EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T track and field standout
Randolph Ross (6-foot-1, freshman, sprinter, Raleigh, N.C.) is one of three finalists for National Indoor Men's Track Athlete of the Year as announced by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The other two finalists are Northern Arizona's Tyler Day and Florida State's Trey Cunningham.
Ross had a superb freshman season as an indoor athlete. He entered the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with the No. 1 men's 400-meter time in the world, a 45.44 completed at the Texas Tech Invitational on Feb. 1.
Before the indoor season and subsequently, the NCAA indoor championships were canceled, Ross entered the championships ranked No. 2 after .11 seconds was added to his time at Texas Tech because of altitude. Ross also helped the Aggies 4x400-meter relay team advance to the NCAA nationals as the foursome's best time was a 3:04.78 at Texas Tech.
At the 2020 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships, Ross won the 400m title with a time of 46.25. He finished second at the MEAC indoor championships in the 200m (21.36) and he finished fifth in the high jump (6-feet, 7-inches). He was 16th in the nation in the 200m after running a 20.85 at the Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas on Feb. 14.
USTFCCCA members will begin voting on postseason awards Monday. The other national awards being voted on are men's field athlete of year, men's coach of the year, men's assistant coach of the year, women's track athlete of the year, women's field athlete of the year, women's coach of the year and women's assistant coach of the year.
There were three finalists for each category. Each of the athletes and coaches was among the top-3 vote-getters in their respective category when the first round of voting by member coaches was conducted from Wednesday afternoon into early Friday morning.
Last season, N.C. A&T's
Kayla White was named women's track athlete of the year.
