic train-ing from Florida Southern in 2004. She completed her senior internship with the WNBA’s Detroit Shock in 2004, and earned her master’s degree in exercise physiology from Eastern Michigan in 2008.

NICOLE EMANATO

Nicole Emanato begins her third year as the assistant athletic trainer at Norfolk State in 2012-13. Prior to coming to NSU, Emanato served as the assistant athletic trainer at Chestnut Hill College in Philadel-phia, Pa., for two and a half years. A native of Lykens, Pa., Emanato

received her bachelor’s degree in athletic training with a minor in recreation fi tness management from Lock Haven in 2004. She earned her master’s degree in psychology at Shippensburg in 2007. Emanato currently resides in Virginia Beach, Va. She and her husband, Filiberto, were married in May 2012.

A.J. CORBIN

A.J. Corbin begins his fi rst full year as Coordinator of Athletic Facilities and Operations at Norfolk State in 2012-13. His duties include operational and facility manage-ment, management of game day student and event staff , acting as a liaison with on-campus departments

such as Parking, Campus Police, University Operations and Maintenance, and assisting with bid submission, planning and hosting of assigned NCAA, MEAC and other non-athletic events. Prior to his appointment, Corbin served the previous eight seasons on the NSU baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach. Spartan hitters earned 22 All-MEAC selections during Corbin’s time as an assistant coach. Three of those players, Ernie Banks, Juan Serrano and Brandon Hairston, reached the professional ranks. In 2011, NSU batted .302 as a team, No. 2 in the MEAC. That marked the third straight year in which the team batting average was .300 or better. The 2009 Spartans hit .312 as a team, which ranked second in the MEAC and was the best team average NSU posted under Corbin’s guidance. Corbin made a name for himself as a versatile player at NSU under former coach Marty Miller from 2001-04. Corbin played every position but center fi eld during his Spartan career, but saw most of his time on the mound and at fi rst base. He ranks in the top 10 in school history in games played (185, fourth), at-bats (614, fi fth), doubles (38, ninth), runs batted in (121, tied for ninth) and home runs (17, tied for eighth). Corbin batted .279 for his career and logged a 4.12 ERA in 32 pitching appearances. He was named to the MEAC All-Tournament Team as a junior and senior, lead-ing the Spartans in home runs in both seasons. He was also named to the fi rst team Black College Baseball Elite

squad as a relief pitcher his senior year. A native of Gloucester, Va., Corbin earned his bache-lor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from NSU in 2004. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. Corbin and his wife, Tilya, reside in Norfolk.

WILLIAM WRIGHT

William Wright moves into his 10th year as the head equipment manager at Norfolk State for 2012-13. Previously, Wright worked as parking supervisor in NSU’s Offi ce of Parking and Transportation. He also served as a security offi cer at NSU. A native of Portsmouth, Va.,

Wright is a Norcom High School graduate, where he let-tered in football, basketball and track. He was a member of the 1984 NSU CIAA championship football team. Wright earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplin-ary studies with a minor in physical education in 1995. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in administra-tion. Wright has four daughters, Chiquita, Nikieya, Britney and Ashley; three granddaughters and one grandson.

NATHANIEL BELL, SR.

Nathaniel Bell, Sr., is in his 17th year as assistant equipment man-ager for the Norfolk State athletics department during the 2012-13 season. A native of Norfolk, Va., Bell is a 1994 graduate of Maury High School, were he lettered in football, and wrestling. Bell and his wife,

Paulette, live in Norfolk with their daughter Maeva, and their son, Nathaniel Jr.

JASMINE FRAZIER

Jasmine Frazier was hired in Jan-uary of 2013 to serve as the Travel Coordinator for the Norfolk State athletics department. The former Spartan volleyball player is familiar with the inner workings of NSU athletics after hav-ing served as an intern for a semes-

ter with the department’s business offi ce in the spring of 2012. During that time, Frazier helped prepare budget spreadsheets and purchase and travel requisitions for the athletic teams. As an undergrad, Frazier also served as a tutor to fellow student-athletes for various business and fi nance courses. She was a member of the MEAC All-Academic Team during both of her two years at Norfolk State and fi nished in the top 5 in the NSU record book in single season blocks and in the top 10 in career blocks. Frazier received her bachelor of science degree in fi nance from Norfolk State in May 2012. She was a mem-ber of the Dean’s List and was an Honor’s School Scholar while graduating with a 3.4 GPA.

MICHELLE MacFARLANE

Michelle MacFarlane begins her third year in the Norfolk State athlet-ics department in 2012-13 with the title of Administrative and Program Specialist III. She came to NSU after spending six years at Eastern Virginia Med-ical School as an administrative

assistant. While there, MacFarlane’s duties included composing correspondence, recording and distributed minutes of faculty meetings, handling travel and catering arrangements, organizing and creating fl yers, and fi ling and organizing grades. During her time at EVMS, she also worked for Jack-son Hewitt Tax Service as a tax preparer and instructor of

basic tax course. MacFarlane completed classes at Old Dominion and Kee Business College, where she received her medical assistant diploma prior to working at Eastern Virginia Medical School.

SHIRLEY BROOKS

Shirley Brooks is in her 13th year as the football administrative assis-tant for the Norfolk State athletics department for the 2012-13 season. Brooks oversees all administrative aspects of the program, including coordinating special events, team travel, player fi les and day-to-day

operations. A native of Hertford, N.C., Brooks has three children: Derek, Dietrich and Verletita. She graduated cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in tourism and hospitality management from NSU in 2010.

FRANK TYREE

Frank Tyree enters his second year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Norfolk State in 2012-13. Tyree’s responsibilities including designing and implement-ing workouts for men’s and women’s track & fi eld and men’s and women’s basketball, as well as assisting with

workouts for football and baseball. Prior to coming to Norfolk State, Tyree spent three years as a sports performance coach at The Edge Sports Performance Center in Roanoke, Va., from 2008-11. There, Tyree trained middle school, high school, college and inspiring professional athletes in football, basketball, wrestling, baseball and soccer. He also worked with the Cave Spring High School football team that transitioned from 2-8 during his fi rst year to 10-2 the following season, advancing to the Group AA semifi nals. During the 2011 season, Tyree’s off -season training again helped the Knights advance to the Group AA semifi nals. Tyree also volunteered under Master Strength Coaches Bill Gillespie and Dave Williams at Liberty. While at Liberty, Tyree worked with the football, women’s basketball and volleyball programs. He also volunteered under Master Strength Coach Greg Werner while earning his bachelor’s of science in kinesiology at James Madison. During his two years at JMU from 2005-06, Tyree assisted with men’s and women’s track and fi eld, baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s swimming and diving. Tyree is a native of Rocky Mount, Va., where he taught sixth grade social studies at Benjamin Franklin Middle School after graduating in 2003 from The Uni-versity of Virginia’s College at Wise. While at BFMS, Tyree coached middle school track and fi eld. Tyree is certifi ed through the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association and the National Strength & Conditioning Association. He currently resides in Virginia Beach.



Kenneth Giles is in his 10th year as the head men’s track and fi eld coach at NSU and 14th as head men’s cross country coach. He is also in his fourth season as NSU’s director of track and fi eld programs. In that capacity, he oversees the operations of both men’s and women’s track and cross country programs with an empha-sis on recruiting, scheduling and home track meet operations.

Giles led the NSU cross country team to a record seven consecu-tive MEAC titles from 2000-06 and four more from 2008-11. NSU also

captured top-12 fi nishes at the NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regional in 2002 (12th) and 2005 (8th). In the only two seasons under Giles that the Spartans did not win the conference cross country title (1999 and 2007), they fi nished second.

Giles has also guided the Spartans’ track team to seven straight sweeps of the MEAC indoor and outdoor titles (2006-12). As an assistant track coach, he helped the Spartans to one MEAC indoor and one MEAC outdoor championship, both of which came in the 2000-01 school year.

During his tenure at NSU, Giles’ Spartans have won six individu-al MEAC cross country championships and earned three NCAA All-Southeast Region honors. One of those, David Kemboi, became the fi rst NSU and MEAC runner to qualify for the NCAA National Championship race.

Since taking over as head track coach, Giles’ athletes have won 75 individual conference championships and garnered more than 150 All-MEAC honors on the track. More than 30 of his pupils have qualifi ed for the NCAA Regionals and seven have advanced to the NCAA National Championship meet. During his tenure as head coach, Giles has also tutored six athletes who have earned USTFCCCA All-America honors. Both Marlon Woods and Corey Vinston earned All-American honors in the long jump at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championship. The previous year, Woods was named the 2008 NCAA Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year. In the last two seasons, four Spartan men have earned honorable mention All-America status: sprinter Sean Holston, long jumper Darris Shelton and hurdlers Keith Nkrumah and Aramis Massenburg.

While Giles served as an assistant, he worked with three other Spartan All-Americans: Desmond Kapofu in the triple jump, Adrian Shears in the high jump and Olympian Christopher Brown in the 400 meters.

For his success in cross country and track, Giles has been named MEAC Most Outstanding Coach 25 times.

Giles coaches from his own running expertise. He was a stand-out 800-meter runner in college. In 1985, Giles earned Junior College All-American status by fi nishing eighth at the indoor national meet in the 800 for Hagerstown (Md.) Community College. He continued his success in that event at the University of North Florida, where he broke the school’s 800-meter indoor record.

At one time, Giles was also the personal coach for Brown, a for-mer Division I All-American sprinter at NSU. Brown, a four-time for his native Bahamas, won a silver medal in the 4x400 relay at the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008 and a gold in the same event at the London Olympics in 2012.

Giles earned his bachelor’s degree from UNF in 1987. He is married to the former Dr. Jeterfonee Jones, and they have two children: Kenneth Jr. (16) and Ebone Kennya (13).

Kenneth GilesDirector of Programs

Head Men’s Track Coach

HEAD COACH KENNETH GILES NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEASSISTANT COACHES

Cletus Griffi n is in his fourth year working with the men’s track and cross country staff at Norfolk State.

Griffi n, a former Division II All-Ameri-can, brings nearly 20 years of second-ary and collegiate coaching experience to the program. Griffi n was a standout long-distance runner at the University of Akron. He was an All-American in the 10,000 meters in 1972 and in cross country in 1973. Griffi n also met the Olympic qualifying standards for the 10,000 meters in 1972 and for the marathon in 1976.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and history from Akron in 1974, Griffi n earned a master’s in health and physical education from Akron in 1976. Griffi n was also an assistant cross country and track coach for the Zips from 1974-77.

Griffi n then embarked on a successful high school coaching career, fi rst in Ohio and then in Virginia Beach. He was the head cross country and track coach at Green Run High School from 1984-89, winning four outdoor state championships. He then moved over to another Virginia Beach High School, Salem, from 1990-92, win-ning multiple district and regional titles. Griffi n produced 25 high school All-Americans during his tenure at Green Run and Salem.

Griffi n currently serves as an assistant principal at Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach. He resides in Virginia Beach with his wife, Debra. The couple has one son, Jonathan, who completed his track and cross country career with the Spartans last year.

Cletus Griffi nTechnical Coordinator

Jerry Price is in his third season as an assistant track and fi eld coach at NSU. He will work primarily with the hurdlers.

Price brings 23 years of coaching experience to NSU. Most recently, Price was the head boys and girls track coach at Matoaca High School in Chesterfi eld, Va., from 1999-2009. His teams there won a total of eight district championships. Price coached numerous award-winning athletes at Matoaca. Among them are former Spartans Shanneka Claiborne (sprints) and Aramis Massenburg (hurdles), who

both won MEAC championships in their respective events.

Prior to Matoaca, Price was the head boys and girls track coach at James River High School, also in Chesterfi eld, from 1996-99. He got his start in coaching as an assistant at Leesville High School in Leesville, La., from 1988-90. Price has also served since 2006 as president and head coach of the Diamond Track & Field Club in Colonial Heights, Va.

A standout football player and track athlete in high school, Price graduated from Alabama A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1984.

Jerry PriceAssistant Coach

Serge Bengono is in his seventh season as an assistant track coach at Norfolk State University. He coaches NSU’s sprinters and relay teams.

Bengono came to NSU from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he as-sisted during the 2005 outdoor season.

Bengono boasts a wealth of collegiate and international experience. He is a two-time Summer Olympian, having competed in the 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney) Games for his native Cameroon in the 100 meters and on the 4x100 relay team.

