2014-15 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS 70 @MEACSPORTS MEACSPORTS Hampton University won its 14th consecutive Mary McLeod Bethune Women’s All-Sports Award and Bethune-Cookman captured its second straight Talmadge Layman Hill Men’s Award. The All-Sports Awards highlight the overall strengths of the men’s and women’s athletic programs. Each institution was presented a $20,000 check during a reception at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Miami, Florida. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was recognized during the reception as the 2014 recipient of the MEAC Highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for the sixth straight year. In addition to the recognition, UMES was presented a check for $25,000. UMES’ 88-percent GSR is the highest among any MEAC institution spanning the 2004-07 cohorts. Hampton’s women’s program totaled 94 points in the All-Sports tally. The Lady Pirates won conference titles in Indoor Track and Field, Volleyball and Women’s Basketball. Hampton also earned conference automatic bids to the 2014 NCAA Women’s Division I Volleyball championship. Bethune- Cookman and Florida A&M finished tied for second place with 88.5 points. This is the third straight year that the Lady Rattlers athletic programs have finished second in the tally. North Carolina A&T State finished third (78 points) and Norfolk State edged out Morgan State by five-tenths of a point to finish fourth respectively. Bethune-Cookman continues to strengthen its men’s programs, totaling 86.2 points to secure its second overall All-Sports trophy. The Wildcats earned a share of the football title and finished first in Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field. B-CU also garnered runners-up finishes in men’s tennis, golf and baseball. Maryland Eastern Shore finished second on the men’s side (75) followed by North Carolina A&T State and North Carolina Central finished tied for third (68.7). Hampton concluded the season fourth (63.5) and Florida A&M (62) rounded out the top five finishers. Cross Country The Maryland Eastern Shore men and Florida A&M women won the 2014 MEAC Cross Country titles at the Delaware State University Outreach and Research Center in Smyrna, Del. The win was the first for the Hawks men as Khalil Rmidi Kinini was named the men’s outstanding performer after posting a top time of 25:53.60 on the 8K course. UMES head coach Ernest Barrett was named the men’s outstanding coach. On the women’s side, Barbora Blahutova, also of UMES, finished at the top of all finishers with a time of 25:04.00. FAMU’s Darlene Moore was named the women’s outstanding coach. Maryland Eastern Shore men registered 45 points to win its first crown, while Florida A&M women recorded 38 points to earn the title. Volleyball The Hampton Lady Pirates finished at the top of the conference standings with a 11-1 record in the north to clinch the regular season divisional title. Florida A&M finished with a 9-1 mark to earn the divisional crown in the south. Vendula Strakova of Hampton was named Player of the Year, while Florida A&M’s Pamela Soriano earned Rookie of the Year accolades. Howard’s Shaun Kupferberg was selected as the Coach of the Year. Hampton defeated Howard, 3-0, to win the 2014 tournament title. Hampton’s Strakova was named Outstanding Performer. Lady Pirates’ head coach Karen Weatherington received the tournament’s Outstanding Coach honor. The Lady Pirates earned the conference automatic berth to the NCAA Division I tournament. Hampton fell to North Carolina in the first round of the playoffs, 3-0, finishing the season with a 21-11 overall record. Football Following an exciting finish to the 2014 MEAC football season, the Morgan State Bears earned a five-way share of the conference’s title and was awarded the automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I Championship. Morgan State vaulted to the top of the five-way tiebreaker process based on wins over tied conference opponents North Carolina Central and South Carolina State. Morgan State, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State all finished at 6-2 in MEAC play. Howard’s Greg McGhee and North Carolina A&T State’s Tarik Cohen were named Co-Offensive Players of the Year. South Carolina State’s Javon Hargrave and Darius Leonard earned Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors, respectively. Darren Pinnock of Morgan State garnered Offensive Lineman of the Year and Bears’ head coach Lee Hull was named Coach of the Year. The Bears fell to Richmond, 46-24, in the first round of the NCAA Division I (FCS) Playoffs. Indoor Track and Field The Hampton women’s and Bethune-Cookman men’s programs won the 2015 MEAC Indoor Track and Field titles at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Md. On the women’s side, the Lady Pirates recorded 112.5 points to win their fifth consecutive and 13th overall indoor title. Florida A&M’s Judith Kibii and Bethune-Cookman’s Deidra Jordan earned the Outstanding Runner and Field accolades, respectively. Hampton’s Donald Pierce earned Outstanding Coach honors. In men’s action, the Wildcats won their first ever indoor title with a total of 126.5 points. Maryland Eastern Shore’s Khalil Rmidi Kinini and Dillon Simon were selected for the Outstanding Runner and Field honors. Donald Cooper of Bethune-Cookman garnered his first Outstanding Coach accolade.
2015-16 MEAC Women's Basketball Yearbook
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