LANDOVER, Md. - The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats open competition on Thursday (Feb. 14) at the Prince George's County Sports Complex in Landover, for the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships.
The Wildcats travel 34 athletes to the Championships, looking to improve upon the dual eighth-place team marks from the 2012 meet.
Three Wildcats athletes will be making their a title defense this weekend.
Kadian Dunkley was the victor in last season's 5,000m run with a record time of 18:11.99, but is facing a battle with Maryland Eastern Shore's Petra Kubesova. Dunkley will also take on the 3,000m run, in which she ranks third in the MEAC with a time of 10:19.59.
Sasha Smallwood is the frontrunner in the MEAC indoor season this year in the pole vault, after topping her 2012 record-breaking mark at the Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York, looking to duplicate her
3.70m (12-1.5 ft.) mark this weekend for a chance to repeat in her second season at B-CU.
Also making his mark in the pole vault, Akeem Barthol won the event last year, hitting a height of 4.27m (14-00.00 ft.), but he faces serious competition from Savannah State's Dolphurs Hayes and Howard's Robert Mercer in his chase of the title repeat.
Others among the Wildcats' roster are in high contention for a chance at conference victories of their own.
La'Quan Howard currently holds the second-place mark in the triple jump, hitting a distance of 15.00m (49-2.5 ft.).
Newcomer Keron Stoute will be making his first appearance at the MEAC Championships, currently holding down the lead in the heptathlon, while taking pressure from B-CU's own MEAC outdoor decathlon champion Martin Embry III.
Freshman sprinter Tristie Johnson will make her first MEAC appearance, currently in third in the 200m (24.17) and fourth in the 60m (7.52).
Ricy Brown holds the fourth-best time in the 800m, and is in position to move up the rankings, carrying a time of 1:52.97 into the meet.
Competition at the MEAC Championships runs from Thursday (Feb. 14) to Saturday (Feb. 16).
Results and recaps will be available after the completion of daily competition.
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