Bengono lettered three years at George Mason University and excelled in the short sprints (60, 100 and 200 meters) and on the 4x100 relay team. He won the IC4A title in the 100 meters as a sophomore in 2001. At one time Bengono owned school records in the 60 meters (6.74), 100 meters (10.25) and as part of the 4x100 relay team (39.65).

Bengono transferred to George Mason from Huston-Tillotson College in Austin, Texas, where he won multiple NAIA All-American honors and also played soccer as a freshman in 2000.

Bengono earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from George Mason in 2003 and his master’s in education with a con-centration in school counseling from Cambridge College.Serge Bengono

Assistant Coach



Name Ht. Yr. Events Hometown/Previous School Damtew Adnew 5-8 Jr. Long Distance Springfi eld, Va./Robert E. Lee HSChad Allen 5-9 So. Hurdles Centreville, Va./Fairfax HSJohnathan Anderson 6-1 Fr. Shot Put Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams HSMarcus Anderson 6-0 Fr. Hurdles Prince George’s Co., Md./Frederick Douglass HSJamarian Bates 6-0 Fr. Jumps Ettrick, Va./Matoaca HSStefan Battles 6-1 So. Middle Distance Hampton, Va./Hampton HSDe’Von Booker 5-8 Fr. Hurdles Portsmouth, Va./Churchland HSD’Sean Brown 6-3 So. Jumps Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HSVincent Brown 6-1 Sr. Middle Distance Peachtree City, Ga./McIntosh HSJoshua Carino 5-6 Fr. Long Distance Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette HSSteve Coles 6-3 Fr. Sprints Tappahannock, Va./Essex HSIan Copeland 6-3 Jr. Throws Suff olk, Va./Kings Fork HSJustin Dozier 5-8 Fr. Pole Vault Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood HSAaron Dudley 5-9 Gr. Long Distance Suff olk, Va./St. Augustine’s UniversityMarcus Finney 6-1 Fr. Hurdles Leesburg, Va./Heritage HSDesmond Fogg 6-1 Fr. Distance Newport News, Va./Warwick HSKameron George 5-10 Sr. Mid/Long Distance Brooklyn, N.Y./Transit TechErick Green 6-5 Jr. Sprints Norfolk, Va. /Maury HSKyle Green 5-8 Fr. Sprints Suff olk, Va./Nansemond River HSJohn James 5-10 Sr. High Jump Suff olk, Va./Nansemond River HSAmos Kipkosgei 5-6 Sr. Mid/Long Distance Eldoret, Kenya/New York Tech Kipchirchir Kiptoo 5-8 Jr. Long Distance Ainabkoi, Kenya/Ole MissSammy Kiptoo 6-3 Fr. Mid/Long Distance Iten, Kenya/Tambach Boys HSNathnael Meseret 5-8 Jr. Mid/Long Distance Springfi eld, Va./Robert E. Lee HSMichael Mingo-Dabney 6-1 So. Throws Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside HSKeith Nkrumah 6-2 Sr. Sprints/Hurdles Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood HSQuentin Parker 5-9 Jr. Sprints/Hurdles Martinsville, Va. /Bassett HSAndre Pickett 5-10 So. Sprints Hampton, Va./Hampton HSJohnathan Ross 5-7 Sr. Javelin Fairburn, Ga./Sandy Creek HSJerome Scurry Jr. 5-9 Fr. Middle Distance Bridgeton, N.J./Bridgeton HSDamian Smith 5-10 Fr. Sprints Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run HSKenneth Smith 6-0 Sr. Sprints Newport News, Va./Woodside HSMichael Smith 6-3 Fr. Hurdles Virginia Beach, Va./Salem HSTerrion Smith 5-11 Fr. Jumps Norfolk, Va./Booker T. Washington HSJames Taylor 6-3 Jr. Sprints/Jumps Suff olk, Va./Nansemond River HSRobert Thrasher 5-11 Jr. High Jump Virginia Beach, Va./Cox HSTavaris Waddler 6-0 Fr. Multi’s Portsmouth, Va./Wilson HSWillard Ward 6-2 Fr. Pole Vault Portsmouth, Va./Wilson HSMarquis Worsley 5-10 Fr. Middle Distance Norfolk, Va./Norview HS

Head Coach: Kenneth GilesAssistant Coaches: Jerry Price, Serge BengonoTechnical Coordinator: Cletus Griffi n

2012-13 ROSTER



Spartans Young, But TalentedSpartans Young, But TalentedRivals of the seven-time defending MEAC champion Norfolk State men’s track and fi eld team may be glad to hear that this year’s edition of the Spartans is one of the youngest, most inexperienced of coach Kenneth Giles’ tenure.

What they may not like to know is that it could also be one of Giles’ deep-est and most talented, too.

The Spartans head into the season minus many of the familiar names from recent years. Mainstays like Josef Tessema, Sean Holston, Phile-mon Kimutai and Aramis Massenburg are gone. But Giles has plenty of fi repower returning and a 17-member recruiting class that is full of potential.

Leading the way among the returners is 2012 NTFCCCA outdoor honor-able mention All-American hurdler Keith Nkrumah and two-time MEAC sprint champion and East Preliminary Round qualifi er James Taylor. Nkrumah, now a senior, earned Co-Most Outstanding Runner honors at last year’s MEAC outdoor championship after sweeping the 110 and 400-meter hurdle titles. He placed seventh in the region in the 110 hur-dles, earning him a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Championship fi eld.

“Keith is looking better than ever,” Giles said. “I expect more big things from him this year.”

Taylor had a strong year in 2011-12. During indoor season, he won the 60-meter dash at the MEAC Championship for his fi rst individual confer-ence gold medal. He also was part of the MEAC championship indoor 4x400 relay team. Outdoors, Taylor captured the MEAC 200-meter title and qualifi ed for the East Preliminary Round. He was in position to join Nkrumah in qualifying for the national meet, but was disqualifi ed for stepping outside of his lane. Taylor is a junior for indoor season, but is classifi ed as a sophomore during outdoor season.

“James is a real leader for our team,” Giles said. “He’s like having another coach on the track and is a great example for our younger athletes.”Nkrumah and Taylor will likely anchor NSU’s relays once again along with senior Kenneth Smith. Giles is also looking for Smith to make an impact in the open 200 and 400 meter events.

Despite the losses of Holston and Massenburg, Giles feels he has prom-ising replacements in the form of freshmen Damian Smith and Marcus Finney. Smith was a standout sprinter at Virginia Beach’s Green Run High School and should be a MEAC contender in the short sprints. Finney was Virginia state Group AA champion in both the 110 and 300 hurdles last year.

Finney and Nkrumah will be joined by freshmen Michael Smith, Marcus Anderson and De’Von Booker to give the Spartans depth in the hurdles.

The Spartans should also be very deep and versatile in the middle dis-tance events. Senior Vincent Brown was an NCAA East Preliminary Round qualifi er in the 800 meters last year following a pair of fourth-place fi nishes in the same event at both conference meets. Junior Nathnael Meseret also returns following a rookie season where he won the MEAC 1,500-meter title (outdoors) and placed second in the conference in the mile.

Freshman Marquis Worsley and St. Augustine’s transfer Aaron Dudley should also have a big impact for the Spartans this season. Giles thinks Worsley could immediately be one of the MEAC’s top milers, while Dud-ley, last year’s CIAA Indoor MVP, is strong in the 800 and mile.

Despite losing Tessema – a 2-time MEAC Most Outstanding Runner – and three-year All-MEAC performer Kimutai, the Spartans shouldn’t have a drop-off in the distance events. Senior Amos Kipkosgei is himself a former MEAC MVP and will anchor the team in the long distance races. Meseret and fellow classmate Damtew Adnew are also strong in the 3,000 and 5,000 events, while Ole Miss transfer Kipchirchir Kiptoo earned All-MEAC cross country honors and will be an asset in the distance races as well.

The Spartans will feature just two seniors among their contingent of fi eld athletes, javelin thrower Johnathan Ross and high jumper John James. James is the two-time defending MEAC outdoor high jump champion who advanced to the NCAA East Prelims last spring, while Ross is a veteran in his only discipline.

Outside of those two, youth is the order of the day among the fi eld athletes. Freshman Jamarian Bates is a former Virginia state champion in the long jump and an all-state triple jumper, as well. Taylor – who was a 25-foot long jumper in high school – will also long jump for NSU this season for the fi rst time since his freshman year. Add sophomore D’Sean Brown, who placed third at the MEAC indoor meet in the long jump last year, and the Spartans have three standouts in that event.

Brown and junior Robert Thrasher will team with James to give NSU depth in the high jump.

Freshmen Willard Ward and Justin Dozier will be counted on to provide points in the pole vault. Junior Ian Copeland (discus/weight throw), sophomore Michael Mingo-Dabney (discus/weight throw) and fresh-man Jonathon Anderson (shot put) anchor the Spartans in the throws. Freshman Tavaris Waddler will try to provide NSU with a presence in the multi-events that it has lacked recently.

“This is defi nitely one of the deepest teams we’ve had,” Giles said. “We have 17 newcomers, and 13 of them could score in the MEAC (champi-onships). I feel like we’re ready to bounce back strong from the sec-ond-place (MEAC) cross country fi nish and show that we are the best program in the conference.”

Amos KipkosgeiSenior Distance Runner

2012-13 OUTLOOK


INDOOR SEASON

Date Site/Event Location Dec. 8 CNU Holiday Open Newport News, Va. Jan. 5 Penn State Relays University Park, Pa. Jan. 19-20 CNU Captains Invitational Newport News, Va. Jan. 25-26 Virginia Tech Hokie Invitational Blacksburg, Va. Feb. 1-2 UNC Gene Anderson Invitational Chapel Hill, N.C. Feb. 14-16 MEAC Indoor Championships Landover, Md. March 8-9 NCAA Indoor Championships Fayetteville, Ark. OUTDOOR SEASON

March 14-16 Shamrock Invitational Myrtle Beach, S.C. March 22-23 William & Mary Tribe Invitational Williamsburg, Va.March 30 Virginia Invitational Charlottesville, Va.April 4-6 Florida Relays Gainesville, Fla. April 13 Norfolk State Relays Norfolk, Va.

April 19-20 Morgan State Legacy Meet Baltimore, Md. April 25-27 Penn Relays Philadelphia, Pa. May 2-4 MEAC Outdoor Championships Greensboro, N.C. May 23-25 NCAA East Preliminary Round Greensboro, N.C. June 5-8 NCAA Outdoor Championships Eugene, Ore. Home meet in bold is at William “Dick” Price Stadium

2012-13 SCHEDULE NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE


Damtew Adnew5-8 JuniorLong DistanceSpringfi eld, Va.Robert E. Lee HS

2011-12: Cross Country: Ran a season-best time of 25:45.50 to fi nish in sixth place at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational … earned All-MEAC recognition by placing 13th overall at the conference cham-pionship meet (27:07.19). Indoor: Placed fourth in two long-distance events at the MEAC Indoor Championship … was one of four runners who bettered the previous meet record in the 3,000 when he ran a time of 8:49.82 … ran a season-best time of 15:05.50 to place fourth in the 5,000. Outdoor: Finished fourth in the MEAC Outdoor meet in the 3,000m steeplechase (10:04.45) … placed seventh at the confer-ence meet in the 5,000 (15:50.44) … ran a season-best 5,000m time of 14:57.95 to earn an 11th-place fi nish at the Florida Relays … ran a PR

of 9:57.92 to take third in the steeplechase at the NSU Relays.

2010-11: Sat out at NSU as a non-qualifi er.

High School: All-Northern Region and All-Patriot District as a senior during cross country season…during indoor season, placed seventh in the region in the 3,200 meters…during outdoor season, fi nished third in the region and ninth at the state meet in the 3,200m…person-al-best high school times were 4:26 for the mile and 9:32 for two miles.

Personal: Damtew Adnew was born on June 2, 1991…son of Brhena Derbew and Yeshimebet Yemer…majoring in electronic engineering.

Personal Records

Cross Country

8,000 Meters: 25:45.50 (2011 UMES Cappy Anderson)Indoor

3,000 Meters: 8:49.82 (2012 MEAC Indoor)5,000 Meters: 15:05.50 (2012 MEAC Indoor)Outdoor

Mile: 4:06.61 (2012 Morgan State Legacy)3,000 Meter Steeplechase: 9:57.92 (2012 NSU Relays)5,000 Meters: 14:57.95 (2012 Florida Relays)

RETURNER PROFILES NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Stefan Battles6-1 SophomoreMiddle DistanceHampton, Va.Hampton HS

2011-12: Indoor: Competed on NSU’s 4x400 relay team at the Coach O Invitational hosted by UMES (3:29.82). Outdoor: Participated in the 400 meters at the NSU Relays (52.92).

