With one of the youngest rosters in recent years, Howard University’s cross country program is preparing for the 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship in November.
The Bison closed out their regular season Oct. 18 at the 2025 Bison Invite, where both teams showcased the depth and potential of their underclassmen runners.
The men’s team, for example, has just two upperclassmen and after the graduation of seniors Joslyn Crosby and Camille Egbula, who contributed to the women’s team’s 2022 MEAC Championship victory, the Bison now depend on the younger runners to play major roles in the program.
Freshman Alexis Jones is another one of those players, recently winning the 5k race in the 2025 Bison Invite and being announced as MEAC female runner of the week on Oct. 22.
Egbula was part of the reason Jones decided to join the Bison, she said. She saw Egbula’s success under the leadership of Coach Dameon Morgan and believed he could help her achieve that same level of success.
“The track team was a huge plus [ to Howard] because I wanted to work under Coach Morgan because of an athlete that he coached last year,” Jones said. “[Camille Egbula] ended up going to regionals and I have big goals for this year, so I think he will be able to coach me to reach those goals.”
Sophomore William Shepherd, who won All-MEAC recognition for his performance during last year’s MEAC Championships, has taken on an informal leadership role for the men’s team.
“I would say there’s a lot of drive in everyone because we all come to Howard with a lot of big goals coming out of high school,” said Shepherd, an engineering major. “The freshman class last year, that included me, had that drive and the freshman class this year is the same way.”
Dameon Morgan has coached the team for over three years, assuming the role of cross country head coach and track & field assistant coach in spring 2022.
This is the first time Morgan has had to coach a young team at Howard according to the teams’ past rosters. However, his coaching approach stays the same.
“When you have a younger group, you have to be patient with yourself and remind yourself every day they’re young. But I wouldn’t say it’s any different tactics,” Morgan said. “It’s just me being patient with myself and knowing that it’s a learning curve.”
The cross country team travels to Cary, North Carolina, to participate in the 2025 MEAC Championships on Nov. 1.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
