Bissah Repeats as MEAC XC Champion, NSU Spartans Finish as Runnder-Up

SMYRNA, Delaware  –  Norfolk State junior Martha Bissah became the first repeat MEAC women's cross country champion since 2002-03 when she won her second straight conference individual title on Saturday morning, leading the Spartan women to a runner-up finish.

MEAC Women's XC Results

Bissah covered the soggy 5,000-meter championship course in 18 minutes, 2.4 seconds, some 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Emmax Kiplagat of Florida A&M. Bissah was one of four Spartans who earned All-MEAC honors by placing in the top 15, but NSU (44 points) finished just one point behind FAMU (43) in the team standings, as the Rattlers claimed their seventh straight MEAC crown.

Freshman Fridah Koech finishe  d fourth overall to earn her first All-MEAC honor. She ran a time of 19:11.8. Senior Candice Higgins placed ninth to pick up her third straight all-conference award, finishing in a time of 19:42.6. Ashah Koech, Fridah's older sister, recorded her second consecutive All-MEAC finish by placing 14th in 20:03.8. Carolina Samoei rounded out NSU's top five with a 16th-place finish (20:13.7).

Bissah is the first MEAC female to win two straight individual MEAC cross country titles since Howard's Tasha Harris accomplished the feat in 2002 and 2003. Bissah has won all four races in which she has competed this season.

The Spartans are slated to compete at the NCAA Southeast Regional meet on Nov. 9 in Rock Hill, S.C.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS