Morgan State University Men's Track

Hodge, Sr. a 1980 Morgan State University graduate and a the three-time Olympian, MEAC and Morgan State University Hall of Famer is entering his 21th season as the Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach here at The Morgan State University for the mens and womens programs. The women program is coming off of very successful 2013 & 2014 MEAC Country Season where we had several female athletes named to the ALL MEAC team honors and was among the top fifteen teams at Mid Atlantic region. The lady bears are coming off back to back MEAC runner up in 2013 and 2014 MEAC Conference Championships where they place 2 nd overall.  In 2013 the lady bears had their first ever MEAC individual champion who was later awarded the USTFCCC National athlete of the week which marks a first in the history of the program. 2013 also marked the second year in row the lady bears participated in the NCAA Mid Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championship.   The mens Cross Country program is in the rebuilding stage after some successful season where they had we had their first MEAC individual champion and a third place finisher at the same meet. During the 2013 season, the bear had one freshman athlete to finish among the top fifteen athletes and was awarded ALL MEAC honors.   The St. Thomas, Virgin Islands native, set school records in the 100 meter dash (10.10) and the 200 meter dash (20.43), both of which still stand today. In 1977 he captured the MEAC 100m and 200m titles, and in 1979, he ran 20.60 on a cinder track at Howard University, which still stands as the fastest time ever on that track. But Hodge wasnt done there, as he was crowned the 1979 NCAA Division II Outdoor Champion in the 200 meter dash and a runner-up finisher in the 400 meter dash during the NCAA Indoor Championships.  He also recorded a 6.67sec for the 60 meters dash in New York in February 1992 at the USATF Indoor Track & Field Championship. The three-time Olympian as an athlete (1984, 88, 92) for the Virgin Islands, also coached at  two Olympic  Games as the Virgin Islands National Team Coach in the 92 Olympic Games in Barcelona, as well as the 96 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Hodge was inducted into the Morgan State University Hall of Fame in October 2002, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Hall of Fame in 2007 and The African American Ethnic/Caribbean Sports Hall of Fame in September 2003. He started his collegiate track career in 1976 at Morgan State as part of a dominating program already rich in tradition and by the time he left, he had made a significant impact and was recognized as one of the premiere sprinters in the country. Hodge began his coaching career while he was a student at Morgan State, working with the sprinters at nearby Catonsville Community College. His first head coaching opportunity came in 1986 when he took over the program at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, where he guided them to their first ever Women Outdoor MEAC Championship Title and several teams Runner ups. While at Maryland Eastern Shore he developed two 1992 Olympian, and was awarded the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the year that same year. After a successful seven-year stint in Princess Anne, Md., Hodge was offered the head coaching position at his Alma Mater, Morgan State University in 1994. Hodge wasted no time making an immediate impact, as he won three MEAC Coach of The Year honors.  He also received that same award in 1992, 1994 and 2005. In 1994 he made history when he led Morgans State Universitys mens program to their first-ever indoor crown. Three months later his team missed winning the outdoor title by half-a-point. In 2005 it was the Lady Bears who captured the leagues outdoor championship.   During his tenure, Hodge has developed:  -17 Olympians   - 41 NCAA qualifiers   -10 NCAA All-Americans  - 4 NCAA All-Academics recipients   - 17 MEAC record holders   - 8 Mid Eastern Athletic Conference most valuable athletes   - 61 Individuals Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champions    - 56 Mens NCAA Regional qualifiers   - 87 Womens NCAA Regional qualifier.    -130 ECAC qualifiers Indoor and Outdoor    -12 ECAC Individual Champions Indoor and Outdoor    -87 IC4A Indoor and Outdoor Individual qualifiers   -25 IC4A Indoor and Outdoor Individual Champions   Hodge graduated from Morgan State with a Bachelors in Physical Education and later earned a Masters degree in Education in 1997. He and his wife Sharon have two children, Ashlynn and London Hodge and he has one son, Neville Jr. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma (PBS) Fraternity Inc.    

Smythe, a 2007 graduate of Morgan State University is entering her eighth season as an Assistant Cross Country/Track & Field Coach with the Morgan State University mens and womens program. Smythe started her coaching career in 2007 after graduating from Morgan State and wrapping up a stellar collegiate season for the Bears. Ms. Smythe serves at the Director of Operations and handles all team travel and supervises the Athletic Grant-In-Aid (AGIA) budget for both programs. She also monitors student athletes academic progress, assist with the development of all hurdlers, sprinters/jumpers, quarter milers, relays, and assist with all phases of recruiting.  Ms. Smythe also assists the sports information department with media coverage for the cross country and track & field programs.   During Ms. Smythe tenure at Morgan State, the Bears programs have experienced tremendous success over the years.  During the 2013 and 2014 Cross Country season, the lady bears team finished 2 nd at the MEAC Cross Country Championships which was the highest finish ever in the history of the program. The Lady Bears 4x100m have also had back to back appearances at the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in 2012 and 2013.   Smythe is no stranger to Morgan State, as she brings first-hand experience to the program. Smythe competed for the Bears for three seasons and made and immediate impact. During her first season, the Lady Bears won the 2005 MEAC Outdoor Championships title.  During the 2006 season, Smythe made history as the only female athlete to make the finals of the 400m and 400m hurdles at the ECAC championships with two of the fastest times in school history. She was an also an NCAA National Qualifier in the 400m hurdles during the 2006 season and was later named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.  Smythe was a three-time NCAA Regional Qualifier in the 400m, 400m hurdles, 4x100m and 4x400m.  She was also a NCAA Regional Finalist in the 400m Hurdles, MEAC and ECAC finalist in the 400m, 200m and 400m hurdles.  She earned several MEAC and ECAC honors and awards as a student-athlete and in 2007 she was named Morgan States Most Valuable Player (MVP) for outdoor track. As a student-athlete she worked as a tutor for the Office of Resident Life (ORL) while maintaining a high level of competitiveness on the track.   Smythe earned her B.S. in Accounting from Morgan State University in 2007 and later earned a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and Project Management. She is a USATF Level II Certified Track & Field Coach and holds USTFCCCA Program Management certification.  

Stewart has been named a Graduate Assistant Track & Field Coach for the 2015 Season by Head Coach Neville G. Hodge, and will be working with the Men and Women Throwing events.      Stewart joined the Morgan State Programs shortly after wrapping up a stellar collegiate career and has changed the face of the Morgan State University Track & Field team and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. While competing for the Bears, he was a four time MEAC Champion in the Weight Throw and is the current Morgan State and MEAC Record Holder in that event at 19.63m.  Stewart was a four time MEAC Indoor qualifier in the weight throw and shot put and has been undefeated in the MEAC in the weight throw.  He is also a three time MEAC and IC4A qualifier in the Javelin and Discus throw.   He was an NCAA East Regional Qualifier in the Javelin and Discus and was an NCAA National qualifier in the Discus during the 2012 outdoor season. He earned All-American 2 nd team honor that same year. He has been named Morgan States Male Athlete of the Year twice in 2012 and 2014. He has won numerous All-Academic honors and awards and was named to the 2012 USTFCCCA All-Academic team.   Stewart recently completed his Bachelors of Science Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering in December 2014 and is currently pursuing his Masters in that same discipline.  He is also a USATF Level I Coach.