High School: Lettered two years on the track team at Hampton … fi nished fi fth in the 800 meters as a senior, running a personal-best 2:03.43.

Personal: Stefan Alphonso Battles was born on Feb. 2, 1992 … son of Uvonder Colvin … majoring in sociology.

Personal Records

Outdoor

800 Meters: 2:03.43 (High School)

D’Sean Brown6-3 SophomoreJumpsVirginia Beach, Va.First Colonial HS

2011-12: Indoor: Finished third in the long jump at the MEAC Indoor Championship with a season-best jump of 22 feet, 6.25 inches …was also eighth in the high jump (6-3.25) at the conference meet … took third place in the long jump at the UMES Coach O Invitational (22-3.75). Outdoor: Competed in just one meet during outdoor season,

the Shamrock Invitational in mid-March … placed ninth in the long jump in that meet (21-11.5).

High School: Lettered four years in basketball and three in track at FC … was a state Group AAA outdoor qualifi er in both the long and high jumps as a senior … tied for fourth in the state in the high jump (6-4) and fi nished 11th in the long jump (21-1.25) … won both the Beach District and Eastern Region titles in the high jump … high school PRs were 6-8 in the high jump and 23-3.5 in the long jump.

Personal: D’Sean A. Brown was born on Dec. 27, 1991 … son of Alex-andra Mottey … majoring in accounting.

Personal Records

Long Jump: 23-3.5 (High School)High Jump: 6-8 (High School)



Vincent Brown6-1 SeniorMiddle DistancePeachtree City, Ga.McIntosh HS

2011-12: Cross Country: Placed 24th at the conference championship meet (28:06.72) … also earned top-15 fi nishes at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational (15th, 27:05.15) and the Great American Cross Country Festival (14th, 27:20.70). Indoor: Earned a fourth-place fi nish in the 800 at the MEAC Indoor championship (1:54.77) … ran the 800m leg on the MEAC championship distance medley relay team that fi nished in 10:04.79 … Ran a season-best 800m time of 1:53.87 at the Virginia Tech Final Qualifi er. Outdoor: Bested his previous 800m PR of 1:52.74 heading into the season on fi ve diff erent occasions … duplicated his indoor season fi nish in the 800m at the MEAC Outdoor championship … broke his previous PR during both of his races at the conference meet … ran a qualifying time of 1:50.77 in the prelims, then posted a 1:50.09 in the fi nals … qualifi ed for the NCAA East Pre-liminary Round for the fi rst time in his career … fi nished 42nd in the regional in 1:53.08 … won the 800m at the NSU Relays (1:51.13).

2010-11: Cross Country: Ran a personal-best time of 27:28.60 to place 24th at the MEAC Championship…fi nished 16th overall at the 6K Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge at William & Mary (20:03). Indoor:

Placed third in the 800 meters at the MEAC Indoor Championship, earning all-conference recognition…clocked a time of 1:54.85 at the

MEAC meet…ran a season-best time of 1:54.78 to fi nish as runner-up at the Doug Raymond Invitational at Kent State. Outdoor: Ran a new PR of 1:52.73 to place fi rst in the 800 prelims at the MEAC Outdoor Championship…fi nished sixth in the 800 fi nals at the conference meet (1:56.78)…ran a time of 1:53.30 at the Florida Relays…fi nished fi fth in 1:53.93 at Morgan State…placed seventh in the 1,500 at the Raleigh Relays (4:01.31).

2009-10: Cross Country: Ran a time of 28:39.60 at the MEAC Champi-onship, placing 27th…his best performance came at the Great Amer-ican Cross Country Festival, where he placed 14th in a season-best time of 27:46. Indoor: Ran an indoor season-best 800m time of 1:53.63, placing eighth at Penn State…that ranked as the fourth-fast-est time in the MEAC during indoor season…came in fourth in the 800m at the MEAC Indoor Championship (1:55.63). Outdoor: Ran a season-best and fi nished 11th at the Sea Ray Relays in Tennessee (1:53.00)…brought home a fi fth-place fi nish in the 800 at the Morgan State Legacy meet (1:55.20)…fi nished sixth at the MEAC Outdoor Championship (1:54.54).

High School: Ran track and cross country as a senior at McIntosh…best 5K time was 16:51…was Georgia AAAA outdoor state 800-meter champion in a personal-best 1:53.20…also won the AAU Junior Olym-pic 800-meter title (1:54.71).

Personal: Vincent Brown III was born on Dec. 27, 1990…son of Vin-cent Brown Jr. and Leslie Brown…majoring in mathematics.

Personal Records

Indoor

800 Meters: 1:53.63 (2010 Penn State National)Outdoor

800 Meters: 1:50.09 (2012 MEAC Outdoor)


Ian Copeland6-3 JuniorThrowsSuff olk, Va.King’s Fork HS

2011-12: Indoor: Came in third place at the MEAC Indoor Champi-onship in the weight throw … topped his own school record at the conference meet, with a top toss of 52 feet, 11 inches (16.13m) … that was one of four times where he exceeded the 50-foot mark … was runner-up at the Coach O Invitational (51-11) and fourth at the CNU Vince Brown Invitational (51-11.75). Outdoor: Had the team’s top four discus throws of the season … threw a personal-best 146 feet to take seventh place in that event at the MEAC Outdoor Championship … came in third at the NSU Relays with a top eff ort of 142-9.

2010-11: Indoor: Finished sixth at the MEAC Indoor Championship in the weight throw (43-6.5) … best throw of the season was 46-5.5 at Virginia Tech’s Hokie Invitational … also threw 46-2 at CNU’s Holiday Open, placing seventh. Outdoor: Placed eighth at the MEAC Outdoor

Championship in the discus throw with a toss of 132-1, his best of the season … also posted a throw of 131-10 at the Morgan State Legacy Meet, placing 15th.

High School: Won the Southeastern District Outdoor championship in the discus as a senior with a personal-best throw of 155-3 … placed ninth at the VHSL state outdoor meet in the discus … was third in the shot put at the district indoor meet as a senior … lettered two years in track & fi eld and one in wrestling.

Personal: Ian E. Copeland was born on March 15, 1992 … son of Alvin and Jacqueline Copeland…majoring in biology.

Personal Records

Indoor

Weight Throw: 52-11 (2012 MEAC Indoor)Outdoor

Shot Put: 43-0 (High School)Discus: 155-0 (High School)


Kameron George5-10 SeniorMiddle/Long DistanceBrooklyn, N.Y.Transit Tech

2011-12: Cross Country: Finished 22nd overall at the MEAC Cross Country Championship, fi fth-best among the Spartans … earned two top-20 fi nishes at regular-season meets, including a 10th-place eff ort at the Great American Cross Country Festival … ran a season-best 27:05.60 in that meet. Indoor: Ran a season-best 1-mile time of 4:21.31 at the Virginia Tech Final Qualifi er … competed in the 3,000 meters at the George Mason Patriot Games … was 10th in the mile at the MEAC Indoor Meet (4:25.85). Outdoor: Ran a PR of 4:03.27 in the 1,500 me-ters at the Shamrock Invitational … placed 13th in the 1,500 meters at the MEAC Outdoor Championship.

2010-11: Cross Country: Earned All-MEAC honors with a 13th-place fi nish at the conference championship…covered the 8K course in a personal-best time of 26:13.40…fi nished 22nd at the U.Va. Lou Onesty Invitational (26:55.99)…fi nished 10th at the Great American Cross Country Invitational (26:38)…was 13th at the Colonial Inter-Region Challenge (19:47 for 6K). Indoor: Ran a season-best time of 4:28.10 in the mile run at the Hokie Invitational…clocked a 4:28.13 to place 10th at the CNU Vince Brown Invitational…crossed the fi nish line in eighth place in the 3,000 meters at Penn State in a season-best time of 9:00.46…fi nished 10th in the 3,000 at the MEAC Indoor Championship (9:11.50). Outdoor: Ran a season-best 1,500m time of 4:04.71 at the

Raleigh Relays, fi nishing in 26th place…came in eighth in the 1,500 at the MEAC Outdoor Championship, running a 4:07.76.

2009-10: Cross Country: Ran a time of 28:01.93 at the MEAC Cham-pionship, placing 21st…placed 10th at the Great American Cross Country Festival with a season-best time of 26:50, the 12th-fastest time in the MEAC in 2009. Indoor: Placed fourth in the 3,000m at CNU (8:55.42)…ran a PR in the mile at Penn State (4:23.86) and fi nished 15th…bested that with a clocking of 4:21.87 to earn sixth place at the MEAC Indoor Championship…placed 11th in the 3,000m. Outdoor:

Finished 15th while running his season-best 1,500m time of 4:03.41 at the Sea Ray Relays…placed ninth at the MEAC Outdoor Championship in the 1,500 and 13th in the 3,000m steeplechase.

High School: Lettered two years in track and one in cross country…was the New York Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) city cross country champion as a senior (16:30 for 5K)…also won both the mile (4:29) and two-mile (9:34) as a senior during indoor track season at the PSAL championships…PRs in those events are 4:24 and 9:30…won national titles in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters at the 2008 AAU Club Championships in Orlando, Fla.

Personal: Kameron E. George was born on Sept. 22, 1991…son of Joseph and Pamela George…majoring in electronic engineering.

Personal Records

Cross Country

8,000 Meters: 26:13.40 (2010 MEAC XC Championship)Indoor

Mile: 4:21.87(2010 MEAC ID)3,000 Meters: 8:55.42 (2010 CNU Vince Brown Invite)Outdoor

1,500 Meters: 4:03.27 (2012 Shamrock Invitational)3,000 Meter Steeplechase: 10:49.51 (2010 MEAC OD)


Erick Green6-5 JuniorSprints/Multi’sNorfolk, Va.Maury HS

2011-12: Indoor: Competed in the 200, 400 and on the 4x400 meter relay team during indoor season. Outdoor: Placed seventh in the decathlon at the MEAC Outdoor Championship after amassing 5,127 points.

2010-11: Indoor: Season-best 400m time was 50.95, placing him 14th at Kent State …also ran the 400m leg on NSU’s winning distance med-

ley team at Kent State. Outdoor: Ran a season-best 50.83 in the 400m at the Sea Ray Relays … also competed in the 400m at the Morgan State Legacy Meet and in the 400m hurdles at the Tribe Open.

High School: Lettered four years in track…also played football and basketball…Eastern District high jump champion as a senior…won district titles in the 200 and 400 meters while placing second in the discus and third in the shot put and high jump as a junior…named Maury’s track & fi eld MVP his junior year.

Personal: Erick C. Green was born on Feb. 2, 1991…son of Richard and Rita Green…majoring in kinesiology.

Personal Records

Outdoor

200 Meters: 22.02 (High School)400 Meters: 49.77 (High School)Decathlon: 5,127 points (2012 MEAC Outdoor)



John James5-10 SeniorHigh JumpSuff olk, Va.Nansemond River HS

2011-12: Indoor: Finished third at the MEAC Indoor Championship, matching his career-best height of 6 feet, 11 inches … also cleared 6-11 at the Tyson Invitational, fi nishing 10th … won the gold medal at the CNU Vince Brown Invitational (6-8.25) … was fourth at the Penn State National (6-10.75). Outdoor: MEAC Outdoor champion in the high jump for the second straight year … matched his career-best outdoor height of 7-0.25 … also won the high jump at the NSU Relays (6-10.75) and was runner-up at the Morgan State Legacy Meet (6-9.75).

2010-11: Indoor: Jumped an indoor personal-best height of 6-10.25 at the Hokie Invitational, good for a fourth-place tie … fi nished sixth at the Penn State National (6-8.75) … placed third at the MEAC Indoor Championship with a top height of 6-8.25. Outdoor: Jumped

a personal-best 7-0.25 to win the MEAC outdoor high jump title, the fi rst conference gold medal of his career … also cleared at least 6-8 in three other meets, the Florida Relays, Tribe Open and NCAA East Regional … the regional appearance was the fi rst of his career.

