Norfolk State University Men's Track

Giles is in his 12th year as the head mens track and field coach at NSU and 16th as head mens cross country coach. He is also in his six season as NSUs director of track and field programs. In that capacity, he oversees the operations of both mens and womens track and cross country programs with an emphasis on recruiting, scheduling and home track meet operations. Giles led the NSU cross country team to a record seven consecutive MEAC titles from 2000-06 and four more from 2008-11. NSU also captured top-12 finishes at the NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regional in 2002 (12th) and 2005 (8th). NSU also has three runner-up finishes under Giles (1999, 2007 and 2012). Giles also guided the Spartans track team to a record seven straight sweeps of the MEAC indoor and outdoor titles (2006-12), and eight straight MEAC indoor crowns (2006-13). As an assistant track coach, he helped the Spartans to one MEAC indoor and one MEAC outdoor championship, both of which came in the 2000-01 school year. During his tenure at NSU, Giles Spartans have won six individual MEAC cross country championships and earned three NCAA All-Southeast Region honors. One of those, David Kemboi, became the first NSU and MEAC runner to qualify for the NCAA National Championship race. Since taking over as head track coach, Giles athletes have won 85 individual conference championships and garnered roughly 200 All-MEAC honors on the track. More than 40 of his pupils have qualified for the NCAA Regionals. During his tenure as head coach, Giles has also tutored eight athletes who have earned USTFCCCA All-America honors. Both Marlon Woods and Corey Vinston earned All-American honors in the long jump at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championship. The previous year, Woods was named the 2008 NCAA Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year. Those eight Spartans have earned a total of 11 first or second-team or honorable mention All-America honors, including 2013 graduates Keith Nkrumah (hurdles) and James Taylor (sprints), who did so twice. While Giles served as an assistant, he worked with three other Spartan All-Americans: Desmond Kapofu in the triple jump, Adrian Shears in the high jump and Olympian Christopher Brown in the 400 meters. For his success in cross country and track, Giles has been named MEAC Most Outstanding Coach 26 times. Giles coaches from his own running expertise. He was a standout 800-meter runner in college. In 1985, Giles earned Junior College All-American status by finishing eighth at the indoor national meet in the 800 for Hagerstown (Md.) Community College. He continued his success in that event at the University of North Florida, where he broke the schools 800-meter indoor record. At one time, Giles was also the personal coach for Brown, a former Division I All-American sprinter at NSU. Brown, a four-time for his native Bahamas, won a silver medal in the 4x400 relay at the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008 and a gold in the same event at the London Olympics in 2012. Giles earned his bachelors degree from UNF in 1987. He is married to the former Dr. Jeterfonee Jones, and they have two children: Kenneth Jr. (18) and Ebone Kennya (15). Kenneth Giles Director of Track & Field Programs Twitter: Kenneth Giles is in his 12th year as the head mens track and field coach at NSU and 16th as head mens cross country coach. He is also in his six season as NSUs director of track and field programs. In that capacity, he oversees the operations of both mens and womens track and cross country programs with an emphasis on recruiting, scheduling and home track meet operations. Giles led the NSU cross country team to a record seven consecutive MEAC titles from 2000-06 and four more from 2008-11. NSU also captured top-12 finishes at the NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regional in 2002 (12th) and 2005 (8th). NSU also has three runner-up finishes under Giles (1999, 2007 and 2012). Giles also guided the Spartans track team to a record seven straight sweeps of the MEAC indoor and outdoor titles (2006-12), and eight straight MEAC indoor crowns (2006-13). As an assistant track coach, he helped the Spartans to one MEAC indoor and one MEAC outdoor championship, both of which came in the 2000-01 school year. During his tenure at NSU, Giles Spartans have won six individual MEAC cross country championships and earned three NCAA All-Southeast Region honors. One of those, David Kemboi, became the first NSU and MEAC runner to qualify for the NCAA National Championship race. Since taking over as head track coach, Giles athletes have won 85 individual conference championships and garnered roughly 200 