Track & Field | 12/2/2023 11:45:00 PM
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Director of track and field Allen Johnson wanted to see how well all the training during the fall translated in competition as the North Carolina A&T men's and women's indoor track and field teams participated in their respective season debuts at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-off at the JDL Fast Track on Saturday.
The translation went well. The Aggie women returned with four first-place finishes, and the men had three first-place showings.
"The meets this time of the year are really still a part of the preseason," said Johnson. "You just want to get everyone out there to see where they are. The real season starts in January. That's when you start to see the times, and the marks drop."
Lucheyona Weaver, who served as the next great A&T hurdler in waiting under Paula Salmon last season, looks ready to step to the forefront during the 2023-24 season. Weaver won the 60 hurdles in 8.38, just slightly off the meet record 8.29. She blew away the competition, with her closest competitor being Wake Forest's Anna Bush at 8.67.
Weaver had the second-fastest qualifying time in the 60H (8.62) behind teammate and University of Kentucky transfer Shadajah Ballard (8.53). But Ballard did not run in the final. Weaver also competed in the 60 meters, again finishing with the second-fastest qualifying time behind Ballard. Ballard ran a qualifying time of 7.62, and Weaver qualified with a 7.63. Weaver took fourth at 7.66 in the final, while Ballard finished seventh at 7.71.
Meanwhile, the Aggies had a strong showing in the 600m, with three runners finishing in the top 5, led by standout women's cross country runner Fajr Kelly. Kelly won the race in 1:131.66, followed by freshman teammate Serenity Brazell (1:33.12). Senior Jayla Jones finished fourth in 1:36.85. Kelly and Brazell teamed with junior Pebbles Scott and senior MyKayla Perry to win the women's 4x400-meter relay in 3:53.31. Perry also had a good showing in the 400m as she finished third in 58.81.
Another top-5 finish on the track for the women's team came from Ania Campbell. Campbell finished fifth in the 800m with a time of 2:25.06. But the Aggies did have a win in the field events. Former Bethune-Cookman Wildcat and Purdue Boilermaker My'Khiyah Williams made her Aggie debut on Saturday with a win as she took the high jump at 5-feet, 6 ½ inches.
Sophomore Olivia Dowd finished eighth in the long jump with a personal-best 17-feet, 9-inches. Fellow sophomore Taylor Reagor also posted a personal best on Saturday as she tossed the shot put 41-feet, 4 ¼ inches.
The Aggies, looking to return to their reputation as Sprinters U., looked strong in the men's 60m. Senior Caleb Jackson ran the fastest qualifying time in the 60 at 6.80 before winning the event in 6.74. Junior teammate Jaeden Gumbs placed fifth with a personal-best 6.90, and senior Brandon Nya placed seventh in 6.91.
Jackson, senior Aveon Reid, freshman Isaiah Taylor and senior Shemar Chambers combined to win the men's 4x400 in 3:20.51. Reid and Taylor also had success in the men's 60H, even though Thomas Smith had the fastest time of all three Aggies, finishing second (7.93) behind Davidson's Jayden Smith 7.87. Both Smiths finished under the meet record 7.94 held by Limestone's Scott Marshawn.
Reid placed third in 7.97, and Taylor came in fourth in eight seconds flat. Reid had the fastest qualifying time at 7.93, which also fell below the previous record. Smith ran an 8.18 in the preliminary, and Taylor ran an 8.19.
The Aggies won again, taking the 600m as freshman Kaleb Conway ran a 1:23.46 to win his first collegiate event in his collegiate debut. Sophomore teammate Dawson Grogan finished a close second in 1:23.49.
Carlos Alexander led the way in the field events by finishing third in the shot put, with his best throw landing at 54 feet, 5 ½ inches. Alexander also finished ninth in the weight throw at 50-feet, 11 ½ inches behind sophomore teammate Qualiar Newton who finished sixth with a throw of 56-feet, 2 inches. Junior Joseph Palmer, a University of Kentucky transfer, had a top-5 finish in the long jump at 22-feet, 5 ¾ inches.
