COLUMBIA, S.C. – North Carolina A&T understands without a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Track and Field Championship, there is no time to waste when it comes to qualifying for the NCAA indoor championships in March.
Therefore, their times on Saturday were superb at the Carolina Challenge hosted by the University of South Carolina at the Indoor Track and Field Complex. N.C. A&T secured wins in men's 60 meters, the men's 200m, the men's 4x400 meter relay, the women's 400m and the men's 60-meter hurdles.
The Aggies also broke two facility records, with one of those broken records shared by two Aggies. N.C. A&T now has 14 first-place finishes in their first two meets of the season.
"With the cancellation of the MEAC indoor championship meet, every competition is that more important to get the qualifying time or mark needed," said Duane Ross, the Aggies director of track and field programs.
Senior Tavarius Wright won the 60 at 6.65 after having the fastest qualifying time at 6.70. Freshman Javonte Harding (6.85) and junior Malcolm Croom-McFadden (6.87) finished behind Wright in fifth and sixth, respectively. Wright's time ranks him sixth in the nation, with two meets remaining.
Five Aggies finished in the top-10 of the men's 200 led by Harding and sophomore Randolph Ross, who finished in 20.69. Randolph Ross ran in the first heat, and Harding's time came in the second. Both men broke the facility record, which was 20.70. More importantly, both men are ranked third in the nation. Randolph Ross is also third in the country in the men's 400m.
Also finishing in the top-10 of the men's 200 were Wright (21.11), senior Trevor Stewart (21.33) and Croom-McFadden (21.68).
Another facility record fell at the hands of Randolph Ross. He had help with this record. Ross teamed with junior Daniel Stokes, senior Elijah Young and Stewart as the foursome finished the 4x400 relay in 3:04.62. The previous record stood at 3:05.68. The same four athletes won last week at the University of Kentucky.
N.C. A&T's latest 4x400 time is the best in the country.
Senior Delecia McDuffie took first place in the women's 400m. McDuffie completed the race with a personal-best 53.48. McDuffie is 11th in the nation after Saturday. Junior Sydni Townsend finished the 200 in sixth place with a time of 57.13.
For a second straight week, junior Rasheem Brown won the men's 60mh. After running the fastest qualifying time (7.89), Brown won the 60mh in 7.77 after winning last week's 60mh in 7.84. Brown is ranked fourth nationally.
Also on the track, junior Cambrea Sturgis finished third in the women's 60m with a time of 7.33 after running a 7.47 qualifying time for the third fastest. Sturgis' 7.29 last week at Kentucky has her ranked fifth nationally.
McDuffie had a third-place finish in the women's 200 at 23.54, followed by Jonah Ross (23.72) in fourth, Kamaya Debose-Epps (23.93) in sixth, Sturgis (24.11) in seventh, graduate Symone Darius (24.38) in eighth and junior Nilaja Florence in ninth (24.52).
In the men's 400m, Stokes finished fourth in 47.40 and Young came in ninth at 48.70. The women's 60mh saw Paula Salmon run an 8.31 to finish fourth. She ran an 8.41 in the qualifier for the fifth-fastest time.
Junior Brandon Hicklin led the Aggies in the field events. Hicklin finished second in the men's long jump with his best leap measured at 25-feet, ¾-inches. Hicklin is seventh nationally in the men's long jump. Teammate and sophomore Bradley Fleurinord finished fifth on Saturday at 24-feet, 5 ¾-inches.
Freshman Arrieya Harper is the reigning MEAC female field athlete of the week after winning the women's triple jump last week at Kentucky. This week, she finished fifth in the triple with a leap of 39-feet, ½-inch.
Senior Loren James finished sixth in the women's weight throw (56-feet, 2 1/2-inches) and eighth in the shot put (45-feet, ¼-inches).
N.C. A&T will take next week off before returning to USC for the USC Indoor Opener on Feb. 6.
