CARY, N.C. – The North Carolina A&T cross country program has come into a new era under the direction of new director of track and field programs, Allen Johnson, and that began on Friday evening at N.C. State's Adidas XC Challenge.
The men, running a 6k, finished in seventh place with a total time of 1:46:39.50. The women, running a 5k, also finished in seventh in 1:46:44.80.
The men ran first, beginning just after 5:30. Returning senior Jordan Richardson paced the team with his 49th-place finish. He ran the first 2k of the race in 9:02.5 and found himself in 49th place. He coasted the rest of the way in 19:26.0 to claim his first top-50 finish of the year.
In his first taste of collegiate action, freshman Knox Witherspoon crossed the finish line in 20:47.3. He jumped out into 70th place through the first 2k leg of the race, but his pace fell off at the end, and he finished 75th.
Freshmen Dawson Grogan (77th, 20:55.0) and Abdisalem Green (81st, 21:27.4.) followed closely behind. The final two of the six participating A&T men to finish were junior Dae'Shawn Griffin (24:03.9) and senior Christopher Lomax (24:51.9).
Charleston Southern's Micah Gilpatric claimed the individual title, finishing in 17:24.8, and host N.C. State (1:28:51.7) was first in the team standings.
Not much has changed for Fajr Kelly since last season, as she was the first A&T woman to cross the finish line, something she did in every event in 2021 as a freshman.
Kelly placed 43rd in 20:27.3. She was 45th after the first 2k leg of the race but increased her pace to move up the two positions into 43rd.
Senior Ayoola Gbolade found herself just outside the top-50 in 53rd, finishing in 20:59.6.
Juniors Camille Herring (60th, 21:11.9) and Love Melton (62nd, 21:13.2) each turned in solid placings to begin their 2022 seasons.
Jayla Jones and Ania Campbell closely followed. Jones was 76th after the first 2k but was able to move up a position for a 75th-place finish in 22:52.8, while Campbell's pace fell off toward the end, placing her 76th in an even 22:54.0.
Rounding out finishers on the women's side was sophomore Janaia Madden, who finished in 26:25.1. N.C. State's Samantha Bush won the individual event in 16:14.5, and the Wolfpack claimed the team event title in 1:23:03.9.