2009-10: Indoor: Cleared 6-6.25, a season-best, at the CNU Captains Invitational…fi nished in a tie for fourth place at the MEAC Indoor meet (6-4.75)…placed sixth at the Maryland Invitational (6-4). Out-

door: MEAC Outdoor runner-up in the high jump with a season-best 6-9.75…tied with champion James Moore of UMES, but fi nished second based on more misses…placed eighth at the Sea Ray Relays with a top height of 6-8.75.

High School: Lettered four years in track, golf and soccer…fi nished third at the state outdoor meet in the high jump as a senior (6-6)…fi n-ished second in the state indoor meet in the high jump as a junior… was a fi rst-team all-district soccer pick as a senior.

Personal: John E. James was born on Feb. 11, 1991…son of John and Denise James…majoring in electrical engineering.

Personal Records

Indoor

High Jump: 6-11 (2x, most recent: 2012 MEAC Indoor)Outdoor

High Jump: 7-0.25 (2x, most recent: 2012 MEAC OD)


Amos Kipkosgei5-6 SeniorMiddle/Long DistanceEldoret, KenyaNew York Tech/Tulon HS

2011-12: Cross Country: An All-MEAC runner for the third year in a row after placing eighth at the MEAC championship (26:32.47) … season-best 8K time was 25:52.48 at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational, where he fi nished eighth overall … placed sixth overall in 25:57 at the Great American Cross Country Festival. Indoor: Earned three top-six fi nishes at the MEAC Indoor Championship … was fi fth in the 5,000 meters in 15:05.87 … fi nished sixth in both the mile (4:23.10) and the 3,000 meters (8:54.34) … placed 11th in the 5,000 at the Penn State National (15:18.61) …was fi fth in the mile at the CNU Vince Brown Invitational (4:26.58). Outdoor: Again earned three top-six fi nishes at the MEAC Outdoor Championship, including fi fth-place fi nishes in the 1,500 meters (4:01.01) and the 3,000 steeplechase (10:09.43) … also cross the line sixth in the 5,000 meters (15:42.99) … won the steeplechase at the NSU Relays (9:48.41) and was fourth in the 1,500 (4:03.61).

2010-11: Cross Country: Placed third overall and second among Spartan runners with a 25:43.68 at the UMES Lid-Lifter to begin the season…crossed the fi nish line third overall and third on the team with a 6K time of 18:34 at the Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge…was also third among the Spartans and third overall at the Great

American Invitational (25:06.1)…earned All-MEAC honors for the second consecutive year with a personal-best 8K time of 24:58.90, good enough for third place at the conference championship. Indoor:

Registered top-fi ve fi nishes in all three distance races at the MEAC Indoor Championship…ran a PR of 15:04.66 to fi nish second to team-mate Josef Tessema in the 5,000 meters…also fi nished third in the 3,000m (8:55.14) and was fi fth in the mile (4:28.91)…in addition, ran the anchor leg to help the distance medley relay team win the MEAC title in that event (10:17.17)…posted a season-best time of 4:24.81 in the mile to take 10th place at Penn State…ran a season-best time of 8:48.59 in the 3,000 meters at the CNU Vince Brown Invitational, fi n-ishing as runner-up. Outdoor: Was MEAC runner-up in three events to help the Spartans to the team title…ran a PR of 9:25.32 to take second place in the 3,000m steeplechase…posted a time of 14:46.38 to fi nish second in the 5,000m, and clocked a 3:56.81 to take runner-up in the 1,500m…took 14th place in the 5,000 meters at the Penn Relays in a season-best time of 14:46.34.

2009-10: Cross Country: Placed fourth overall at the MEAC Champi-onship with a time of 26:02…earned All-MEAC honors…ran a time of season-best time of 25:11 to fi nish third overall at the Great American Cross Country Festival…the 25:11 was the third-fastest time of the year in the MEAC. Indoor: MEAC Indoor champion in the 5,000m (15:18)…took third place in the 5,000 at Virginia Tech (15:04.83)…came in fourth in the 3,000m at Penn State and posted the MEAC’s second-fastest time of the indoor season (8:32.31)…placed fourth in that event at the conference indoor meet (8:53.43)…was MEAC run-ner-up, behind teammate Philemon Kimutai, in the mile run (4:17.86). Outdoor: Named Most Outstanding Performer at the conference outdoor meet…won the 5,000m to complete a personal indoor-out-door sweep of that event (14:58.23)…MEAC outdoor runner-up in the 1,500m (season-best 3:53.60) and the 3,000m steeplechase (9:34.82)…placed fourth in the 1,500 at Wake Forest (3:54.93)…was 10th in the 5,000 at the Raleigh Relays…ran the MEAC’s fastest 5,000m time and



established his own PR with a time of 14:29.83 at the Sea Ray Relays, where he fi nished fi fth…also fi nished eighth in the collegiate section of the 5,000m at the Penn Relays (14:32.19).

At New York Tech: 2008 East Coast Conference Cross Country champion…fi nished the 8K course in 26:47.63…named ECC Runner of the Year Award and named to the all-conference fi rst team…ran a season-best time of 25:41 to fi nish fi fth at the Paul Short Invitational…did not run track at New York Tech, but has run a top 1,500-meter time of 3:51.37.

Personal: Amos Kipkosgei was born on June 3, 1984…son of Isaack and Milka Sitienei…majoring in nursing.

Personal Records

Cross Country


Mile: 4:17.86 (2010 MEAC ID)3,000 Meters: 8:32.31 (2010 Penn State National)5,000 Meters: 15:04.66 (2011 MEAC ID)Outdoor

1,500 Meters: 3:51.37 (pre-college)3,000 Meter SC: 9:25.32 (2011 MEAC OD)5,000 Meters: 14:29.83 (2010 Sea Ray Relays)

Nathnael Meseret5-8 JuniorMiddle/Long DistanceDumfries, Va.Robert E. Lee HS

2011-12: Cross Country: Finished fi fth at the MEAC Championship, running a time of 26:22.49 to earn All-MEAC honors … ran a personal best of 25:41.80 to fi nish third overall at the Great American Cross Country Festival. Indoor: Ran the anchor leg of the gold medal-win-ning distance medley relay team at the MEAC Indoor Championship … was conference runner-up (4:19.25), fi nishing second only to team-mate Josef Tessema … also placed fi fth at the conference indoor meet in the 3,000m (8:53.54) and seventh in the 5,000 (season-best 15:08.62) … ran an indoor PR of 8:29.29 in the 3,000m at the CNU Holiday Open, where he fi nished second … was 10th in the same event at the Penn State National (8:39.95). Outdoor: Was MEAC Outdoor champion in the 1,500 meters, fi nishing in a personal-best of 3:53.62 … placed fourth at the MEAC outdoor meet in the 5,000 (15:29.07) … posted a PR of 14:52.82 in the 5,000 at the Raleigh Relays … fi nished second in the 1,500 at both the Morgan State Legacy Meet (3:55.28) and the NSU Relays (3:57.73).

2010-11: Sat out at NSU as a non-qualifi er.

High School: All-district, all-region and all-state performer as a senior at Robert E. Lee…Patriot District cross country champion as both a junior and senior…placed fi fth at the Northern Region cross country championship and 16th at the state meet as a senior…during indoor track season, won both the 1,600 (4:23) and 3,200 (9:29) champi-onships at the Northern Region meet…also took third place at the state indoor meet in the 3,200 (9:24)…his personal-best time of 9:18 in the 3,200m earned him ninth place at the Nike Indoor Nationals and ranked him among the top 20 fastest times in the nation…was Northern Region outdoor champion in the 1,600 (4:19)…at the state outdoor meet, placed ninth in the 1,600 and third in the 3,200.

Personal: Nathnael Degu Meseret was born on June 24, 1991 … son of Degu Meseret and Burtecane Reta … majoring in electronic engi-neering.

Personal Records

Indoor

Mile: 4:19.25 (2012 MEAC Indoor)3,000 Meters: 8:29.29 (2011 CNU Holiday Open)5,000 Meters: 15:08.62 (2012 MEAC Indoor)Outdoor

1,500 Meters: 3:53.62 (2012 MEAC Outdoor)5,000 Meters: 14:52.82 (2012 Raleigh Relays)

Michael Mingo-Dabney6-1 SophomoreThrowsVirginia Beach, Va.Bayside HS

2011-12: Indoor: Placed seventh in the weight throw at the MEAC Indoor Championship with a season-best throw of 45-11.25 … was also seventh in the same event at the CNU Vince Brown Invitational (44-11.50). Outdoor: Came in 10th place at the MEAC Outdoor Cham-pionship in the discus with a season-best distance (138-01) … took

fourth place at the NSU Relays (137-01).

High School: Lettered four years in track and one each in wrestling, volleyball, football and swimming … fi nished third in the Beach Dis-trict outdoor meet in the discus throw … placed eighth in the Eastern Region in the same event … high school PRs were 142-7.5 in the discus, 45-11.25 in the weight throw and 43-10 in the shot put.

Personal: Michael Alexander Mingo-Dabney was born on Aug. 6, 1993 … son of Marie Mingo … majoring in accounting.

Personal Records

Indoor

Weight Throw: 45-11.25 (Most recent: 2012 MEAC Indoor)Outdoor

Discus: 142-7.5 (High school)Shot Put: 43-10 (High school)

RETURNER PROFILES



Keith Nkrumah6-2 RS-SeniorSprints/HurdlesBrooklyn, N.Y.Midwood HS

2011-12: Indoor: Equaled or bettered the previous 60-meter hurdles school record of 7.87 on seven occasions during the season … posted a season-best time of 7.77 seconds twice – in the semifi nals at the Tyson Invitational and at the Virginia Tech fi nal qualifi er … the 7.77 time was tied for the 16th fastest in the nation during the 2012 indoor season, leaving Nkrumah just a tenth out of the running for a spot at the indoor nationals … tied the MEAC Indoor Championship record of 7.86 seconds in the semifi nals, but did not fi nish his race in the fi nals … won the 60m hurdles at the Hokie Invitational with a time of 7.84 … ran a leg on the MEAC championship 4x400 meter indoor relay team which set a new meet record of 3:14.24 … also a part of the 4x400 team that ran a 3:10.66 at the Tyson Invitational, which placed second in that meet … earned MEAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors for his performance at the Tyson Invitational. Outdoor:

A two-time MEAC outdoor champion and 2012 USTFCCCA honorable mention All-America performer … ran a sub-14.00 110 hurdles on nine occasions during the outdoor season … fi nished second overall and fi rst among collegians with his time of 13.69 seconds in the 110 hurdles at the Morgan State Legacy Meet … posted personal bests in sweeping the 110 and 400 meter hurdles events at the MEAC Outdoor Championships … ran a time of 13.68 in the fi nals of the 110 hurdles and 50.40 to win the 400 hurdles, earning him Co-Most Outstanding Runner honors at the conference championship … placed seventh out of 27 competitors in the fi nal round of the 110 hurdles at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, earning him a spot at the NCAA Out-door Nationals … ran a time of 14.17 at nationals, placing 24th in the nation to earn honorable mention All-America recognition.

2010-11: Indoor: Ran a leg on NSU’s fourth-place 4x400 meter relay team at the Tyson Invitational, where the Spartans ran a time of 3:09.40 …ran a season-best 60m hurdles time of 7.98 seconds in the prelims at the Penn State National … fi nished third in the MEAC in the 60 hurdles with time of 7.99 seconds (prelims) and 8.00 (fi nals). Outdoor: NCAA East Regional qualifi er in the 110 hurdles, but did not compete there … ran a season-best time of 13.72 seconds in the MEAC Outdoor Championship prelims … ran a leg on NSU’s third-place 4x100 meter relay team at the conference meet (40.19 seconds) … was also sixth at the MEAC meet in the 200 meters (21.18 prelims, 21.24 fi nals) … ran a leg on NSU’s 4x400 relay team which ran a 3:10.06 to place 13th at the Florida Relays.

2009-10: Redshirted.

2008-09: Indoor: Ran a leg on NSU’s seventh-place 4x400 team at the conference indoor meet. Outdoor: Outdoor season-best times were 14.62 in the 110 hurdles at the Sea Ray Relays and 52.87 in the 400 hurdles at the Penn Relays…ran a leg on NSU’s eighth-place 4x400 fi nishers at the outdoor meet.

