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Norfolk State University Athletics

Martha Bissah
Nick Sutton | KineticStills.com

Bissah Wins 2 Golds, Grant Sets Jamaican Record at MEAC Outdoor Meet

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Martha Bissah completed another unbeaten year in MEAC individual running competitions as she defended her conference outdoor titles in the 800 and 1,500 meters Saturday on the final day of the MEAC Championships at North Carolina A&T.

Bissah set a new PR and ran the fastest time in the NCAA East Region (based on times through Friday) with a clocking of 2 minutes, 3.13 seconds. She just missed out on the MEAC record of 2:02.82 set by Ce'iara Brown of Hampton in 2016. Bissah has now won all six 800m MEAC titles in her Spartan career (three indoor and three outdoor).

Earlier in the day, Bissah defended her MEAC outdoor title in the 1,500 meters, running a time of 4:28.62. She also won conference indoor titles in the 800 and mile in February, was MEAC cross country champion last fall and thus did not lose a conference individual race in any of the three running seasons during the 2018-19 academic year.

Another highlight Saturday came from sophomore Kiara Grant in the 100 meters. After running a wind-aided time of 11.07 seconds in Friday's prelims, Grant won the silver in a legal time of 11.11 seconds on Saturday. She will be among the top 10 NCAA East Preliminary Round with either time.

Grant, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, also set a new Jamaica under-20 national junior record with her performance. She topped former Olympic 200m gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown's 19-year old record of 11.12.

Sophomore Malika Pride also posted a personal record on the final day of competition. Pride shaved more than a second off her PR in the 400 meters, clocking a time of 53.50 seconds to place fourth.

Also on Saturday, junior Daiysa Burrell was sixth in the javelin (98 feet, 9 inches) and senior Tyrika Lee placed seventh in both the 100 and 200-meter dash events.

To cap the meet, the team of Pride, Bissah, Lee and Grant placed seventh in the 4x400 meter relay

The Spartans finished fifth in the team standings, with 65 points. North Carolina A&T won the team title.

Bissah, Grant, Lee, Pride and DaJah Parker-Love (100m) all have posted times which should qualify for them for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in three weeks in Jacksonville, Florida. Entries will be announced in another week.
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