Track & Field | 4/15/2022 10:29:00 PM
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Look who's back!
In his first individual outdoor event since winning the NCAA national championship in the indoor 200 meters a month ago, sophomore Javonte' Harding ran 20.34 in the men's 200M at the University of Florida's (UF) Tom Jones Invitational at Percy Beard Track.
Harding finished first ahead of senior teammate Daniel Stokes who finished in 20.37. Harding's outdoor season debut in the event should find him in the top-10 nationally after the weekend.
The Aggies could have three sprinters rank in the top-15 in the 200 when next week begins after Harding and Stokes' respective showings on Friday, coupled with Randolph Ross Jr. running a 20.42 late in March at UF. Harding, Stokes and Ross Jr. will be 1, 2 and 3 in the Big South Conference rankings when the week begins.
A&T's ladies got in on the 200M party as well. Senior Kamaya Debose-Epps, freshman Grace Nwokocha and sophomore Jonah Ross finished second, third and fourth Friday. All three ran the 200 in under 23 seconds.
Debose-Epps ran a personal-best 22.81 to top her former best of 22.91 at the 2021 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round. Debose-Epps has a chance to earn a top-10 ranking after her performance. She will have a top-15 ranking which puts her in the East prelim conversation.
Nwokocha is already in that conversation when it pertains to the 100M. She recorded a personal-best 22.89 at UF on Friday. She also has a chance to have a top-10 ranking in the 200 nationally. She came into the weekend ranked 11th nationally in the 100M.
Ross completed her 200 in 22.91. Ross just missed her personal best. She ran 22.87 at the 2021 East prelim. She also entered East prelim qualifying territory and will likely have a top-15 ranking when the week begins. Ross came into the weekend the Big South's top 200M runner at 23.34.
When the weekend is over, the Aggies could have the top-5 200M runners in the Big South with Debose-Epps, Nwokocha, Ross, graduate Delecia McDuffie (23.35) and graduate Symone Darius (23.40).
Senior Brandon Hicklin had a strong showing in the men's long jump. He finished third with a leap of 25-feet, 7 ½-inches. It was a half-inch away from his 25-foot, 8-inch performance at N.C. State's Raleigh Relays on March 24. Hicklin came into the weekend ranked 10th in the nation with that mark.
On Friday, senior Cory Poole ran 50.29 in the 400 hurdles to finish eighth. However, it left him a little short of his 50.20 at UF's Florida Relays on March 31. Senior teammate Akeem Lindo finished ninth with a personal-best 50.34. That did top the 50.56 he ran at Florida Relays.
The Tom Jones Invite will continue Saturday with a 10 a.m. start. On Saturday, a few Aggies will also compete at High Point University's Meet of Champions.
