NORFOLK, Va. – Regan Kimtai separated in the final few laps of the last event of Wednesday's action at the 2023 MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, giving the Spartans a crucial momentum boost heading into the last day.
 
Kimtai won the event in nine minutes, 27.15 seconds, just two ticks from a personal record. He also punched his ticket into the finals of Thursday's 800 meter event, posting a time of 1:53.09.
 
After two days of competition, Norfolk State leads the team standings with 67.50 points. The Spartans hold a six-point advantage over Howard, who currently sits in second place.
 
Rayquan Smith also took the podium, finishing third in the decathlon with 4,810 points, while Sadiq Nurse finished fourth (4,692). Smith racked up points by winning the javelin and discus throw sections of the Wednesday's competition to cement his medal status.
 
The Spartans tallied eight points in the long jump thanks to strong performances from a pair of student-athletes. Rodric Cox-Cooper II took fourth with a leap of 22 feet, 9.75 inches, while Camren Wynder-Hill finished sixth (22-6.25).
 
In addition to Kimtai, four more Spartans locked up their spots in Thursday's final heats with strong performances.
 
Kai Cole (10.36) and Anthony Franklin (10.42) qualified in the 100 meter dash, while Jeremiah Zellander posted a personal best of 48.49 seconds to qualify in the 400 meter dash.
 
Joshua Sutton nabbed the final qualifying spot in the 110 meter hurdles. Despite fighting against a headwind, Sutton tied his personal record of 14.37 seconds.