High School: Lettered three years in track and one each in football and cross country… won the New York state outdoor title in the 200 meters and the 4x200 meters as a senior…also won district titles in the 100 and 200…personal-best high school times were 10.62 in the 100 meters and 21.30 in the 200…school record-holder in the 200.

Personal: Keith Kweku Nkrumah was born on Nov. 28, 1990…son of Alex and Dorothy Nkrumah…majoring in mass communications.

Personal Records

Indoor

60 Meter Hurdles: 7.77* (Twice, last at 2012 Va. Tech Final Qualifi er)Outdoor

100 Meters: 10.62 (High School)110 Meter Hurdles: 13.68 (2012 MEAC Outdoor)400 Meter Hurdles: 50.40 (2012 MEAC Outdoor)

* School record

Quentin Parker5-9 JuniorSprints/HurdlesMartinsville, Va.Bassett HS

2011-12: Indoor: Competed in three meets during indoor season, at CNU, George Mason and UMES … ran the 400 meters at all three events with a top time of 51.94 at CNU … also ran on the 4x400 team which placed fourth at CNU. Outdoor: Ran a career-best 400 hurdles time of 53.85 seconds, placing ninth out of 16 runners at the MEAC Outdoor Championship … posted a time of 54.34 seconds to earn fourth place at the Morgan State Legacy Meet.

2010-11: Indoor: Competed in the 400m at the CNU Vince Brown In-

vitational and the Father Diamond Invitational … also ran a leg on the winning 4x400 relay team at the Vince Brown Invitational. Outdoor:

Ran the 400 meter hurdles for the Spartans during outdoor season … ran a personal-best time of 56.89 seconds to earn an eighth-place fi nish at the Donald Webster Invitational at Coppin State.

High School: Lettered four years in track and one in football…was district champion in the 200 meters as a senior…placed second in the region in both the 200 and 400…placed second in the state indoor meet in the 500.

Personal: Quentin Jamal Parker was born on July 10, 1992…son of Willie Parker and Pamela Strickland…majoring in exercise science.

Personal Records

Indoor

500 Meter Dash: 1:07 (High School)Outdoor

400 Meter Dash: 49.5 (High School)400 Meter Hurdles: 53.85 (2012 MEAC Outdoor)



Andre Pickett5-9 SophomoreSprintsHampton, Va.Hampton HS

2011-12: Indoor: Competed at the CNU and George Mason meets … ran a 200m time of 23.34 at George Mason … participated in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay at the CNU Holiday Open. Outdoor:

Competed in one meet, running the 400 meters at the NSU Relays (52.15).

High School: Two-year letterwinner in track and fi eld … helped Hampton’s 4x400 relay team win the Peninsula District title and place third

Personal: Andre D. Pickett was born on March 21, 1992 … son of Sandra Pickett and Jessie Tucker … majoring in building construction technology.

Personal Records

Outdoor

200 Meters: 23.50 (High School)400 Meters: 50.98 (High School)

Vincent Rono5-7 SeniorLong DistanceBomet, KenyaMogotio Secondary

2011-12: Cross Country: Captured his third consecutive All-MEAC award by fi nishing sixth at the conference championship meet in 26:25.75 … season-best 8K time was a 25:46.10 at the Great Ameri-can Cross Country Festival, where he fi nished fourth overall. Indoor:

Placed eighth at the MEAC Indoor Championship in the 5,000 meters (15:29.72) … ran a season-best 3,000m time of 9:14.13 at the CNU Holiday Open. Outdoor: Earned two top-fi ve fi nishes at the MEAC Out-door Championship … crossed the line third in the 3,000m steeple-chase (9:55.98) … fi nished fi fth in the 5,000m (15:36.06) … won the steeplechase at the NSU Relays in 9:54.68.

2010-11: Cross Country: Finished as the MEAC runner-up at the conference cross country championship in a personal-best 8K time of 24:40.90…won the individual title and earned MEAC Runner of the Week accolades after running a time of 25:30.19 at the UMES Lid-Lift-er to open the season…clocked a 25:24.91 to fi nish fi fth overall and second on the squad the following week at U.Va…placed second on the 6K course at the Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge (18:33)…broke 25 minutes on an 8K course for the fi rst time in his career with a time of 24:59.5 to place second overall at Great American…led NSU runners with a 40th-place fi nish at the 10K NCA Southeast Regional (31:50.50). Indoor: Finished top-fi ve in the both the 3,000m (fi fth, 8:59.81) and the 5,000m (fourth, 15:28.40) at the MEAC Indoor Championship…fi nished seventh in the 3,000 at Virginia Tech’s Hokie Invitational in an indoor PR of 8:54.71. Outdoor: Placed sixth in both the 3,000m steeplechase (9:45.42) and the 5,000 meters (15:13.15) at the MEAC Outdoor Championship…ran a season-best 5,000m time of 15:10.68 at the Raleigh Relays, fi nishing 21st.

2009-10: Cross Country: Earned All-MEAC honors by placing seventh

at the conference championship in a time of 26:30…season-best time was 25:40.70, which earned him 11th place at the Lou Onesty Invita-tional. Indoor: Redshirted. Outdoor: Ran a season-best 5,000m time of 14:43.29 in fi nishing 10th at the Sea Ray Relays…took third place at the MEAC Outdoor Championship in 15:12.29.

2008-09: Indoor: Ran an indoor school-record time of 14:33.15 to win the 5,000 meters at the Hampton Invitational in his collegiate debut…named the MEAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for that perfor-mance…at the MEAC Indoor Championship, placed fi fth in the 5,000 and seventh in the 3,000. Outdoor: Season-best outdoor time in the 5,000 meters was 15:50.81 at the Wake Forest Open.

Before NSU: Top time in the 5,000 was 14:43…has run a personal-best of 30:16 in the 10,000 meters.

Personal: Vincent Kipkemoi Rono was born on June 22, 1986…son of Daniel and Selina Chepckwony…majoring in physics.

Personal Records

Cross Country


3,000 Meters: 8:54.71 (2011 Hokie Invite)5,000 Meters: 14:33.15 (2009 Hampton Invite)Outdoor

3,000m SC: 9:45.42 (2011 MEAC OD)5,000 Meters: 14:43.29 (2010 Sea Ray Relays)



Johnathan Ross5-7 SeniorJavelinFairburn, Ga.Sandy Creek HS

2011-12: Outdoor: Competed in three meets, the Shamrock Invita-tional, the Raleigh Relays and the MEAC Outdoor Championship … posted a personal-best throw of 157-6 at the MEAC Outdoor Champi-onship, fi nishing eighth … was 21st at the Raleigh Relays (145-3) and 36th at the Shamrock Invitational (148-5).

2010-11: Outdoor: Threw a season-best 147-7 in the javelin at the

Sea Ray Relays … fi nished ninth at the MEAC meet with a top throw of 139-7.

2009-10: Outdoor: Posted a distance of 133-10 at Wake Forest.

High School: A four-year letterwinner in track…also lettered three years in football…personal-best throw was 149-11 in the javelin…ran on the AAA state championship 4x100 relay team his junior year, when he helped Sandy Creek win the state team title…also ran on the state champion 4x100 relay team as a sophomore.

Personal: Johnathan P. Ross was born on May 24, 1991…son of John and Patricia Ross…majoring in business.

Personal Records

Outdoor

Javelin: 157-06 (2012 MEAC Outdoor)

For the latest in Norfolk State University athletics, including news, schedules, statistics, player

biographies, video features and more, visit www.nsuspartans.com.

Kenneth Smith6-0 SeniorSprintsNewport News, Va.Woodside HS

2011-12: Indoor: Ran a season-best 400-meter time of 49.55 seconds to place eighth at the Hokie Invitational … also a staple of NSU’s 4x400 relay team … helped the Spartans clock a season-best relay time of 3:10.66 for a second-place fi nish at the Tyson Invitational … helped NSU win the 4x400 relay at Penn State (3:11.84) … ran the third leg on the MEAC Indoor Championship meet-record setting team that cap-tured a gold medal (3:14.24). Outdoor: Ran a 200-meter PR of 21.24 seconds to take sixth place at the NSU relays … also placed fourth in the 400 meters at the same event (49.31) … clocked a 21.34 at the MEAC Outdoor Championships, good for 14th place out of 22 compet-itors … part of NSU’s 4x400 relay team which ran a Division I school record of 3:06.87 to place fi fth at the Florida Relays and qualifi ed for the East Preliminary Round.

2010-11: Indoor: Season-best 400 time was 48.97 at Kent State’s Doug Raymond Invitational, where he fi nished in fourth place … ran the 400m leg on NSU’s fi rst-place MEAC Indoor Championship distance medley relay team (10:17.17) … also helped the DMR place eighth at Penn State in a season-best time of 10:02.52 … also ran a leg on NSU’s fourth-place 4x400 relay team which placed fourth at the Tyson

Invitational. Outdoor: Helped the 4x400 relay team to a season-best time of 3:10.06, good for 13th at the Florida Relays … best 400m time was 49.49 at Sea Ray Relays.

2009-10: Indoor: Won the 400 at Maryland (50.43)…ran in indoor season-best of 48.79 at Penn State, placing sixth…also the Spartans anchor on the 4x400 relay, Smith helped the team fi nish third at Penn State in a season-best time of 3:10.86…also ran on the fourth place 4x400 team at the MEAC Championship (3:18.71)…placed eighth in the individual 400m at the MEAC indoor meet (49.41). Outdoor:

Helped the Spartans to a second-place fi nish in the 4x400 at the Sea Ray Relays (season-best 3:08.99)…Smith also ran a time of 48.46 in the 400 to take 12th place at the same meet...ran a season-best time of 48.42 to place 11th at the MEAC Outdoor Championship…ran the anchor on both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams at the conference outdoor meet.

High School: Played two years of football and one of soccer…did not run track until his senior season…was a fi rst-team Daily Press All-Star in the 4x400 relay during indoor and outdoor seasons…second-team Daily Press All-Star in the 300 (indoor) and 400 (outdoor)…fi nished second in the district and was a state qualifi er in the 400 meters.

Personal: Kenneth Dewayne Smith was born on April 24, 1991…son of Kenneth and Camilla Smith…majoring in computer science.

Personal Records

Indoor

400 Meters: 48.79 (2010 Penn State National)Outdoor

200 Meters: 21.24 (2012 NSU Relays)400 Meters: 48.42 (2010 MEAC OD)



James Taylor6-3 JuniorSprintsSuff olk, Va.Nansemond River HS

2011-12: Indoor: Ran a season-best 60-meter dash time of 6.74 sec-onds in winning his fi rst-ever MEAC individual event title at the confer-ence indoor championship … that was one of fi ve sub 6.8 times that Taylor ran on the year … placed second in the 60m at the Hokie Invita-tional, clocking a 6.78 in the fi nals … also ran a 6.77 in the MEAC 60m prelims … also placed fi fth in the 200 meters at the Hokie Invitational in 21.62 seconds, his second-best 200m time of the year … fi nished ninth in a stacked 200m fi eld at the Tyson Invitational, but clocked a season-best time of 21.31 … also was part of NSU’s 4x400 relay team which clocked a season-best time of 3:10.66 in a second-place fi nish at the Tyson Invitational, and a meet-record 3:14.24 in winning the gold medal at the MEAC Indoor Championship. Outdoor: Won his fi rst-ever MEAC outdoor event title in the 200 meters … clocked a PR of 20.71 seconds in the MEAC 200m prelims and ran a 20.74 in the fi nals … qualifi ed for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 200m and as part of the 4x400 relay … ran a time of 20.75 in the fi rst round of the NCAA East 200 meters which would have advanced him to the national quarterfi nals, but he was later disqualifi ed for running out of his lane … named MEAC Track Athlete of the Week following a stellar performance at the Florida relays in early April … ran what was then a PR of 20.78 seconds to place 15th in the 200 meters, then ran a leg on the fi fth-place 4x400 team that ran a school Division I record time of 3:06.87 … earlier in the year, placed second in the 200 meters at the Raleigh Relays (21.18) … season-best 400m time was 48.06 at the Shamrock Invitational and fi nished second in 48.29 at the NSU Relays.

