Final Results
BALTIMORE, Md. — Freshman jumper She'Anna Mitchell (Hampton, Va.) took home the high jump title and qualified for the NCAA East Regional after clearing 5 feet, seven and ¾ inches and the 4x100 meter relay team won the bronze medal to help the Norfolk State women's track team to a fifth-place finish on Saturday at the 2008 MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship.
The Spartans ended the meet with 76 points, well ahead of sixth-place finisher Bethune-Cookman who tallied 55 points. Hampton (123), Maryland Eastern Shore (118), North Carolina A&T (94), and Morgan State (80) finished ahead of NSU. It was the sixth consecutive outdoor championship for the Lady Pirates.
After Mitchell, sophomore Jonee Artis (Chesapeake, Va.) and freshman Tanisha Jenkins (Louisa, Va.) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the high jump to help the Spartans tally 18 points in the event. Artis jumped 5-4 ½, while Jenkins cleared 5-2 ½.
The 4x100 team of Dania Sanford (Marshall, Va.), Wanetta Kirby (Richmond, Va.), Portia Davenport (Dale City, Va.) and Tierra Flowers (Coatesville, Pa.) ran an outdoor season-best of 46.27.
NSU had several other good performances on Saturday, including two fifth-place finishes from freshman distance runner Jennifer Chichester (Silver Spring, Md.). She ran the 800 meters in 2:17.16 and the 1500 meters in 4:44.17.
In Saturday's other field events, junior thrower Sasha Wilson (West Columbia, S.C.) came in eighth in the discus (128-6), and freshmen jumpers Janet Brown (Chesapeake, Va.) and Jenkins finished eighth (37-1) and ninth (37 ½), respectively, in the triple jump.
On the track, sophomore Alyssa Pickett (Hampton, Va.) ran a 1:02.01 in the finals of the 400-meter hurdles for a sixth-place finish. The 4x400 team of Davenport, Kirby, Sanford, and Rachel Griffin (Newport News, Va.) came in 10th in 3:55.42.
Mitchell and pole vault winner Candace Shoates (Newport News, Va.) will represent NSU at the East Regionals in Tallahassee, Fla.
“Our girls gave it a great effort and we had a good meet, said head coach Ronda Berard. “We have counted on several of our freshman this year and many of them came through for us. Now we are looking forward to regionals.”
