Kevin L. Dorsey

G'Jasmyne Butler (left) won most outstanding female track athlete. Loren James (right) won the most outstanding female field athlete.

Track & Field 5/8/2021 8:18:00 PM

THREE OUT OF FOUR AIN'T BAD!

The Aggie women showed complete dominance in winning their third outdoor title in four years.

EAST GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T women's outdoor track and field team won the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) outdoor track and field championship on Saturday at Truist Stadium on N.C. A&T's Irwin Belk Track.

The Aggies scored a conference-record 290 points to cruise to their third MEAC outdoor championship in four years. But that was expected.

In winning another MEAC outdoor title, the Aggies won sprinting events in the 100, 200 and 400 meters and the 4x100-meter relay. That was expected too. The Aggies are a program known nationwide for their world-class sprinters.

Senior Loren James earned the MEAC's most outstanding field performer. She is a thrower. Senior G'Jasmyne Butler earned most outstanding track performer. Butler is not a sprinter. She is a distance runner.

In past years, both of those occurrences would be unexpected. But as the Aggies continue to build toward having enough talent to win a national championship, their continued dominance at the conference level is starting to come with a sense of wholeness that could carry to their goal.

"We have come a long way," said James, who won the shot put on Saturday at 50-feet, 11 ½-inches. Earlier at the championships, James also finished second in the hammer throw and the discus.

"In the past, sprinters would sweep every event, and we would win some field events," James continued. "I think the difference is we're doing it post-conference now. We're doing it on a regional level, and hopefully, we can begin to do it on a national level. G'Jasmyne winning outstanding track runner speaks volumes. It says we are a complete unit."

Butler had an exciting journey to her award. She trailed in her 800m race for about 700 meters before she made an incredible kick to not only run past Norfolk State's Martha Bissah but also two of her teammates for the come-from-behind win. Butler finished in 2:08.36, ahead of freshman teammate Carolyn Brown (2:08.42) and sophomore teammate Ayoola Gbolade (2:08.75).

In the 1500m on Saturday, Butler scored six points for the Aggies by finishing third 4:35.00). On Friday, she won the 3000-meter steeplechase.

Our ladies are competitors. That sweep in the 800 was phenomenal," said Duane Ross, N.C. A&T's director of track and field programs. Along with the men's championship won on Saturday by N.C. A&T, Ross now has a combined 15 MEAC track and field indoor and outdoor championships.

"That's what we've wanted out of them this whole year," he continued. "Today, we showed the balance we've been building and creating here," "Yes, we love our sprinters, but we're going to have a complete program. To win NCAA's, we have to have that type of program. That's what we're aiming for."

The Aggie sprinters showed the competition no love on Saturday. Sophomore Cambrea Sturgis completed the 100 and 200m sweep. She won the 100 with a personal-best 11.03. Sturgis is now ranked third in the nation after her performance. The Aggies came away with 29 points out of the event as sophomore Kamaya Debose-Epps finished second (11.26), junior Symone Darius finished fourth (11.38), freshman Jonah Ross finished fifth (11.52) and junior Aisha Southern (11.76) placed seventh.

Sturgis won the 200m in 22.88, followed by Debose-Epps (23.22) in second, Ross in fourth (23.68), Darius in fifth (23.82) and junior Delecia McDuffie in seventh (24.92).

McDuffie took the 400m title with a time of 52.73. The team of Sturgis, McDuffie, Debose-Epps and Ross won the 4x100 relay in 43.75. It is the 12th-fastest time in the nation this season.

Also, as expected, the Aggies claimed the top four positions in the 100-meter hurdles as senior TeJyrica Robinson took the gold with a personal-best 12.90. She is now ranked 11th in the nation after Saturday's showing. Junior Paula Salmons finished second in 13.10, followed by fifth-year senior Madeleine Akobundu (13.15) and senior Breanne Bygrave (13.46).

In the 400mh, junior Sydni Townsend held off a late challenge from Howard's Jessica Wright to win gold. Townsend crossed in 58.09, just ahead of Wright's 58.10. Junior Nilaja Florence came in third (59.33).

The Aggies final MEAC championship before entering the Big South Conference was an all-around demonstration in track superiority.

N.C. A&T finished 1,2 and 3 in the high jump with sophomore Kenady Wilson leading the way with a personal-best leap of 5-feet, 10 ½-inches. Salmon placed second (5-feet, 9 ¼-inches) and senior Nazah Reddick finished third (5-feet, 6-inches).

Freshman Makayla Watkins won the discus at 137-feet, 6-inches. N.C. A&T was thorough in victory.

"A lot of the talk has been about the men over the years and rightfully so, they've shown out at the NCAA nationals and made a lot of noise," said Ross. "But our women are not to be forgotten."

ALL-MEAC AGGIES

First Team: Cambrea Sturgis (100m, 200m, 4x100), Delecia McDuffie (400m, 4x100), G'Jasmyne Butler (800m, 3,000SC), TeJyrica Robinson (100h), Sydni Townsend (400h), Kamaya Debose-Epps (4x100), Jonah Ross (4x100), Kenady Wilson (HJ), Sandra Brown (PV), Madeleine Akobundu (LJ), Loren James (Shot), Makayla Watkins (Discus).