2010-11: Indoor: MEAC Indoor runner-up in the 60 meters after clock-ing a time of 6.76 seconds in the fi nals … ran a personal-best time of 6.66 seconds to place second at the Penn State National … also ran

a 6.69 in the prelims … clocked a personal-best indoor 200m time of 21.08 seconds, good for a second-place fi nish, at the Hokie Invitational … that was the fastest time of the season for any Spartan in the 200m … also at the Hokie Invitational, Taylor ran a 6.72 in both the prelims and fi nals of the 60 meters, placing third … named MEAC Track Ath-lete of the Week for his performances at Virginia Tech … placed third in the 200 at the MEAC Championship (21.70) … was second to team-mate Sean Holston in both the 60 (6.81) and 200 (21.65) at Kent State’s Doug Raymond Invitational … also ran a leg on NSU’s fourth-place 4x400 meter relay team at the Tyson Invitational (3:09.40). Outdoor: Did not run compete due to an injury.

2009-10: Sat out the year as a non-qualifi er.

High School: The fi rst athlete in Virginia history to win four gold med-als at a state indoor track meet…Taylor took fi rst place in the 50, 300 and 500 meters as well as the long jump his senior year at the 2009 VHSL State Group AAA indoor meet…ranked among the top fi ve high schoolers in the nation in all four events…earned fi rst place in the 200 at the 2009 National Scholastic Indoor Championship…during outdoor season, won state titles in the 200 (21.68) and 400 (47.12, PR) meters as a senior, while placing second in the long jump (25-0, PR) and 100 meters…ran a personal-best time of 21.15 in the 200 meters in the prelims of the 2009 Nike Outdoor Nationals, where he eventu-ally placed third…took second in the long jump at the same meet…achieved his PR in the 100 meters his senior year at the NSU Invitation-al (10.61)…as a junior, was state indoor champion in the long jump and on Nansemond River’s 4x200 relay team…also won the long jump at the Penn Relays his junior season.

Personal: James Lorenzo Taylor was born on June 30, 1990…son of James and Claudette Taylor…majoring in sociology.

Personal Records

Indoor

60 Meter Dash: 6.66 (2011 Penn State National)200 Meters: 21.08 (2011 Hokie Invitational)400 Meter Dash: 47.12 (High School)Long Jump: 24-8 (High School)Outdoor

100 Meter Dash: 10.61 (High School)200 Meter Dash: 20.71 (2012 MEAC Outdoor)Long Jump: 25-0 (High School)

Robert Thrasher5-11 JuniorJumpsVirginia Beach, Va.Cox HS

2011-12: Indoor: Jumped an indoor PR of 6-8.25 to tie teammate John James for second place at the Coach O Invitational at UMES … placed seventh at the MEAC Indoor meet with a top height of 6-7 … cleared 6-6.25 to fi nish in seventh at the Hokie Invitational. Outdoor:

Cleared a season-best 6-6.75 in taking fi fth place at the NSU Relays … posted a top leap of 6-4 to take sixth at the Morgan State Legacy Meet … tied for sixth place at the MEAC Outdoor Championship (6-3.25).

2010-11: Indoor: Finished sixth at the MEAC Indoor Championship with a season-best 6-6.25 clearance … cleared 6-6 to earn fi fth place at the CNU Vince Brown Invitational. Outdoor: Season-best high jump height was 6-4.75, which he cleared at both the Sea Ray Relays (11th place) and MEAC Outdoor Championship meet (seventh place).

High School: VHSL Group AAA state outdoor qualifi er in the high jump as a senior, placing sixth with a height of 6-5…personal-best high school jump was 6-6…lettered three years in football, basketball and track…as a senior, was an honorable mention all-district pick in both football and basketball while serving as a team captain in both.

Personal: Robert Lee Thrasher was born on Sept. 17, 1991…son of Robert and Debbie Thrasher…majoring in psychology.

Personal Records

Indoor

High Jump: 6-8.25 (2012 Coach O Invitational)Outdoor

High Jump: 6-6 (High school)

RETURNER PROFILES

3 3W W W. N S U S PA R TA N S. C O M

Chad Allen5-9 SophomoreHurdlesCentreville, Va.Fairfax HS

High School: Lettered four years in track and two in football … was track team MVP as a senior, when he set the school record in the 300 hurdles (38.5) … state qualifi er as a senior in the 300 hurdles, fi nishing ninth at the state Group AAA outdoor meet … helped the 4x100 relay team place in the top 25 at the Penn Relays during his junior year.

Personal: Chad Ulysses Allen was born on Jan. 5, 1993 … son of Bill and Lisa Allen … majoring in building construction technology.

Personal Records

Outdoor

110 Hurdles: 14.5 (High School)

NEWCOMER PROFILES NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Johnathan Anderson6-1 FreshmanThrowsAlexandria, Va.T.C. Williams HS

High School: Lettered three years in both track and football … earned all-state honors as a senior when he placed third at the VHSL Group AAA state meet in the shot put with a mark of 53 feet, 1 inch … had personal bests of 54-6.5 in the shot put and 135-8 in the discus.

Personal: Johnathan Robert Anderson was born on Feb. 19, 1993 … son of Robin Denise Anderson … majoring in business management.

Personal Records

Shot Put: 54-6.5 (High School)Discus: 135-8 (High School)

Marcus Anderson6-0 FreshmanHurdlesPrince George’s County, Md.Frederick Douglass HS

High School: A versatile runner who ran both short and intermediate hurdles distances in addition to relay events … placed third at the Maryland 2A state outdoor meet in both the 110 and 300 meter hur-

dles as a senior … ran anchor leg on the state runner-up 4x400 relay team and the lead-off leg on the fourth-place 4x200 relay squad … named track team MVP for indoor season, when he helped Frederick Douglass to the state 1A/2A state title … ran on the state champion-ship 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams and placed fourth in the 55 meter hurdles.

Personal: Marcus Aaron Anderson was born on April 15, 1994 … son of Ernest and Mildred Anderson … majoring in computer science.

Personal Records

Outdoor

110 Meter Hurdles: 14.29 (High School)400 Meter Hurdles: 59.24 (High School)

Jamarian Bates6-0 FreshmanJumpsEttrick, Va.Matoaca HS

High School: Was state Group AAA indoor long jump champion and a New Balance All-American as a senior … set a new PR of 23 feet, 11.25 inches in winning the state indoor long jump title … leapt 23-4 to place fourth at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, earning All-Amer-ican recognition … named the Richmond Times Dispatch’s Metro Track Athlete of the Year in the spring … was Central District outdoor

champion in the 100, 200, long jump and on the 4x100 relay team … Central Region long jump and triple jump champion … qualifi ed for the state outdoor meet in both jumping events, earning all-state honors by placing fourth in the triple jump (PR of 47-3.5) … was also state outdoor long jump champion as a junior … has run a PR of 10.81 seconds in the 100 meters … in addition to lettering four years in track, also played two years of basketball.

Personal: Jamarian De’Marco Bates was born on Jan. 12, 1994 … son of Corey and Angela Scott … undecided on a major.

Personal Records

Indoor

Long Jump: 23-11.25 (High School)Outdoor

100 Meters: 10.81 (High School)Long Jump: 23-8 (High School)Triple Jump: 47-3.5 (High School)



De’Von Booker5-8 FreshmanHurdlesPortsmouth, Va.Churchland HS

High School: Competed in cross country and track and fi eld … Eastern District champion in the 55 hurdles (indoors) and Eastern Region champ in the 300 hurdles (outdoors) as a senior … was also a state qualifi er in the 300 meter hurdles.

Personal: Full name is De’Von Marquis Booker … born on Jan. 24, 1994 … son of Christina and Cedric McCrary … majoring in electronic engineering.

Personal Records

Outdoor

400 Meter Hurdles: 54.86 (High School)

Joshua Carino5-6 FreshmanLong DistanceWilliamsburg, Va.Lafayette HS

High School: Three-time letterwinner in cross country and track and fi eld … earned All-Bay Rivers District cross country honors during his junior and senior year … ran a 5K personal best time of 16:54 as a senior … helped Lafayette place third at the VHSL state Group AA cross country and outdoor track championships.

Personal: Full name is Joshua Carino … born on Jan. 7, 1994 … son of Beverly and Alfredo Carino … majoring in information systems.

Personal Records

5,000 Meters: 16.54 (High School)

Steve Coles6-3 FreshmanSprintsTappahannock, Va.Essex HS

High School: Played two years of football and lettered one year in track … was state Group A champion in the 400 meters as a senior in a personal-best time of 48.75 seconds … was also district and Region A champion in both the 200 meters and 400 meters … was a two-time fi rst-team all-region performer in football.

Personal: Steve E. Coles was born on Aug. 19, 1993 … son of Steve and Shelia Coles … majoring in psychology.

Personal Records

Outdoor

400 Meters: 48.75 (High School)

Justin Dozier5-8 FreshmanPole VaultVirginia Beach, Va.Tallwood HS

2011-12: Sat out as a non-qualifi er.

High School: Three-year letterwinner in both cross country and track and fi eld … placed fi fth in the Beach District meet in the pole vault as a senior … cleared a personal-best 11-6 to place ninth at the Eastern Region outdoor championship.

Personal: Justin L. Dozier was born on Oct. 25, 1992 … son of Walter and Lillian Dozier … majoring in computer science.

Personal Records

Indoor

Pole Vault: 11-0 (High School)Outdoor

Pole Vault: 11-6 (High School)


RETURNER PROFILES NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDENEWCOMER PROFILES NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Marcus Finney6-1 FreshmanHurdlesLeesburg, Va.Heritage HS

High School: State Group AA outdoor champion in both the 110 and 300 meter hurdles as a senior … established new PRs in both events at the state meet, clocking a 14.10 in the 110 hurdles and

38.53 in the 300 hurdles … was Dulles District champion in the 110 hurdles, runner-up in the 100 meters and top fi ve in both the high and long jumps … also Region II champ at 110 hurdles and runner-up in the 300 hurdles … as a junior, when his team competed in Group AAA, was third at the state outdoor meet in the 110 hurdles … lettered all four years in football and track and one in basketball.

Personal: Marcus Xavier Finney was born on Oct. 17, 1993 … son of John and Ginger Finney … plans to major in physical education.

Personal Records

Outdoor

100 Meters: 10.91 (High School)110 Meter Hurdles: 14.10 (High School)

Desmond Fogg6-1 FreshmanLong DistanceNewport News, Va.Warwick HS

High School: Competed in cross country and track … helped

lead Warwick’s 4x800 relay team to a fi fth-place fi nish at the state Group AAA outdoor track meet … state outdoor meet qualifi er and placed third in the Eastern Region in the mile … Peninsula District mile and two-mile champion during outdoor season, and doubled as two-mile champion during indoor season … Peninsula District runner-up and state meet qualifi er during cross country season.

Personal: Full name is Desmond Dion Fogg … born on April 11, 1994 … son of Gloria and Dana Fogg … majoring in interdisciplin-ary studies.

Personal Records

Mile: 4:23.25 (High School)5,000 Meters: 16:37.20 (High School)

Kipchirchir Kiptoo5-8 JuniorLong DistanceAinabkoi, KenyaOle Miss

At Ole Miss: SEC All-Freshman honoree after placing 25th at the SEC Championships as a freshman in 2011 … helped team

to a fi fth-place fi nish at the conference meet … as a sophomore in 2011-12, ran a season-best 8K time of 25:16.72 at the Greater Louisville Classic … competed in the 10,000 m at the SEC Outdoor Championship, running a season-best time of 33:16.15.

High School: Attended Simotwo High School in Ainabkoi, Kenya ... recipient of the District Athletic Certifi cate and Provincial Athletic Certifi cate in the 5K ... ran the 10K at the Tambach Training Teach-ers College meet.

Personal: Kipchirchir Kiptoo was born on Oct. 10, 1988 … son of Samuel and Linaa Kiptoo… majoring in biology.

Personal Records

5,000 Meters: 25:03.66 (2010 SEC XC Championship)

Kyle Green5-8 FreshmanSprintsSuff olk, Va.Nansemond River HS

High School: Lettered four years in track and two in football … was track team MVP during indoor season and won the Coaches Award during outdoor season his senior year … helped his 4x400 meter relay team qualify for the state outdoor meet as a senior … was fourth at the state Group AAA indoor meet in the 300 meters (35.42) … also won the Coaches Award as a sophomore and junior.

Personal: Kyle V. Green was born on March 20, 1994 … son of Rich-ard and Maria Green … majoring in electronic engineering.