All-MEAC honors on the track. More than 40 of his pupils have qualified for the NCAA Regionals. During his tenure as head coach, Giles has also tutored eight athletes who have earned USTFCCCA All-America honors. Both Marlon Woods and Corey Vinston earned All-American honors in the long jump at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championship. The previous year, Woods was named the 2008 NCAA Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year. Those eight Spartans have earned a total of 11 first or second-team or honorable mention All-America honors, including 2013 graduates Keith Nkrumah (hurdles) and James Taylor (sprints), who did so twice. While Giles served as an assistant, he worked with three other Spartan All-Americans: Desmond Kapofu in the triple jump, Adrian Shears in the high jump and Olympian Christopher Brown in the 400 meters. For his success in cross country and track, Giles has been named MEAC Most Outstanding Coach 26 times. Giles coaches from his own running expertise. He was a standout 800-meter runner in college. In 1985, Giles earned Junior College All-American status by finishing eighth at the indoor national meet in the 800 for Hagerstown (Md.) Community College. He continued his success in that event at the University of North Florida, where he broke the schools 800-meter indoor record. At one time, Giles was also the personal coach for Brown, a former Division I All-American sprinter at NSU. Brown, a four-time for his native Bahamas, won a silver medal in the 4x400 relay at the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008 and a gold in the same event at the London Olympics in 2012. Giles earned his bachelors degree from UNF in 1987. He is married to the former Dr. Jeterfonee Jones, and they have two children: Kenneth Jr. (18) and Ebone Kennya (15).

Watts is in his 10th season on the NSU track and field coaching staff. He works with the Spartans sprinters, jumpers and relay teams. Watts rejoined the NSU track and field program in 2013 after a three-year stint as head track coach at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach. At Ocean Lakes, he helped the Dolphins win three Beach District team titles. He had 12 of his athletes qualify for Virginia state track meets and his athletes set 12 new school records. In his most recent stint with the NSU men (2005-10), Watts contributed to the Spartans streak of six straight MEAC indoor and outdoor championship sweeps. He was also instrumental in the development of numerous athletes who achieved success nationally.  From 2007-10, Watts helped more than a dozen NSU athletes qualify for the NCAA East Regional. They included Marlon Woods, a 2009 NCAA indoor long jump All-American who was also named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year in 2008; Corey Vinston, who set the school indoor long jump record and also earned All-America honors with Woods in the long jump in 2009; Sean Holston, who earned indoor All-America honors in the 200 meters in 2010; and Raphael Hall, who earned outdoor all-America recognition in the high jump in 2010. Watts has coached NSU athletes who have set indoor school records in the 300 meters (Troy Wilkerson, then Holston), long jump (Vinston) and high jump (Woods) and an outdoor school record in the decathlon (Meredith Whitties). In addition, sprinter Derrick Baker set the MEAC Indoor Championship record in the 60-meter dash in 2006. Watts was an assistant womens track coach at NSU from 1999-2001. During that time, he helped head coach LaVerne Sweat lead the Spartan women to their first-ever MEAC outdoor championship, in 2001. He also helped tutor NSUs first Division I All-American female, sprinter Debbie Dunn, in 2000.  Watts was a standout sprinter himself for the Spartans from 1994-98. He ran the first leg on NSUs first Division I All-American relay team, the 4x100 team in 1998. He also ran on the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams that became the first HBCU squads to win their respective Championship of America races at the prestigious Penn Relays in 1996. Both of those relay squads still own the school records in their respective events. Watts was also a team captain of the Spartans in 1997 and 1998. A native of Georgetown, Guyana, Watts represented his country in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in the 100 meters. He earned his bachelors degree in psychology from NSU in 1998. Malcolm Watts Assistant Track & Field Coach Twitter: Malcolm Watts is in his 10th season on the NSU track and field coaching staff. He works with the Spartans sprinters, jumpers and relay teams. Watts rejoined the NSU track and field program in 2013 after a three-year stint as head track coach at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach. At Ocean Lakes, he helped the Dolphins win three Beach District team titles. He had 12 of his athletes qualify for Virginia state track meets and his athletes set 12 new school records. In his most recent stint with the NSU men (2005-10), Watts contributed to the Spartans streak of six straight MEAC indoor and outdoor championship sweeps. He was also instrumental in the development of numerous athletes who achieved success nationally.  