Feb. 13, 2016 Photo Gallery 
LANDOVER, Maryland - Both of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) men's and women's track & field teams gave it their all in the finale of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Championships today. Unfortunately, the ladies and the rest of their conference counterparts quickly fell behind the eventual champions, Hampton, while the men bounced in and out of first before literally being jumped over by Bethune-Cookman late in the day.
When all was said and done, the men finished third with a total of 103.5 points while the women finished sixth with a total 55.33 points.
In their most crucial events, the men did not disappoint with solid performances in the mile and the 3000 meter run. Junior Khalil Rmidi Kinini (Malaga, Spain) was the catalyst for both by earning two wins. In the 3000 meter run, he set the MEAC Championship record with a time of 8:30.44. Sophomore Oussama Chouati (Malaga, Spain) took the runner up spot in the 3000 with a time of 8:47.86, and freshman Jordan Leon (Baltimore, Maryland) earned runner up positioning in the mile with a time of 4:21.09. Chouati completed the mile trifecta coming in third at 4:21.10.
The Hawk men held a 16-point lead after the mile but were overtaken in the dashes, dropping to as low as fourth. But they rebounded with four scorers in the 3000 meter run, regaining a four point edge. That was short-lived as Bethune-Cookman's exceptional triple jump effort guaranteed them a championship, and North Carolina A&T's 4x400 relay win ensured a second place spot for the Aggies.
Senior Rico Duncan (Cheverly, Maryland) also scored points with his efforts in the shot put. With a distance of 15.11 meters, he came in fifth to earn four points. Junior Taj Showalter (Anchorage, Alaska) secured two points of his own by coming in seventh with a 8.37 second time in the 60 meter hurdles.
Leitch's all around efforts in
various events helped her
team reach sixth in the standings
On the ladies' side, scoring came from a couple different events, starting with sophomore Regyn Davis-Young (Lanham, Maryland) who set a new standard for herself in the shot put with a 13.02 meter toss in the shot put, coming in sixth place. Junior Shauntel Lucius (Newark, New Jersey) scored even more point, coming in third in the triple jump at 12.12 meters.
In the running events, junior Jennaya Hield (Freeport, Bahamas) earned three points individually in two separate events. She earned two points running a 5:20.48 mile to come in seventh and an extra point with a time of 10:47.22, finishing eighth in the 3000 meter run. Fellow junior Shelasia Leitch (Newark, New Jersey) took third in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.62 seconds. Finally, the women's 4x400 relay team-consisting of junior Rachel Halmon (Waldorf, Maryland), freshmen Alicia Colson and Lenneisha Gilbert (Miami, Florida) and sophomore Dypna Umunakwe (Bronx, New York)-earned another six points with a time of 3:48.86.
Between Hampton and UMES were runners up Florida A&M (114), North Carolina A&T (81), Bethune-Cookman (75) and Coppin State (58).
Before postseason championships resume, several players will get another opportunity to qualify in the Boston University Last Chance Meet on February 28th. Then those Hawks who make the cut will return to Beantown for the IC4A/ECAC Championships from March 4th-6th.
