Track & Field | 1/14/2023 9:55:00 PM
NEW YORK, NY – When first isn't enough, you take first and second.
Both the North Carolina A&T men's indoor track and field team and the women's indoor team won the HBCU Showcase Challenge on Saturday at the Armory Track & Field Center as both teams competed in their 2023 season debut.
In winning five events, the men scored 128.5, beating second-place Delaware State (88.5) by 40 points. Meanwhile, the women won seven events, posted 138 points and beat second-place Norfolk State by 43 points.
While securing 12 wins, the teams took first- and second place in six events, including the men's 500 meters, 60-hurdles and weight throw, and the women's 400m, 800m and 60H.
Graduate and All-American Paula Salmon continued to strive toward her goal of winning an event national title. Salmon won the 60H for the sixth time in her career, finishing in 8.26 on Saturday. Salmon's heir apparent in the event, sophomore Lucheyona Weaver, finished second with a personal-best 8.44.
In the same event on the men's side, freshmen Jason Holmes and Thomas Smith had impressive debuts. Holmes ran a 7.93 to win the event, followed by Smith's 7.97. After Saturday, Salmon and Weaver are first and second in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in the 60H. Holmes and Thomas are ranked second and third in the CAA in the 60H.
Salmon also championed the women's 200m with a time of 24.85. She finds herself ranked second in the conference behind Hampton's Amira Aduma (24.57).
North Carolina State (NCSU) transfer Jada Griffin and sophomore Pebbles Scott clocked first and second in the women's 400m – Griffin running 55.55 and Scott 56.20 – while Reheem Hayles and Shemar Chambers did the same in the men's 500m. Hayles crossed at 1:02.26 and Chambers at 1:03.25.
Griffin's 400m time puts her at No. 1 in the CAA, and Scott's time makes her the No. 3 400m runner in the conference.
In the middle distance, Ayoola Gbolade and sophomore Fajr Kelly kept close while leading the women's 800m. Gbolade won in 2:13.58, followed by Kelly in 2:14.93. Gbolade leads the conference in the event, and Kelly ranks No. 2.
Then in the field events, freshman Qualiar Newton won the men's weight throw with a toss of 55-feet, 6 ½-inches and sophomore Carlos Alexander took second (52-feet, 8 ¾-inches). The two men rank 2,3 in the event in the CAA.
The last individual wins of the day came from the shot put. Julieth Nwosu threw 45-feet, 7 ¼-inches to win for the women, and sophomore Brayden Hodgest led the men with a distance of 56-feet, 10-inches. Hodges' season debut has him ranked No. 1 in the CAA.
In the relay competitions, the Aggies emerged victorious in the women's 4x200, the women's 4X400, and the men's 4x400.
The women's 4x200 team of Nilaja Florence, Jaera Griffin, Shaliciah Jones and Salmon finished in 1:40.20. The women's 4x400 team of Scott, Mykayla Perry, Florence and Griffin beat Prairie View A&M by more than three seconds with a time of 3:49.11. The foursome is now No. 1 in the conference.
In the men's 4x400, Chambers, Hayles, Akeem Lindo and Brandon Nya ran a 3:16.51 to rank No. 2 in the conference behind Hampton, who ran a 3:14.23 at VMI on Dec. 3. The Aggies head to Lynchburg, Va., next weekend (Jan. 20-21) to participate in Liberty University's Brant Tolsma Invitational.