From 2007-10, Watts helped more than a dozen NSU athletes qualify for the NCAA East Regional. They included Marlon Woods, a 2009 NCAA indoor long jump All-American who was also named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year in 2008; Corey Vinston, who set the school indoor long jump record and also earned All-America honors with Woods in the long jump in 2009; Sean Holston, who earned indoor All-America honors in the 200 meters in 2010; and Raphael Hall, who earned outdoor all-America recognition in the high jump in 2010. Watts has coached NSU athletes who have set indoor school records in the 300 meters (Troy Wilkerson, then Holston), long jump (Vinston) and high jump (Woods) and an outdoor school record in the decathlon (Meredith Whitties). In addition, sprinter Derrick Baker set the MEAC Indoor Championship record in the 60-meter dash in 2006. Watts was an assistant womens track coach at NSU from 1999-2001. During that time, he helped head coach LaVerne Sweat lead the Spartan women to their first-ever MEAC outdoor championship, in 2001. He also helped tutor NSUs first Division I All-American female, sprinter Debbie Dunn, in 2000.  Watts was a standout sprinter himself for the Spartans from 1994-98. He ran the first leg on NSUs first Division I All-American relay team, the 4x100 team in 1998. He also ran on the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams that became the first HBCU squads to win their respective Championship of America races at the prestigious Penn Relays in 1996. Both of those relay squads still own the school records in their respective events. Watts was also a team captain of the Spartans in 1997 and 1998. A native of Georgetown, Guyana, Watts represented his country in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in the 100 meters. He earned his bachelors degree in psychology from NSU in 1998.

Bengono is in his ninth season as an assistant track coach at Norfolk State University. Bengono works primarily with NSUs sprinters, with a focus on the 100 meter dash and 4x100 relay teams. Bengono has been on staff for two MEAC titles that the NSU womens program has won (2010 indoor, 2011 outdoor). He has also been on staff for the majority of the NSU mens record run of seven straight MEAC indoor-outdoor championship sweeps and eight straight MEAC indoor crowns. While working primarily with the Spartan women, Bengono has tutored many athletes who have reached NCAA postseason competition. In 2009, former MEAC champion sprinter Shanneka Claiborne and the NSU womens 4x100 squad qualified for the NCAA East Regional. The 4x100 team advanced to the regional again in 2011 and 2013.    In 2012, the NSU women reached the Championship of America finals in both the 4x100 and 4x200 relay events at the Penn Relays. And in 2013, in addition to the 4x100 team, both Torie Cunningham and Brittney McCants qualified for the NCAA regional in the 100 meters. Bengono came to NSU from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he assisted during the 2005 outdoor season.   Bengono boasts a wealth of collegiate and international experience. He is a two-time Summer Olympian, having competed in the 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney) Games for his native Cameroon in the 100 meters and on the 4x100 relay team. He participated at four IAAF World Championships and won numerous medals at the African championships. Bengono lettered three years at George Mason University and excelled in the short sprints (60, 100 and 200 meters) and on the 4x100 relay team. He won the IC4A title in the 100 meters as a sophomore in 2001. At one time, Bengono held school records in the 60 meters (6.74), 100 meters (10.25) and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team (39.65). Bengono earned NCAA Division I All-America honors on the Patriots 4x100 relay team as a senior. Bengono transferred to George Mason from Huston-Tillotson College in Austin, Texas, where he won multiple NAIA All-American honors and also played soccer as a freshman in 2000. He was the schools Newcomer of the Year for 1999-2000. Bengono earned his bachelors degree in communication from George Mason in 2003 and his masters in education with a concentration in school counseling from Cambridge College.