WINSTON-SALEM – An ice storm that swept through the Triad last week made the North Carolina A&T men's and women's indoor track and field programs change their plans. Instead of competing at the University of South Carolina (USC), Jan. 21-22, the Aggies competed at the JDL Flat Is Fast one-day event on Sunday at the JDL Fast Track.
Even though the intended venue changed, the Aggies still had tons of success. The women had a fantastic day led by Freshman
Peebles Scott and graduate
Loren James. Both competitors won twice different events on Sunday. Pebbles won the 200 and 400 meters, and James took first place in the shot put and weight throw.
Six other Aggies claimed first-place positions at JDL on Sunday. In addition to Scott and James's victories, the Aggies also claimed wins in the women's high jump, men's 60-meter hurdles, men's shot put, women's 6000m, women's long jump and women's triple jump.
Scott, who finished second in the state of Florida Class 3A in the 400m, ran a 56.91 a week after running a 55.95 in her 400m collegiate debut at Clemson last week. Scott finished ahead of sophomore teammates Mykayla Perry (57.41) and
Nia Frederick (57.67), who finished second and third, respectively.
In the 200m, Scott completed the race in 25.01. It was a little off her pace from last week at Clemson when she ran a 24.70. Again, two Aggies finished behind her in second and third. Senior
Nilaja Florence placed second in 25.38, and senior
Aisha Southern (25.46) was third.
James earned the 12th and 13th victories of her career. Her best throw in the shot put on Sunday traveled 51-feet, 9-inches. It was the best indoor shot put throw of her career, besting her 48-foot, 6 ¾-inch throw at the 2020 Carolina Challenge at USC. She had two other Aggies finish behind her.
Senior Jasmine Jackson finished second with a throw of 42-feet, 9 ¾-inches, and sophomore
Makayla Watkins placed third at 42-feet, 3 ½-inches.
James and Jenkins also finished 1,2 in the weight throw. James had her best throw land at 57-feet, 9 ½-inches, and Jenkins' best throw went 56-feet, 11 ¼-inches.
Reigning Big South Conference female field athlete of the week,
Nazah Reddick, had another solid performance in the women's high jump. Last week, she finished behind only one collegiate athlete, jumping 5-feet, 9 ¼-inches.
On Sunday, she dueled with junior teammate
Kenady Wilson. Both ladies jumped 5-feet, 8-inches. Reddick did it in fewer jumps to place first over Wilson. Wilson did record the best indoor high jump mark of her career.
Senior
Cedric McGriff won the men's 60mh in 7.97. McGriff, the only Aggie hurdler who qualified for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round (regionals) last spring to compete on Sunday, beat USC Upstate's Zoryan Hendricks by three-hundredths of a second.
Freshman
Brayden Hodgest won the men's shot with a distance of 51-feet, ¼-inch. Sunday marked Hodgest's collegiate debut. Senior
Ayoola Gbolade won the women's 600m in 1:35.32. It was Gbolade's first time running the event as an Aggie. She ran the event once at UConn and finished in 1:34.02.
The other two victories came in field events. Sophomore
Jade King won the women's long jump at 18-feet, 1 ¾-inches. Sophomore
Arrieya Harper won the women's triple jump with a leap of 40-feet, 2-inches.
Harper finished third in the long jump (17-feet, 2 ¼-inches), and King finished second in the triple jump (37-feet, 8 ½-inches). King's triple jump mark was a personal best. In December at the JDL, King recorded her personal best in the long jump at 18-feet, 6 ½-inches. Her long jump win on Sunday was her Hirst career first-place finish.
Harper earned a MEAC female field athlete of the week honor last season, won her fourth career triple jump victory. She won the triple jump earlier this season at JDL. Harper also had her personal-best long jump on Sunday.
On Sunday, A&T's other top-3 finishes included freshman Ja'era Griffin placing third in the women's 60m (7.65). She finished behind two runners who won national championships wearing North Carolina A&T uniforms. Nike athlete Kayla White, the 2019 NCAA Women's Track Athlete of the Year, finished first in 7.18. Adidas athlete
Cambrea Sturgis, the reigning NCAA champion in the 100 and 200m, finished second in 7.21.
Sophomore
Jalen Chin finished second in the men's mile (4:24.92), and freshman
Shemar Chambers finished second in the men's 400m (49.67). Freshman
Zamia Stelly placed third in the women's 60mh, and senior
Brandon Hicklin placed third in the men's 60 (6.78). In field events, freshman
Aeneas Reed, Jr. placed second in the men's long at 23-feet, 1 ¾-inches.
The Aggies will compete in the University of Clemson's Bob Pollack Meet, Jan. 28-29.
