Track & Field | 12/8/2023 10:06:00 PM
CLEMSON, S.C. – North Carolina A&T indoor track and field looked dominant in the hurdles events on Friday at the Clemson Opener inside the Clemson University Indoor Track facility. The men and women came away with first-place finishes in the 60 hurdles. The men were so effective in the hurdles they took first, second, third, and fourth, and had three personal bests recorded in the process.
The men had two other wins on Friday, including in the 4x400-meter relay and 200 meters. The women had one other first-place finish, with their win in the 800m. In total, the women had nine top-5 finishes and seven top-3 finishes. Meanwhile, the men had 16 top-5 finishes, and six times the Aggies had a top-2 placement or better.
Sophomore Jason Holmes led the Aggies in the 60H, finishing in 7.70. Holmes also had the fastest qualifying time, completing the preliminary event in 7.76. Senior Aveon Reid took down his personal best in the prelims at 7.85 before dropping his time even lower at 7.73 in the final to finish second.
Sophomore Thomas Smith IV also posted two personal bests in the 60H, running a 7.90 in the prelim before dropping that time to 7.82 in the final to finish third. Freshman Isaiah Taylor completed the Aggies conquest by placing fourth in a personal-best 7.90. Taylor ran an 8.03 in the prelims for the sixth-fastest qualifying time. Xza
On the women's side, junior Lucheyona Weaver earned her second win of the season in the 60H. A week after winning at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-off in Winston-Salem, N.C., she ran a personal-best 8.19 to win on Friday. Weaver's previous personal best was 8.21, recorded at the University of South Carolina's South Carolina Invitational on Feb. 4, 2022.
Freshman Serenity Brazell also claimed victory for the ladies by finishing the 800m in 2:15.71. It was the first collegiate win of her career. Senior Camille Herring finished third behind Brazell with a time of 2:21.90.
In the men's 4x400, the Aggies claimed victory in 3:13.38 with the team of Aveon Reid, Xzaviah Taylor, Isaiah Taylor and Shemar Chambers. Another win on the men's side came from Caleb Jackson in the 200. Last week, Jackson claimed Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) track athlete of the year by winning the 60m in Winston-Salem. On Friday, he won the 200 by crossing the line with a personal-best 21.41.
Jackson lowered his time in the 60 from last week. He ran 6.72 to finish second behind South Carolina's Anthony Greenhow (6.70). Jackson ran a 6.75 in the prelim. Jackson ran a 6.74 last week to rank fourth nationally. Senior Brandon Nya finished fourth behind Jackson in the 60, finishing with a personal-best 6.78.
Nya also had a third-place finish in the 300m in 33.66, followed by Chambers in fourth place in 33.89. Xzaviah Taylor also had a third-place finish as he finished the men's 400 in 49.04. Freshman Kamren Kennedy placed third in the 800m, running a 1:56.61.
Junior Joseph Palmer led the Aggies in the field events. Palmer, a University of Kentucky transfer, jumped 49 feet and 1/4 inches to finish second in the triple jump. Freshman Xavier Partee finished fourth by jumping 48 feet 3 1/2 inches.
Carlos Alexander, fresh off his CAA field athlete of the week honor, finished second in the shot put, with his best throw landing at 53 feet, 1 1/2 inches. Alexander also had a fourth-place finish in the weight throw at 53 feet and 3 1/2 inches. Junior Kendrell Goodes (6 feet 4 3/4 inches) and freshman Yule Pieters (6 feet, 4 3/4 inches) finished fourth and fifth in the men's high jump.
The field events also went well for the ladies, as they had a pair of third-place finishes. Sophomore Olivia Dowd jumped a personal-best 39 feet, 1 inch in the women's triple jump to finish third, while sophomore Taylor Reagor had a 39 foot, 10-inch toss in the shot put for a third-place finish.
On the track, Mykala Perry ran a personal-best 56.31 in the 400m to finish second. Perry was also one-fourth of the 4x400 team that finished third in 3:49.61. She joined Pebbles Scott, Brazell and Weaver in the event. Scott also had a fourth-place finish in the 200m with a personal-best 24.37. Weaver had a fifth-place finish in the 60m as she posted a personal-best time of 7.54.
Seniors Jayla Jones and Ania Campbell finished fourth and fifth in the 600m. Jones ran a personal-best 1:36.49, and Campbell crossed with a personal-best 1:37.37.
A&T participated in its final indoor meet of 2023. The Aggies will return to action on Jan. 13, when they travel to the University of South Carolina to compete in the Gamecock Open.
