VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – The North Carolina A&T women's indoor track and field team saw their streak of winning indoor conference championships end at five straight. The women completed their first-ever Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Indoor Track and Field Championships in fourth place on Thursday at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. 

The last time the women did not win a conference title came in 2016 when they finished third at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) indoor championships. The women scored 71 but did win four event conference championships led by Jada Griffin, who won gold in the 400 meters and 4x400-meter relay. Meanwhile, the men finished third with 119 points and came away with four event conference championships led by junior Raheem Hayles, who claimed conference titles in the 400m and 4x400. 

Hayles was named Most Outstanding Performer for the men's track events, scoring 20.5 points for the Aggies after his second-place finish in the 200m. Graduate Jada Griffin was named Most Outstanding Performer for the women's track events after scoring 22.5 points by winning the 400m and 4x400 and finishing second in the 200m and seventh in the 60m.  

Elon won the inaugural CAA indoor championship with 129.83, followed by Hampton (121.33), Northeastern (93), A&T and William & Mary (58) in the top-5. Out of seven teams, Northeastern claimed the championship on the men's side with 171 points, followed by Monmouth (155) and A&T.  

Lucheyona Weaver and Kenady Wilson also claimed event championships on the women's side. Weaver claimed the 60-meter hurdles title by running an 8.40, outlasting Hampton's Maya Seay, who ran an 8.42 to finish second. 

Wilson jumped 5-feet, 7-inches to win the high jump, marking the second straight season she has won an indoor conference title in the event. She won the Big South Conference indoor women's high jump last season. In addition, Griffin, Pebbles Scott, MyKayla Perry and Weaver won the 4x400 championship in 3:41.62.

On the men's side, Hayles finished the 400m title in 45.99 to claim his first career individual conference title. He collected more gold with teammates Akeem Lindo, Shemar Chambers and Ryan Saint-Germain to win the 4x400 in 3:09.82. Chambers won the 200m in 21-seconds flat, and sophomore Brayden Hodgest had the event title on the field side for the men by the shot put a personal-best 57-feet ¾-inches. 

The men collected big points in the 400m as Chambers and Ryan Saint-Germain finished second and third in the 400 to give the Aggies 24 points in the event. Then the trio switched the order in the men's 200m, as Chambers was followed by Hayles in second place (21.02) and Saint-Germain (21.66) in seventh. Junior Brandon Nya added four more points by finishing fifth in the 200 (21.52) to give the Aggies 24 points in the event. 

After throwing three straight fouls, Hodgest used his last shot put attempt to win his third career event conference title. Carlos Alexander finished second behind Hodgest after a throw of 51-feet, 11-inches, bringing in another eight points. 

Some other points came from freshmen Jason Holmes and Thomas Smith, graduate Kendall Turner, and sophomore Kendrell Goodes. Holmes (7.91) and Smith (8.18) finished third and fifth in the 60H to combine for 10 points. Goodes (6-feet, 4 ¾-inches) landed fourth in the high jump to receive five points, and Turner (6.90) placed fifth in the 60m for four points.

On the women's side, Griffin ran 53.47 to win the 400m. She recorded a time of 24.19 in finishing second in the 200m, and her seventh-place finish in the 60m had a time of 7.74. Scott added five points for the Aggies in the 400m by placing fourth with a time of 54.97. She placed fifth and scored four points in the 200m at 24.43.  

The Aggies received points from the throws as Julieth Nwosu (48-feet, 10 ¼-inches) placed second in the shot put.