Meet Notes

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Hampton University men's and women's track & field teams will compete in the Penn State National Invitational, which will be held Friday and Saturday at the Ashenfelter Multi-Sport Facility.

The Lady Pirates came in second overall at the Terrapin Indoor Invitational hosted by the University of Maryland this past Saturday at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex, finishing with 120.5 points while host Maryland took the team title with 144 points.

Hampton took home four event titles in the process, with sophomore Emmy Fraenk (Hampton, Va.) taking the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.37, while sophomore Cydney Robinson (Portsmouth, Va.) won the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.75.

Sophomore Alaine Tate (Queens, N.Y.) won the 600-meter run with a 1:33.54. Tate and Robinson also teamed up with senior Claudia Calder (Kingston, Jamaica) and Malekah Holland to take gold in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:51.50.

Meanwhile, the Pirates competed in the Captain's Invitational hosted by Christopher Newport at the Freeman Center this past Friday and Saturday, taking home a pair of event titles. Freshman Edose Ibadin (Glendale, Md.) ran a 1:55.93 to win the 800-meter run, while sophomore Larry Ramirez (Pleasantville, N.J.), sophomore Je'Von Hutchison (Boynton, Fla.), junior Jaleel Rogers (Philadelphia, Pa.) and junior Xavier Fraction (Sewell, N.J.) took gold in the distance medley relay with a combined time of 10:14.76.

Hutchison also came in second in the 600-meter run with a 1:21.14, while freshman Tyler Jackson (Woodbridge, Va.) ran a 27.46 to come in second in the 200-meter hurdles. Senior Devan Clark (Lorton, Va.) finished second in the weight throw at 14.19 meters.

Both teams competed in this meet last season, winning a combined four event titles.

The Lady Pirates took gold in the distance medley relay, running an 11:51.71, while the Pirates claimed the other three events in what was one of their strongest meets of the 2010-11 indoor season.

Reggie Dixon (Plainfield, N.J.) took the 60-meter dash in last year's Penn State National, running a school-record 6.58 in the final, while Hutchison ran a 48.41 in the 400-meter dash to win his first collegiate event.

Former Pirate Damon Dixon also won the men's heptathlon in last year's meet, recording a school-record 5,312 points after winning four of the seven events — and tying for the top spot in another event. Damon Dixon never placed lower than sixth in any of the events.

As of rankings released on Jan. 20, Reggie Dixon leads the MEAC in both the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, while freshman Chidi Okezie (Philadelphia, Pa.) is atop the conference in the 400-meter dash and Hutchison leads the MEAC in the 800-meter run.

The Pirates also hold the best 4x800-meter relay time in the MEAC, while senior Bennett Taylor (Seattle, Wash.) is atop the conference in the men's heptathlon.

On the women's side, freshman Le'Quisha Parker (Silver Springs, Md.) leads the MEAC in the 200-meter dash as of Jan. 20, while senior Benita Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa.) is atop the conference in the 800-meter run.

Sophomore Breana Norman (Virginia Beach, Va.) leads the MEAC in the 60-meter hurdles, and the Lady Pirates sit atop the MEAC in the 4x400-meter relay, 4x800-meter relay and distance medley relay.

For more information on Hampton University track & field, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.