Norfolk State men win third consecutive MEAC outdoor track title; women finish runner-up
NORFOLK — Norfolk State senior Kai Cole and junior Victor Jumo aren’t the biggest athletes, but both were huge on Wednesday as they helped lead the Spartans to their third consecutive MEAC Outdoor Championship at William “Dick” Price Stadium.
And for the third time, the Spartans won easily as they scored 204 points, 68 ahead of Howard. This was the program’s first outdoor three-peat since they won seven in a row from 2006-12.
Jumo, a slender 5-foot-10 Kenyan, won the 5,000 meters and 1,500 meters and was runner-up in the 800.
“I’m proud, I’m proud of myself,” said Jumo, who was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete. “We’ve got a good team here and we push each other.”
For Cole, who is 5-foot-5, both of his races were too close to call.
In the 100 meters, he got out fast and had to hold off Coppin State’s Solomon Hammond. Cole ran 10.05 to Hammond’s 10.07.
The 200 meters was even closer.
He again jumped out to the lead. This time, it took nearly three minutes after the race to declare the winner.
“I could sure feel him coming, I’m not going to lie,” said Cole, who ran 20.549 to nip Delaware State’s Jalen Booth-Mitchell (20.550). “But I put all of my training to test, and just kept pushing and pumping my arms. A win is a win.”
The wins were impressive, but Cole’s times were eye-opening as both were personal bests. His previous bests were 10.24 in the 100 and 20.75 in the 200.
“I’m just glad that I was able to do it here, at my last time of running at MEACs,” said Cole, who also qualified for next month’s Olympic trials. “Just to be able to come out and drop my times by that much is just such a blessing.”
The Spartans padded their point total in the distance events as they scored 29 points in the 1,500, 25 points in the 5,000 and 22 in the 10,000.
Other winners were Raphael Kitur (10,000 meters), Basil Koech (3,000 steeplechase) and Isaac Haywood (triple jump).
The women, who finished as runner-up, were led by thrower Leslie Young, a Norcom High grad. She won the shot put, was second in the javelin and discus and fourth in the hammer,
“I was pretty confident about my abilities, but it was just the fact of, ‘Can I produce?’ ” she said. “I was glad that I was able to produce at this meet.”
Other women winners included Mercyline Kimaiyo (5,000 and 3,000 steeplechase), Yvone Sandui (800 and 1,500) and Nyla Ward (long jump).
Kempsville grad Noah Langford had a big day for Howard University as he won the 400 hurdles in a personal-best time of 50.57.
“I wanted that title. I woke up at seven this morning thinking about it. I couldn’t even sleep,” he said. “Just doing it in front of family and friends means everything to me.”
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
