BALTIMORE, Md. (May 29, 2026) -- The 2026 outdoor campaign for the Morgan State men's program featured steady growth, record-breaking performances, and conference medalists. From strong early-season showings to breakthrough performances at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Championships, Morgan State demonstrated both emerging young talent and veteran leadership throughout the season.
Regular Season Highlights
Early Outdoor Opener
Morgan State opened the outdoor season with promising marks that set the tone for the spring.
Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational (March 20-21, 2026)
- Caleb Mincey opened the season strong in the 800m, running near personal-best form and immediately establishing himself as a top MEAC contender, posting a 2nd place time of 1:50.929.
- Doyin Smith showed early-season sharpness in the 100m, advancing to the finals where he posted a time of 10.66.
- The 4x400m relay unit debuted with a solid opening mark (3:13.48), showing early chemistry despite lineup rotation.
Bill Carson Invitational (March 27-28, 2026)
- Morgan State traveled to Greenville, N.C., a week later for the Bill Carson Invitational hosted by East Carolina University, continuing to build race sharpness and adjust technique midseason.
- The Bears were led by Chege Kaba's runner-up finish in the 400m hurdles (53.42).
- Maxim Copeland placed fourth in the 200m (21.43).
- Isaac Rankin led the way with a first-place high jump of 1.97m, while David Douglas earned second in the triple jump with a mark of 13.88m, and Jeryco Sheppard tied for third in the high jump (1.90m)
Dalton Ebanks Invitational (April 3-4, 2026)
- The Morgan State men's track & field team continued its outdoor campaign this weekend at the Dalton Ebanks Invitational, a two-day meet held at George Mason Stadium.
- Morgan State opened Day 1 with several standout performances, highlighted by a first-place finish (school record) from Caleb Mincey in the 800m. Mincey delivered a personal-best time of 1:48.31 to claim the event title.
- The Bears' 4x400m relay 'A' team delivered a runner-up finish with a season-best time of 3:13.28, while the 4x100m relay team also posted a season-best 41.24 to place fourth.
- Kesean-Jordan Rhooms led the way with a third-place finish in the triple jump (14.16m) and tied for second in the high jump after clearing 2.00m alongside Jeryco Sheppard.
Legacy Track Meet (April 17–18, 2026)
- The Bears delivered a strong overall performance, finishing as the meet runner-up with 107 points.
- Morgan State's men opened Day 1 on Friday with a strong showing in the field events, highlighted by a pair of first-place finishes. Demond Smith led the way by capturing the hammer throw title with a personal-best toss, while Jacob Denny added another victory with a personal-best mark in the javelin, giving the Bears an early boost to start the meet.
- Chege Kaba ran a personal best to place 2nd in the 400m hurdles, while the 4x100m relay team finished 3rd with a season-best 41.20.
- Demond Smith finished 2nd in the discus (46.56m), Jeryco Sheppard placed 3rd in the pole vault (4.47m), and Ra-Akbar added a 2nd-place finish in the long jump (6.97m), with Derrick McCorkle Jr. right behind in 3rd (6.93m).
MEAC Outdoor Championships (May 14–16, 2026)
Team Placement
- Morgan State completed its outdoor season at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Championships, finishing 6th overall with 73 points.
Medal & Podium Highlights
- Demond Smith – A breakout outdoor campaign saw him:
- Captured the MEAC title in hammer with a winning toss of 49.58 meters.
- Silver & Bronze Performances
All-MEAC Honors
Season Themes & Takeaways
Youth Movement
Freshmen and sophomores played a major role in Morgan State's success throughout the outdoor season.
Young contributors emerged in:
- Pole vault
- Sprints
- Relays
- Middle distance
- Jumps
The Bears' young core gives the program strong long-term potential.
Coach Hodge on the Season
"We are proud of these young athletes who made up our team," said Hodge. "We were faced with a lot of uncertainty during this season, but we continue to show up with a purpose. As a team, we had some huge accomplishments in track and field events. Our success was a team effort. However, injuries played a pivotal part in our quest to meet our goals."
"The program had some bright spots during the entire year," Hodge continued. "We had three school records, Caleb Mincey [in the] 800m with a time of 1:48.31 and 1500m with a time of 3:51.76, Jeryco Sheppard in pole vault with 15-3, and 95 percent of the team members had personal and season bests in their respective events. The program continues to trend upward. Go Bears!"
Looking Ahead
The 2026 outdoor season established a strong foundation for Morgan State moving forward.
With:
- Emerging freshmen are developing rapidly,
- Improved relay chemistry,
- And growing depth across event groups,
The Bears appear well-positioned to continue climbing within the MEAC and build toward even greater success in future outdoor campaigns.
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
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• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official website of Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios, and more.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
