NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State University won its record 12th Talmadge Layman Hill Award as the top men's sports program in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for 2021-22, the MEAC announced on Friday.
NSU, which last won the award in 2016-17, moved past South Carolina State (11) for the most Talmadge Layman Hill Awards in MEAC annals. Howard won the Mary McLeod Bethune Award as the recipient of the 2021-22 women's all-sports award, with NSU placing second. NSU and Howard both received a $20,000 check at this year's MEAC summer meetings in Orlando.
Points are awarded in a descending order beginning with nine points for champions or first-place regular-season finishes. Points are awarded based on regular-season finishes in all sports except indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country and golf. The second-place teams get seven points, third place six, and on. Tied teams split the total points.
NSU finished with 49.5 points in men's competition, three ahead of second-place Howard. The Spartans won four MEAC championships out of its seven-sport men's program. NSU swept the running titles, winning the conference men's cross country, indoor and outdoor track championships. The Spartan men's basketball team also won its second consecutive MEAC title in the spring.
On the women's side, the Spartans finished with 44.3 points on the strength of winning the MEAC women's cross country title and the women's basketball team finishing in a three-way tie for the conference regular-season title. In addition, both the indoor and outdoor track and field teams finished as runners-up. The second-place finish in the Mary McLeod Bethune Award standings matches NSU's best-ever finish.
"I am extremely proud of the student-athletes, coaches and staff for achieving this level of success and recognition," Director of Athletics
Melody Webb said. "Winning the all-sports award is a tribute to the consistent performances of our sports programs throughout the year and the desire to achieve excellence in the classroom and on the field of competition. We look forward to even bigger accomplishments in 2022-23!"
