AUSTIN, Texas/COLUMBIA, S.C. – It wasn't good enough for junior Daniel Stokes, sophomore Randolph Ross Jr., and seniors Elijah Young and Trevor Stewart to be the best in the nation.
They're looking for world domination. The North Carolina A&T men's outdoor track and field 4x400-meter relay team ran the fastest time in the world to date by winning the 4x400 at the 93rd annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays hosted by the University of Texas at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
The Aggies also competed in the Weems Baskin Outdoor Track and Field Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina (USC) at Cregger Track. Sophomore Jasmine Jenkins and senior Loren James took 1,2 at USC. Jenkins won the women's hammer throw with a toss of 171-feet, 1-inch. James placed second with a measurement of 170-feet, 2-inches.
In addition to the men's 4x400 team's exploits in Texas, Aggies sophomore sprinter Cambrea Sturgis came away with first place in the women's 200 meters.
The four Aggies ran a 3:00.23, almost a full second faster than second-place LSU at 3:01.00. The Aggies, who led from start to finish in the race, now own the 11th-fastest time in history. They also came up just short of breaking the facility record, which stands at 2:59.05.
"I'm happy for our 4x4 team," said Duane Ross, A&T's director of track and field programs. "This is what we are supposed to do. We feel that we're the best in the world at it, so this time and even faster times in the future are expected."
Two weeks ago, the same foursome captured the NCAA Division I national championship in the 4x400 indoor race at the University of Arkansas. Stokes and Ross Jr. took the first two legs respectively and combined to run a 1:30.16. Young then took the baton and ran his split in 45.73 before Stewart closed things out on the anchor leg by running his split in an impressive 44.35.
Sturgis, who became a nationally-known name in her outdoor freshman season, looks back to form. Sturgis won the women's 200m in 22.87. She finished third nationally in the 200m as a freshman at the NCAA outdoor championships by running a personal-best 22.40.
Junior Delecia McDuffie, who had the fastest qualifying time at the Texas Relays, finished third on Saturday in the women's 200m with a personal-best 23.04.
Sturgis also ran the women's 100m, and she was one-fourth of the 4x100 team. She finished third at 11.23. She joined junior Symone Darius, sophomore Kamaya Debose-Epps and freshman Jonah Ross to run a 44.19 to finish fourth.
"Cambrea is starting to get in shape at the right time," said Duane Ross. "When she's ready, she will be hard to beat."
Ross and Debose-Epps also ran in the women's 100m, and they both posted personal-bests. Ross finished at 11.30 for a fourth-place finish, and Debose-Epps ran an 11.35 to finish sixth.
The Aggies 4x100 men were also in action on Saturday as junior Tavarius Wright, freshman Javon Harding, Ross Jr., and Stokes finished fourth in 38.85.
Two Aggies were in the 110mh final as junior Rasheem Brown placed fourth in 13.68 and junior Cory Poole finished sixth in 13.95. Senior Madeleine Akobundu finished seventh in the women's 100mh in 13.26. Junior Sydni Townsend finished ninth in the women's 400mh in 58.32.
Fifth-year senior Abbas Abbkar ran the men's 800m in 1:48.89 to finish third. On the women's side, sophomore Ayoola Gbodale ran a personal-best 2:09.41 in the 800m to finish 11th. Senior Akeem Sirleaf finished sixth in the men's 200m at 20.81.
Also at USC, junior Joy Harris finished fifth in the women's javelin at 106-feet, 2-inches, and Kevin Fofanah finished eighth in the men's hammer throw at 152-feet, 9-inches.
The Aggies head to the University of Florida next to participate in the Florida Relays, April 2-3. A portion of the team will compete at High Point University in the High Point VertKlasse Meeting, April 2-3.
