EAST GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T indoor track and field men's and women's track and field team received national recognition on Friday. The Aggies director of track and field programs, Duane Ross, was named the Southeast Region indoor women's coach of the year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Senior Kayla White was named the region's women's track athlete of the year. In addition, the NCAA released the qualifiers for the national indoor track and field championships with five Aggies on it including White. The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled for March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala.
Ross led the women to the program's highest national ranking in school history when they reached No. 14 in the country the week of Feb. 11. In addition to leading the men to their third straight MEAC indoor title, Ross also led the ladies to their third straight conference indoor title making N.C. A&T the first MEAC school history to accomplish a three-peat in both men's and women's indoor track and field.
The women won six events at last week's MEAC championships including two by White (60-meter hurdles, 200 meters). The women are ranked 23rd in the nation and eighth in the Southeast Region.
“These are awards voted on by our peers, so for coaches to recognize the work we're putting in is a reward in and of itself,” said Ross, who is in his seventh season at N.C. A&T. “This is not a one-man show. Coach of the year is evidence of how hard our staff works and how hard our team works.”
Ross also said White is very deserving of every honor coming her way. On Feb. 9, she ran the fastest time in the world in the 200m at the Tyson Invitational with a time of 22.82. That time is now No. 2 in the world and No. 1 in the Southeast Region. White ranks in the top-15 nationally in the 200m, 60mh and 60m. She has won at the Virginia Tech Invitational (60m; 7.25), the Carolina Challenge (200m; 23.03, 60mh; 8.07), and the Tyson Invitational (200m; 22.82).
She was named the Most Outstanding Track Athlete at the 2019 MEAC Indoor Track and Field Championships by scoring 28 points and breaking meet records in the 60mh (8.07) and 200m (23.53). White qualified for the NCAA nationals in the 200m, 60mh and 60m but Ross scratched her from the 60m because the race is too close to the 200m event.
White holds the school record in all three events.
The other Aggie woman headed to Birmingham for the NCAA nationals is junior Madeleine Akobundu who will be the 16th seed in the 60mh.
On the men's side, senior Rodney Rowe and junior Akeem Sirleaf qualified in the 200m. Rowe will enter as the 13th seed and Sirleaf will be the 16th seed. Michael Dickson will compete in the men's 60mh as the 14th seed. Ross was disappointed in not having his men's 4x400 team qualify.
“I'm pleased they made the qualifying times during the year,” said Ross. “Now they have to show up and perform head-to-head against some of the top athletes in the country. My (men's) 4x4 got knocked out in the last weekend which is a lesson for my team. You have to work your hardest to the very end.”
