JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Norfolk State University track stars Kiara Grant and Martha Bissah saw their outdoor seasons come to an end on Saturday night in the quarterfinal round at the NCAA East Preliminary Meet at the University of North Florida.

Grant posted a time of 11.44 seconds in the 100 meters, good for a 19th-place tie out of the 24 runners who competed. Bissah, a redshirt senior, clocked a time of 2:04.23 in the 800 meters, her best of the season, and finished 14th out of 24 in her final collegiate track race.

Grant, who has won five All-America honors in her career, including first-team honors in the 60 meters earlier this indoor season, has one year of eligibility remaining. She was named state indoor track athlete of the year this year, as well.

Bissah concludes her NSU track and field career as a four-time Division I All-American in the 800 meters, the second-most track All-America honors in school history behind Grant. She was a first-team outdoor All-American as a sophomore in 2018, won first-team honors indoors in 2019 in addition to second-team accolades that outdoor season, and was also an indoor All-American in 2020. Bissah won 13 individual MEAC track titles, two MEAC Indoor Most Outstanding Performer awards and is the three-time and defending conference cross country champion.

"The ladies competed to the end. It was a very long season for Kiara and she will welcome the break," said NSU Director of Track & Field Kenneth Giles. "Martha has had a great track and field career and I appreciate the hard work and dedication she has given to the program. She is the queen of middle distance and distance events in the MEAC and at NSU. I look forward to her finishing her cross country career in the fall."