Howard University’s track and field program competed in the Bison Classic at Gallaudet University for its Senior Day meet. The men and women scored 130 points and 124 points, respectively, leading to both teams’ second win of the outdoor season.
Hosted by Howard and Gallaudet, the meet saw the program earn 10 first-place finishes, top-three placements in 14 events, two personal records and multiple season bests.
The men’s 4×100-meter relay made an early statement, with freshmen Mihaly Akpamgbo, Armond Boulware and Jabari Dillard. Alongside them was graduate student Abraham Evans, who raced to a first-place finish with a time of 40.92.
The next standout team performance came in the women’s 400-meter, where the team swept the top four spots. Sophomore sprinter Tiffany Mugubi led the way with a season-best 55.44, followed by senior sprinter Sanaa Morris (57.72), sophomore sprinter Brooke Cochran (57.73) and freshman sprinter Sadie Sanders (58.11).
“Everybody is a competitor despite being teammates or not,” said Mugubi, a biology major. “When we’re competing, we are building ourselves to be better.”
Following this, senior Kobe Huston continued the trend in the 400-meter, crossing the line first to record a 50.29.
The momentum carried into the men’s 110-meter hurdles, where Dillard and senior Jorim Bangue secured second and third-place finishes.
Sophomore hurdler and jumper Jasmen Walker closed out the first half of the meet with a first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles, posting a season-best time of 14.58. She also claimed first in the triple jump with a mark of 11.33 meters.
Going into the 100-meter hurdles, Walker said she felt confident because of her warm-ups. Though she was hoping for a personal best, she accepted the “little win.”
“I feel like… I personally put a lot into the sport, so it feels good to get something back,” Walker, an African American studies major, said. “[Improving] is kind of expected because I feel like I work hard, so it feels rewarding and makes me want more.”
The second half of the meet was filled with first-place victories.
Evans and Boulware placed first and second in the men’s 100-meter, with times of 10.42 and 10.60. Fifth-year senior Kaleb Berry also took home a victory in the 800-meter, clocking in at 1:53.80.
The women’s 800-meter also showed success, as junior distance runner Sarah Seam recorded a personal-best 2:13.90, finishing second. Freshman distance runner Alexis Jones followed with a third-place finish in 2:16.54.
Seam credited her success this season to her intentionality off the track, emphasizing her focus on recovery, nutrition and pushing herself against tougher teammates in practice.
“I actually felt really confident going into the race,” said Seam, a health science major. “Last week, I matched my personal best, so I knew that this week I was definitely going to get under it with the work that we’ve been putting in.”
Sophomore distance runner Esther Kirk recorded the second personal-best of the meet, achieving a fifth-place finish in the 1500-meter with a time of 4.42.67.
The men and women closed out the running events by taking first and second place in their respective 200-meter races. Evans and Boulware led the way on the men’s side, while Cochran and Sanders did the same for the women.
The success extended to the field events, where sophomore thrower Solomon Young secured second in the men’s shot put with a throw surpassing 14 meters.
Freshman jumper Roman Mills stood out, claiming first in the long jump with a mark of 6.67 meters and following it up with a second-place finish in the triple jump at 14.20 meters.
On the women’s side, senior thrower Temi Banwo led the way with a strong showing in the throws, placing second in the hammer throw with a mark of 47.46 meters before claiming first in the shot put at 13.39 meters.
Sophomore thrower Kinnidi Hampton added to the team’s success, earning second place in the discus with a throw of 38.30 meters and taking second in the shot put at 12.42 meters.
Under head coach David Oliver, the program has built a sustained run of success. The women have claimed first place at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor and Outdoor Championships for four consecutive years.
The men’s team has also seen consistent success, finishing second in each of the past three MEAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Oliver credits the program’s achievements to a commitment to greatness.
“Success is not something you can turn off and on, like the light switch from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to sleep,” Oliver said. “If you’re going 100% at everything that you have to do, there’s no way that you can’t be successful.”
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
