Hampton University Track & Field Captures Top Finishes at MEAC Outdoor Championships

Orlando, Fla. - Despite sophomore Yvette Lewis (Newport News, Va.) being named as the Most Outstanding Female Athlete for winning four events and totaling 55.5 points, the Hampton Women's Track & Field team had their three-year winning streak snapped by Morgan State at the 2005 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The Bears used a strong showing in the field events to total 155 points, finishing ahead of the Lady Pirates who ended the meet with a total of 131 points.

Lewis, who was also named the Most Outstanding Female Athlete at the Indoor Championships back in February, set a conference record for individual points, scoring more than five participating teams. Lewis captured first place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles (13.77), 200-meter dash (23.56), the long jump (6.07) and the triple jump (13.21m). In addition, the Menchville High School graduate also ran on Hampton's first place 4x100 meter relay team, finished second in the 100-meter dash (11.87) and placed third in the high jump.

The Lady Pirates also had top-three performances turned in by Chandra Pulliam (Burlington, N.C.) who took second in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.47), Cetera Bunche's (Wilmington, Del.) third place finish in the 800-meter run (2:15.20) and the 4x400 meter relay team's third place award.

On the men's side, the Hampton men … also trying to defend an Outdoor crown of their own, finished third overall behind champion Florida A&M and runner-up North Carolina A&T.

Desmond Shipp (Columbus, Ohio) cleared a height of 4.05 meters in the pole vault to defend his indoor crown and record Hampton's only first place finish of the weekend. Teammate Christian Siegmund captured third place with a height of 3.90 meters.

Freshman Terrance Burton had perhaps the best all-around competition among the Pirate men's team. Burton placed fifth in the 400-meter dash (46.90), third in the 200-meter dash (21.35) and also ran on Hampton's 4x400 meter relay team that placed second with a time of 3:09.20.

Hurdlers Terry Thornton (Petersburg, Va.) and Andrew Peresta finished second and fifth respectively in the 110-meter hurdles, while Peresta turned things around to place second in the 400-meter hurdles with teammate Horton captured fourth place.

Running together for the first time this season, the 4x100 meter relay team comprised of Pirate football players Travarous Bain (Miami, Fla.), Calvin Bannister (Roanoke, Va.) and Reggie Knox, along with sprinter John Bailey, ran a 40.93 to finish third.