Bison Are Coming, Are You Ready?

Before my current writing life, there was The Hilltop, Howard University’s and the Nation’s Oldest Black Collegiate Newspaper, where many of the questions and themes I still explore first found their voice. What follows are my early published works, preserved in their original form.

From The Hilltop Archives

Originally published in The Hilltop, Howard University — February 14th, 2003

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Bison Are Coming, Are You Ready?

Last Saturday marked the first annual Black College Track Classic at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Maryland.

 

The idea for the Black College Track Classic was pioneered by Doc Burke, the meet director, who thought getting the Historically Black Colleges and Universities together for an indoor track meet against would be entertaining. 

 

Howard and their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) competitors weren't the only HBCU's in attendance.

 

The National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NAIA), the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC), and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) also mad the trip to Maryland. 

 

The Howard Bison were able to get a taste of the MEAC competition and matched up against schools they wouldn't normally compete against during the season. 

 

The Wilberforce University Bulldogs of Ohio, the Claflin University Panther of South Carolina, and the Southern University Jaguars of Louisiana show the MEAC what their conferences had to offer. 

 

"It was a good idea to get the HBCUs together for a meet," head coach Michael Merritt said. 

 

The Howard Track team is off and running and they continued to display good performances. 

 

They hope to make a case as a major competitor for the MEAC Conference Meet. 

 

"We made a strong showing," Merritt said. "The only problem the CIAA couldn't attend. It would have been a much stronger meet."

 

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is comprised of Division II schools and they were competing in their conference meet the next day.

 

LaClaire Carter, Indira Garcia, David Oliver and Leon Snyder outshined the competition by placing first in their events.

 

Freshmen Carter and Garcia showed spectators and competitors that the class of 2006 runs it. 

 

In the 3000 meter, Garcia finished in a time of 10:53.50 and was backed by her teammates Tasha Harris, Ashley Vann and Alicia Melton who finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

 

Carter jumped 5.75 meters and is currently ranked 16th on Eastern Track Performance list. She also finished seventh in the 200 Meter Dash.

 

Phakiso Collins, Erica Day, Maya Cadwell and Keishia Thorpe also performed well finishing in the top ten in their individual events.

 

David Oliver hasn't showed any signs of slowing until he wins the MEAC championship. 

 

In the preliminaries of the 60-meter hurdles, Jamie McLendon of Southern University beat Oliver by .01 hundredth of a second and looked to take the event. 

 

Oliver had other plans and ruined McLendon's hopes as he flew through the hurdles in a time of 7.96 seconds.

 

In his second year on the team, Snyder won the 800-meter in a time of 1:55.57.

 

He was backed by teammates Khary Kenyatta (1:57.88) and Edgar Sams (1:57.89).

 

Jacoby DuBose, who finished seventh in hurdles, remains optimistic.

 

"My season got of to a slow start, but I am looking forward to placing high in conference," DuBose said. "I look up to David Oliver because he's taught me a lot. He always says 'be you and never worry about the competition.'"

The MEAC Conference Meet will be held on Feb. 21 and 22. The Bison will have one last chance to qualify their remaining team at the George Mason Invite.