LYNCHBURG, Virginia — Following two consistent meets early into the indoor season, the Liberty Open in Lynchburg, Virginia served as a sign for the Maryland Eastern Shore track & field squads that improvement is the only option.
 
Facing a tough field of 28 colleges and universities, plus a slew of individual competitors, the Hawks return to Princess Anne with nothing but hard work ahead of them.
 
"They were anxious knowing the level of competition would either help or expose their ethic," head coach Damion Drummond said. "Hard work and dedication will peak for the team at Norfolk State and definitely conference (action)."
 
Once again Jahlahnee Watkins was an impact member for the Hawks, taking third in the 400m with a 49.01 second run. Recruited as a jumper, the junior from the Bronx has exploded in 2022 as one of the key runners for the Shore.
 
"I have personal goals that I want to achieve and the only way that I can accomplish them is to work hard and be consistent," Watkins said. "I have improved and for that I am grateful — however, there is a lot of room for improvement."
 
Becoming a key runner for the 4x400m on the men's side, Watkins helped the squad take fourth in the closing event of the evening.
 
"I like the fact that we have depth in the event and he will continue to focus on his primary event as being the long jump," Drummond said. "The 4x4 is dearest to my heart and guys know that, so they understand that no matter how successful (or not) I expect the 4x4 relay to be out there because that is a true definition of team spirit."
 
Despite the huge event, the freshmen duo Mackenzi Evans and Spencer Settle acted as veterans in the 60m hurdle. Evans running a 9.32, being able to qualify, with Settle just missing out by finishing ninth in qualifying with a 9.40 attempt.
 
Entering Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference time, it will be up to the pair to make their mark on the conference, bringing light to the Shore.
 
"My expectations for them are far greater than they can imagine," Drummond said. "At times, I have to remind myself they are rookie athletes. They do carry a mature work ethic – they are special hurdlers and will be a force in the MEAC and NCAA sooner than they may see right now."
 
Off the track and in the field, Drummond lends credence to his coaching staff, specifically to coaches Shauna Helps and Rudy Thompson bringing out the best in the jumpers and throwers.
 
The stability of Atinuke Shittu has been an anchor for the Hawks in the pit, but Drummond feels the influence of Helps is developing her into the best she can possibly be. The senior from Germantown, Maryland took fourth in the triple with an 11.74m leap, .02m short of third place.
 
"Nuke came up just shy of her season best from last meet, but it's always good when you can test some of your conference rivals," Drummond said. "NCCU historically does jumps well and have been back and forth with Atinuke over the years.
 
"She is stepping out of her comfort zone following Coach Megan's vision that the extra sprinting in the 200m during competitions will pay dividends in the goal of qualifying for the NCAA in the outdoor season."
 
In the circle, sophomore Story Young took sixth with an 11.09m throw in the shot, marking herself as one of the new faces for the Shore. Drummond commends coach Thompson on the sharp rise.
 
"Finally, securing an experience multies/throws type coach like Coach Rudy has definitely played a roll in reigniting the throws and multies dominant culture the program experienced in the past," Drummond said. "I'm excited to see those event categories on display at the upcoming MEAC championship."
 
With the biggest multi-conference meet out of the way, the Hawks will head to Virginia next weekend to take part in the Kenneth Giles Invitational at Norfolk State University. The meet is traditionally one that hosts a multitude of teams and individuals from across the track and field spectrum, but will be a huge marking point to see where the Shore is as a whole.
 
"The focus will definitely be on securing more individual MEAC qualifying marks and fine tuning in areas we may use to maximize overall team position at the actual MEAC championship," Drummond said. "What's great is that it's the exact venue, so the team gets the chance to do a mock championship."