PHILADELPHIA/CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The North Carolina A&T outdoor track and field men's and women's teams were in two locations on Friday. Some athletes participated in the prestigious Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field. A few other Aggies are competing at the University of Charlotte's Irwin Belk Track & Field Center for the Charlotte Invitational. Both meets conclude on Saturday.
At the Penn Relays, graduate Paula Salmon qualified in the top spot for the women's 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.56. Salmon ranks 15th nationally in the 100H with a season-low of 13.08 recorded at the Tom Jones Memorial at the University of Florida (UF) on April 15. She will race in the championship round on Saturday against two others in the nation's top-20. She will face Howard University's Darci Khan, who is tied for No. 11, and Texas A&M's Jaiya Covington, ranked 19th.
Senior Julieth Nwosu was the only other performer to place top-10 for the women's team at Franklin Field. Nwosu finished the women's discus throw in ninth place after a launch of 140-feet, 1-inch.
Holding the women's team down in Charlotte, graduate Ayoola Gbolade finished third in the 800-meter run, crossing in 2:07.70.
On the men's side – at the Penn Relays – sophomore Carlos Alexander pulled out a sixth-place finish in the men's shot put with a throw of 55-feet, 2 ¼-inches, and sophomore Brayden Hodgest placed 18th in 53-feet, 4 ¼-inches. Hodgest had a better showing in the discus throw, where he finished 10th with his best throw landing at 158-feet, 1-inch.
The men's team ran heats for the 4x400 relay and the 110H at Franklin Field on Friday, but they did not qualify in either. Ryan Saint-Germain, Shemar Chambers, Dawson Grogan, and Reheem Hayles ranked 16th in the 4x400 relay prelims with a time of 3:20.36. Freshman Thomas Smith took on the 110H prelims and finished 26th at 15.43.
On Saturday, athletes from the women's team are the only ones scheduled to compete. Aggies at the Penn Relays are expected to take on the women's 100H championships; the shot put and the high jump. In addition, the Aggies will compete in the 200-meter dash and 4x400 relay in Charlotte.