Personal Records

Outdoor



NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDENEWCOMER PROFILES

Damian Smith5-10 FreshmanSprintsVirginia Beach, Va.Green Run HS

High School: Two-year letterwinner in track and fi eld … was a three-time Beach District indoor champion as a senior, winning gold in the 55 and 300 meters and with the 4x400 relay team …

placed third at the state Group AAA indoor meet in the 300 meters as a senior … during outdoor season, was Beach District runner-up in the 100 and 200 meters and long jump … placed third in the 100 and second in the 200 (21.88 seconds) at the Eastern Region outdoor meet … ran PRs of 10.91 in the 100 and 21.69 in the 200 as a senior … was all-state in the 55 and 200 as a junior …was a second-team all-district receiver and kick returner as a senior for the GRHS football team.

Personal: Damian G. Smith was born on Oct. 8, 1993 … son of Damian Smith and Angela Henderson … majoring in business.

Personal Records

Outdoor


Michael Smith6-3 FreshmanHurdlesVirginia Beach, Va.Salem HS

High School: Four-year letterwinner in track … was Beach District outdoor champion in the 110 hurdles as a senior … placed third in the Eastern Region and qualifi ed for the state meet … was also dis-trict champion in the 55 hurdles and also an all-region and all-state performer as a sophomore and junior … also ran on the district championship 4x200 relay team as a junior.

Personal: Michael Leon Smith was born on April 1, 1994 … son of Mike and Alana Smith … majoring in mass communications.

Personal Records

Outdoor

110 Meter Hurdles: 14.96 (High School)

Sammy Kiptoo6-2 FreshmanMiddle/Long DistanceIten, KenyaTambach Boys HS

High School: Ran PRs of 24:50 for 8,000 meters, 14:50 for 5,000 meters and 8:50 for 3,000 meters.

Personal: Sammy Kimutai Kiptoo was born on Jan. 8, 1992 ... son of Luka Kimengich and Milka Kimoi ... majoring in biology.

Personal Records

5,000 Meters: 14:50 (High School)8,000 Meters: 24:50 (High School)

Jerome Scurry Jr.5-9 FreshmanMiddle DistanceBridgeton, N.J.Bridgeton HS

High School: Competed in football and track all four years of high school … helped lead track team to its fourth straight conference championship as a senior … fi nished 2nd in the 800m at the New Jersey State Indoor Championship … earned all-conference honors in the 800, 400 hurdles, and 4x400 relay as a senior … team captain.

Personal: Jerome Scurry Jr. was born on Jan. 24, 1994 … son of Tonia Thompson and Jerome Scurry Sr. … majoring in sociology.

Personal Records

800 Meters: 1:55.49 (High School)


Terrion Smith5-11 FreshmanJumpsNorfolk, Va.Booker T. Washington HS

High School: Lettered two years as a sprinter and jumper on the Booker T. Washington track and fi eld team … placed third in the Eastern District outdoor meet in the triple jump … posted a PR of 44 feet, 1.5 inches at the NSU Relays.

Personal: Terrion Demetrius Smith was born on Dec. 31, 1993 … grandparents are Edgar and Dondrell Smith … majoring in sociol-ogy.

Personal Records

Outdoor

Triple Jump: 44-1.5 (High School)

Tavaris Waddler6-0 FreshmanMulti’sPortsmouth, Va.Wilson HS

High School: Played three years of football and also competed two years for the Wilson track team … in track, was team MVP as a junior … competed in both the 110 and 300 meter hurdles, all three jumping events and the pole vault for Wilson … was a sec-ond-team all-district football player as a senior and was honorable mention as a junior … did not compete in track as a senior.

Personal: Tavaris Lamont Waddler was born on Jan. 31, 1993 … son of LaTaysha Hayes … majoring in business management.

Personal Records

Heptathlon: 3,870 points (High School)

Willard Ward6-2 FreshmanPole VaultPortsmouth, Va.Wilson HS

High School: A two-year letterwinner for Wilson’s track and fi eld

team … was Eastern District indoor champion in the pole vault as a senior … also placed fi fth in the Eastern Region indoor meet with a new PR of 12 feet … qualifi ed for the state indoor championships … during outdoor season, was district runner-up in the pole vault (11-6) … was track team indoor MVP as a senior … as a junior, was district outdoor champ and a regional qualifi er … a member of the National Honor Society.

Personal: Willard Roosevelt Ward was born on March 6, 1994 … son of Samantha Ward … majoring in business.

Personal Records

Pole Vault: 13-1.75 (High School)

Marquis Worsley5-10 FreshmanMiddle DistanceNorfolk, Va.Norview HS

High School: Competed in both track and cross country… as a se-nior, became the fi rst Norview athlete to advance to the state cross

country meet in 12 years … earned All-Eastern District honors his last three years … was a three-time Scholar Athlete award winner … earned All-Eastern Region honors his junior and senior years … ran a season-best 5K time of 15:53 … won district indoor titles in the 1,000 meters and mile as a senior … placed fi fth in the 1,000 at the state Group AAA indoor meet … district outdoor champ in the mile.

Personal: Marquis O’Neil Worsley was born May 26, 1994 … son of Cheryl and Henry Worsley … majoring in kinesiology.

Personal Records

Mile: 4:29.14 (High School)5,000 Meters: 15:53 (High School)




2012 NSU MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

INDOOR PERFORMANCE LIST

Event Time/Mark Athlete/Event 60m 6.69 Sean Holston/Va. Tech Final Qualifi er200m 20.68!c Sean Holston/MEAC Indoor Champ.400m 46.54! Sean Holston/Tyson Invitational 800m 1:53.82 Josef Tessema/Vince Brown Invite Mile Run 4:07.82! Josef Tessema/Va. Tech Final Qualifi er3,000m 8:16.10! Josef Tessema/Tyson Invitational5,000m 14:47.74 Josef Tessema/MEAC Indoor Champ.60mH 7.77! Keith Nkrumah/Tyson Invitational Keith Nkrumah/Va. Tech Final Qualifi er4x400 3:10.66 Nkrumah, Taylor, Smith, Holston/ Tyson InvitationalDMR 10:04.79 Tessema, Smith, Brown Meseret/ MEAC Indoor Championship LJ 6.86m/22-06.25 D’Sean Brown/MEAC Indoor Champ.HJ 2.11m/6-11.00 John James/Tyson InvitationalTJ N/APV N/ASP 15.62m/51-03.00 Theo Duncan/Dick Taylor InvitationalWeight 16.13m/52-11.00! Ian Copeland/MEAC Indoor Champ.Hept. N/A

! School recordc Converted from a fl at track time

2012 MEAC Indoor Track & Field ChampionshipFeb. 16-18, 2012Landover, Md.

Final Team Results1) Norfolk State 161.52) UMES 93.53) North Carolina A&T 694) South Carolina State 585) Hampton 466) Florida A&M/Morgan State 448) Bethune-Cookman 439) Coppin State 2910) North Carolina Central 2311) Howard 1612) Savannah State 1313) Delaware State 10

NSU’s 2012 MEAC Indoor ChampionsSean Holston - 200m, 400mJames Taylor - 60mJosef Tessema - Mile, 3000m, 5000m (MVP)4x400m Relay - Nkrumah, Taylor, Smith, HolstonDistance Medley Relay - Tessema, Smith, Brown, Meseret

Note: Distances are listed in feet and inches

2012 NSU MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE LIST

Event Time/Mark Athlete/Event 100m 11.12 Quinten Walker/MEAC Outdoor Champ. 200m 20.71 James Taylor/MEAC Outdoor Champ. 400m 46.01 Sean Holston/MEAC Outdoor Champ.800m 1:50.09 Vincent Brown/MEAC Outdoor Champ. 1,500m 3:50.46 Josef Tessema/NSU Relays3,kSC 9:48.41 Amos Kipkosgei/NSU Relays 5,000m 14:29.35 Josef Tessema/Raleigh Relays 110mH 13.64 Aramis Massenburg/Raleigh Relays400mH 50.40 Keith Nkrumah/MEAC Outdoor Champ.4x100 40.25 Walker, Taylor, Holston, Smith/ MEAC Outdoor Champ.4x400 3:06.87 Nkrumah, Taylor, smith, Holston Florida Relays LJ 7.61m/24-11.75 Rashad Cannon/NSU RelaysHJ 2.14m/7-00.25 John James/MEAC Outdoor Champ.TJ 12.80m/42-00.00 Robert Thrasher/MEAC Outdoor Champ.PV N/AShot 16.31m/53-06.25 Theo Duncan/MEAC Outdoor Champ.Discus 44.51m/146-00 Ian Copeland/MEAC Outdoor Champ. Javelin 48.00m/157-06 Johnathan Ross/MEAC Outdoor Champ.

2012 MEAC Outdoor Track & Field ChampionshipMay 3-5, 2012Greensboro, N.C.

Final Team Results1) Norfolk State 145.52) North Carolina A&T 953) Bethune-Cookman 784) UMES 735) Hampton 596) Florida A&M 527) Morgan State 508) South Carolina State 47.59) Delaware State 4510) North Carolina Central 3011) Howard 2112) Savannah State 2013) Coppin State 19

NSU’s 2012 MEAC Outdoor ChampionsTheo Duncan - Shot putSean Holston - 400 metersJohn James - High jumpAramis Massenburg - 100 meter hurdlesNathnael Meseret - 1,500 metersKeith Nkrumah - 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles (co-MVP)James Taylor - 200 meters

NCAA East Regional ParticipantsVincent Brown - 800 meters (42nd/prelimm)Rashad Cannon - Long jump (29th/prelim.)John James - High jump (30th/prelim.)Aramis Massenburg - 110 meter hurdles (10th)Keith Nkrumah - 110 hurdles (7th in qrts.), 400 hurdles (37th in prelim.)James Taylor - 200 meters (DQ in prelim)Brown, Taylor, Nkrumah, Smith - 4x400 relay (23rd in prelim.)

NCAA National Championship Qualifi ersKeith Nkrumah - 110 meter hurdles (24th; HM USTFCCCA All-America)


2011-12 IN REVIEW


NSU MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

INDOOR SCHOOL RECORDS

Event Athlete Date/Location Time/Mark55m Tim Montgomery 1996/Gainesville, Fla. 6.2160m Tim Montgomery 1996/Johnson City, Tenn. 6.6560h Keith Nkrumah 2012/Blacksburg, Va. 7.77200m Sean Holston 2012/Landover, Md. 20.68 (c)300m Sean Holston 2010/Blacksburg, Va. 33.36400m Sean Holston 2012/Fayetteville, Ark. 46.54500m Christopher Brown 2001/Fairfax, Va. 1:03.25800m Wycliff e Rotich 2002/Johnson City, Tenn. 1:51.821000m Keenan Harris 2007/Blacksburg, Va. 2:33.39Mile Josef Tessema 2012/Blacksburg, Va. 4:07.823000m Josef Tessema 2012/Fayetteville, Ark. 8:16.105000m David Kemboi 2006/Landover, Md. 14:21.81

4x400 Coffi eld Samuels 1999/Indianapolis, Ind. 3:07.80Relay Donavan Housen Christopher Brown Joel Mascoll

4x800 Kirwayne Holford 2002/University Park, Pa. 7:35.37 Relay Duncan Bitok Joseph Terer William Keown

Distance Hillary Cheruiyot 2006/Landover, Md. 9:40.44Medley Troy WilkersonRelay Dominic Luka David Kemboi

HJ Marlon Woods 2008/Landover, Md. 7-2 ½LJ Corey Vinston 2009/Landover, Md. 25-9 ½ TJ Allen Mortimer 1997/Richmond, Va. 51-9PV Brett Dodd 2010/Landover, Md. 15-7SP Theo Duncan 2010/Landover, Md. 52-7.5Weight Ian Copeland 2012/Landover, Md. 52-11Heptath. Darris Shelton 2009/Landover, Md. 4,408 points

Note: Distances are listed in feet and inches(c) Converted from a fl at track time

NSU MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

OUTDOOR SCHOOL RECORDS

Event Athlete Date/Event Time/Mark100m Steven Riddick 1972/Ill.-NCAA 10.00110mH Aramis Massenburg 2011/Greensboro, N.C. 13.63200m Ramon Clay 1996/Atlanta, Ga. 20.10400m Christopher Brown 2001/Durham, N.C. 45.08400mH Wayne Whyte 1995/Kingston, Jamaica 49.08800m Dominic Luka 2006/Greensboro, N.C. 1:48.12 1,500m Junior Mitchell 1997/Gainesville, Fla. 3:45.913kSC David Kemboi 2006/Durham, N.C. 9:01.155,000m David Kemboi 2006/Raleigh, N.C. 13:58.51

4x100 Malcolm Watts 1996/Philadelphia, Pa. 39.20Relay Ramon Clay Brian Lewis Tim Montgomery

4x200 Malcolm Watts 1996/Philadelphia, Pa. 1:21.80Relay Christopher Duncan Brian Lewis Tim Montgomery

4x400 Lawrance Davis 1971/Philadelphia, Pa. 3:05.89Relay Gus Coleman William Nealy Robert Colbert

4x800 Ephantus Limo 2000/Philadelphia, Pa. 7:28.60Relay Kirwayne Holford Hubert Morgan Wycliff e Rotich

Sprint Christopher Brown 2001/Raleigh, N.C. 3:19.71Medley Michael TempleRelay Donte Lucas Wycliff e Rotich

HJ Adrian Shears 2001/Tallahassee, Fla. 7-5LJ Aaron Heard 1974/Ill.-NCAA 26-2TJ Allen Mortimer 1996/Gainesville, Fla. 54-4PV Barry Pryor 1981/Carolina Relays 16-0SP Ocie Parson 1964/CIAA Champs. 54-10Discus Ocie Parson 1964/CIAA Champs. 148-1Javelin Anthony Hall 1973/Ind.-NCAA 258-7Decath. Meredith Whitties 2008/Baltimore, Md. 5924 points


Name Year Event Place In./Out.

