HIGH POINT, NC – North Carolina A&T completed their return to outdoor track and field on Saturday during the second day of the Bill Webb Combined Events & Bob Davidson Memorial Invitational hosted by High Point University at Vert Stadium.
The Aggies men's and women's outdoor track and field teams had an excellent showing on Day 2. The women came away with nine first-place finishes, and the men came away with five victories. The Aggies looked like their usual selves in the sprints taking home victories in the men's and women's 100 meters and 200m.
N.C. A&T also claimed victory in the women's 400m, the women's 4x100-meter relay and the men's 4x400.
There are also a few victories in the hurdles. The Aggies won the women's 100-meter hurdles and 400mh. The men also won both hurdle events – the 110mh and the 400mh.
The Aggies were also prosperous in the field events on Saturday, claiming victories in the women's high jump and women's triple jump. There was one distance race victory for the Aggies in the women's 3000m steeplechase.
Sprinters dominated for the Aggies on Saturday. They claimed the first three spots in the women's 100m and the top four spots in the women's 200m. Sophomore Cambrea Sturgis led the way in the 100m by running an 11.57. She was followed by junior Symone Darius at 11.59 in second and freshman Jonah Ross at 11.67 in third.
Sophomore Kamaya Debose-Epps led the charge in the women's 200m by winning in 24.09. Senior TeJyrica Robinson came in second in 24.39, followed by senior Breanne Bygrave in third at 24.49 and junior Paula Salmon in fourth at 24.53.
In the men's 100m, junior Malcolm Croom-McFadden took first place. Freshman Brandon Nya finished third in 10.72 and senior Akeem Sirleaf placed fourth in 10.80.
Nya claimed his first career victory as he won the 200m in 21.18. Senior Payton Russell took home a 400m victory as she crossed the finish line in 57.34.
Sturgis appeared in the winner's circle again on Saturday as she joined Ross, Darius and Debose-Epps to finish the 4x100 in 44.78. The Aggies men won the 4x400 as Croom-McFadden, Sirleaf and freshman Cory Poole (the fourth runner was not listed) finished the race in 3:15.69.
The Aggies also put on an awesome display in the hurdles. Poole won the men's 110mh in 14.52, followed by senior Cedric McGriff, who finished second in 14.57. Senior Akeem Lindo won the men's 400mh in 52.93. Senior Brandy Felix followed in third at 54.70.
On the women's side, the Aggies Big Three in the hurdles once again showed why they might be the best trio in the nation. On Saturday, Salmon led the way in the women's 100mh as she finished in 13.29. Robinson came in second in 13.39 and senior Madeleine Akobundu finished in third at 13.52. Bygrave joined the party by finishing fourth in 13.58.
Junior Sydni Townsend won the 400mh in 1:01.52. Junior Nilaja Florence finished just behind Townsend in second at 1:02.52.
Also on the track, senior G'Jasmyne Butler won the women's 3000m steeplechase in 11:14.19. It was her eighth career win.
Two field event victories came via Nazah Reddick and freshman Arrieya Harper. Reddick won the women's high jump with a measurement of 5-feet, 2 ¾-inches. Harper won the women's triple in 39-feet, ¾-inches. Senior Loren James had a second-place finish women's discus with a throw of 48-feet, 6 ½-inches.
The Aggies are back in action starting Wednesday, March 24, at the University of Texas's Texas Relays. It will be a four-day meet ending on Saturday, March 27.