Malcolm Watts/ 1998 4x100m Relay 7th OutdoorChristian Williams/Claude Toukene/Joel Mascoll

Christopher Brown 2000 400m 3rd OutdoorAdrian Shears 2001 High Jump T-7th IndoorChristopher Brown 2001 400m 4th OutdoorDesmond Kapofu 2003 Triple Jump 6th OutdoorMarlon Woods 2009 Long Jump 7th IndoorCorey Vinston 2009 Long Jump 8th Indoor

Name Year Event Place Indoor/

Sean Holston (HM) 2011 400m 19th OutdoorAra. Massenburg (HM) 2011 110mH 21st OutdoorDarris Shelton (HM) 2011 Long Jump 23rd OutdoorKeith Nkrumah 2012 110mH 24th Outdoor

Note: Beginning in 2011, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) began distinguishing between fi rst team, second team and honorable mention All-America. The top eight fi nishers in each event are considered fi rst-team All-America, places 9-16 are considered second team, and the rest are considered honorable mention.

NSU TRACK RECORDS

SCHOOL RECORDS NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE


NCAA Division I Track & Field All-Americans


NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDENSU’S TRACK OLYMPIANS

Norfolk State University track and fi eld boasts six former athletes who have competed in the Summer Olympic Games. They have combined for a total of seven Olympic medals. A former Spartan has compet-ed at every Summer Olympic Games since 1996. Chris Brown (far right in above photo) has competed in the last four Olympic Games for his native Bahamas, and won a gold medal with the 4x400 meter relay

team at London in 2012.

Men Year-Location Event Result

Anthony Hall 1976-Montreal Javelin 15thSteve Riddick 1976-Montreal 4x100 relay Gold medalTim Montgomery 2000-Sydney 4x100 relay Gold medalBrian Lewis 2000-Sydney 4x100 relay Gold MedalChris Brown 2000-Sydney 400m 1st Round 4x400 relay 4th place 2004-Athens 400m Semis 2008-Beijing 400m 4th place 4x400 relay Silver medal 2012-London 400m 4th place 4x400 relay Gold medal

Women Year-Location Event Result

Chandra Sturrup 1996-Atlanta 100m 4th place 4x100 relay Silver medal 2000-Sydney 100m 6th place 4x100 relay Gold medal 2004-Athens 100m 1st Round 4x100 relay 1st Round 2008-Beijing 100m Semis 2012-London 4x100 relay 1st Round


Track & Field Olympians


SAMPLE TEXT NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2012-13MEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDEABOUT THE MEAC

THE MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) begins its 43rd year of intercollegiate competition heading into the 2012-13 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 13 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University.

The MEAC sponsors 15 Division I (FCS) sports with automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason competition in baseball, bowling, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and fi eld, softball and volleyball.

MEAC student-athletes excel on and off the fi eld and several have been recognized on ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America and All-District teams. The MEAC awards two post-graduate scholarships of $5,000 each annually to one male and one female student-athlete who have excelled academically and athletically and are in their fi nal season of intercollegiate athletics eligibility and competition under MEAC and NCAA regulations.

HISTORYIn 1969, a bold ad hoc group of innovators long associated with intercollegiate athletics

met in Durham, N.C., to discuss the feasibility of organizing a new conference. From these dis-cussions, they formed a steering and planning committee to fully investigate the idea, present a detailed report with recommendations to interested collegiate institutions and construct a workshop to outline proposals.

After selecting a proposal and adopting a program, seven institutions (Delaware State College, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State College) agreed to become the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Their major objective was to establish, organize and supervise an intercollegiate athletic program among a compact group of educational institutions of high academic standards with a sound philosophy of co-curricular activities. The conference agreed to seek Division I status for its sports.

The conference was confi rmed in 1970, kicking off its fi rst season of competition in football in 1971.

In 1978, the MEAC reached a milestone when it selected Kenneth A. Free to be its fi rst full-time commissioner. Free served the conference for 18 years before stepping down in May of 1996. In July 1996, Charles S. Harris was named commissioner and served in the capacity until April 2002. On September 1, 2002, Dr. Dennis E. Thomas was named commissioner and has served in the position for nine years.

The conference’s fi rst expansion occurred in October 1979 when Bethune-Cookman College and Florida A&M University were voted into the MEAC as new members. Original members Morgan State, North Carolina Central and Maryland Eastern Shore withdrew from the conference at the end of the 1979-80 fi scal year. Maryland Eastern Shore was readmitted in 1981 and Morgan State returned in 1984. Florida A&M opted to resign in 1984 but rejoined the conference in 1986. Coppin State College was granted admittance in 1985, becoming the ninth member institution.

The MEAC expanded again in the 1990s with the inclusion of Hampton University (1995) and Norfolk State University (1997). The conference expanded once again in 2007, adding Winston-Salem State University. Following the 2009-10 academic/athletic season, however, Winston-Salem State withdrew from the conference and returned to Division II. On July 1, 2010, the MEAC made its most recent expansion with the admittance of North Carolina Central and Savannah State University.

On June 8, 1980, the MEAC was classifi ed as a Division I conference by the NCAA. Prior to that year, the conference operated as a Division II conference. The month after it achieved Division I status, the MEAC received an automatic qualifi cation to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Currently, the conference has automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason play in baseball (since 1994), men’s basketball (since 1981), women’s basketball (since 1982), football (since 1996), softball (since 1995), men’s and women’s tennis (since 1998), and volleyball (since 1994).

The MEAC initiated cross country in 1980, and North Carolina A&T earned the inaugural men’s crown. The fi rst women’s cross country championship took place a year later, with Howard winning the fi rst of its seven titles. Indoor Track and Field was also added in 1981, with South Carolina State capturing the men’s title and Howard winning the women’s crown.

Tennis and golf returned as MEAC-governed sports in 1981 after a fi ve-year hiatus. South Carolina State won all seven of the conference’s golf championships from 1972-

1983 before the sport was discontinued after the 1983 championship. Baseball, which began in 1972, was discontinued following the 1977 season. It was

brought back as a MEAC-governed sport along with women’s volleyball in 1983. Women’s softball became a MEAC-sanctioned sport in 1992.

Bowling was offi cially sanctioned as a MEAC sport in 1999. The MEAC was the fi rst conference to secure NCAA sanctioning for women’s bowling by adopting the club sport prior to the 1996-97 school year.

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTSThe MEAC has enjoyed tremendous athletic success over the years. In 2008, Maryland

Eastern Shore (UMES) defeated Arkansas State 4-2 to win the NCAA Women’s Bowling National Championship, a fi rst for the conference and institution. The Lady Hawks repeated the feat in 2011 and 2012. Also during 2011, UMES won the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC), becoming the fi rst team to win two national championships during the same season.

In men’s basketball, UMES became the fi rst historically black college/university (HBCU)

to participate in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 1974. The Hawks defeated Manhattan, 84-81, in the fi rst round before falling to Jacksonville by two points in the second round. Before the Jacksonville loss, UMES had the best record in the nation at 27-1. That same year, Morgan State won the NCAA College Division II National Championship and junior center Marvin “The Human Eraser” Webster was named the Division II Player of the Year. The 1981 tournament champion Howard Bison became the fi rst MEAC team to play in the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.

Coppin State, Hampton and Norfolk State made history in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament by accounting for half of the six No. 15 seed over No. 2 seed upsets in tourney annals. Coppin State defeated South Carolina in 1997, Hampton defeated Iowa State in 2001 and NSU ousted Missouri in 2012. ESPN’s SportsCenter ranked the CSU and Hampton wins among the Top 10 greatest tournament upsets of all time, while NSU’s win over Missouri was nominated for the Best Upset ESPY in 2012.

In women’s basketball, South Carolina State won the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Division II National Championship in 1979. In 1982, Howard be-came the fi rst MEAC women’s team to participate in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. SCSU earned the conference’s bid in 1983 and became the fi rst MEAC team, men or women, to win an opening-round game in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.

In 2010, The North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies defeated Wake Forest and Charlotte be-fore falling to Miami in the third round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). North Carolina A&T became the fi rst MEAC team and historically black college/university to win two consecutive basketball games in a national postseason tournament.

The No. 13 Hampton Lady Pirates faced No. 4 Kentucky in the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. The 13th seed was the highest seed earned by a MEAC women’s basketball program since the inception of the 64-team bracket in 1994.

In football, the MEAC was instrumental in constructing the Freedom Bowl All-Star Classic, the Heritage Bowl and the Gold Bowl. Prior to Division I competition, the MEAC com-peted in the Gold Bowl, held in Richmond, Va., which matched the MEAC champion against the champion of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). South Carolina State represented the MEAC in 1976 and 1979, winning both outings over Winston-Salem State and Norfolk State respectively. In addition to the 1976 and 1979 crowns, South Carolina State won MEAC football titles in 1974-78, 1980-83, 1994, 2004, 2008 and 2009. The Bulldogs were also named co-champions along with Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M in 2010.

On the track, Hampton’s Francena McCorory set an American record in the 400m dash with a time of 50.54 and defended her national indoor title at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Champion-ships. McCorory, a two-time All-American and three-time MEAC indoor champion in the 400m dash, became the fi rst back-to-back NCAA indoor 400m champion since Suziann Reid of Texas (1998 and 1999). McCorory was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Athlete of the Year for the 2010 Indoor Track and Field season.

In outdoor track and fi eld, North Carolina Central won the fi rst three MEAC titles. The quartet of Melvin Bassett, Robert Ouko, Julius Sang and Larry Black set the world record in the sprint medley relay with a time of 38.19 in the 1972 Olympics. MEAC women began outdoor track and fi eld conference competition in 1980. In 1982, South Carolina State won the AIAW Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championship.

The MEAC has showcased more than 27 athletes in the Olympics. Among them, 11 have earned medals during the Summer Games.

In 2003, Florida A&M became the fi rst MEAC school to win a volleyball match in the NCAA Championship, with a fi rst-round win over Winthrop. In 2004, the Lady Rattlers became the fi rst historically black college/university to rank in the Top 25 of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll.

South Carolina State’s women’s tennis team earned the conference’s fi rst Intercolle-giate Tennis Association (ITA) ranking in a 2005 poll, reaching No. 72.

In softball, Bethune-Cookman earned the conference’s fi rst-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Softball Championship in 2005. The Lady Wildcats defeated Florida, Central Florida and South Florida in the Florida Regional to become the fi rst MEAC school to win an NCAA Division I Softball Regional. Bethune-Cookman ended the 2005 season with the conference’s fi rst-ever rankings in the fi nal softball polls, reaching as high as No. 18.

Florida A&M was the fi rst MEAC baseball team to advance to NCAA postseason play in 1994, falling to Southeastern Louisiana in a best-of-three series. During the 2002 campaign, Bethune-Cookman advanced to the Gainesville Regional and became the fi rst MEAC team to win in the NCAA Tournament with a 7-4 victory over Florida International.


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Documents

2012-13 NSU Men's Track Media Guide