Track & Field | 1/13/2024 10:13:00 PM
COLUMBIA, S.C. – It seems the North Carolina A&T indoor men's and women's track and field teams have selected an event and dominated in that event at each track and field meet it has participated in during the 2023-24 season.
In the Aggies' previous track and field meet, the Clemson Opener last December, it was the hurdles. On Saturday, at the Gamecock Indoor Opener hosted by the University of South Carolina at the Carolina Indoor Track and Field Complex, it was the 800 meters. Four A&T men finished in the top-5 of the 800m, with sophomore Dawson Grogan winning. Senior Fajr Kelly won the women's 800m as four A&T ladies finished in the top-10.
The Aggie men also won in the 400m and recorded two second-place finishes. A&T competed for the first time since Dec. 8 in Clemson, S.C. Meanwhile, Grogan competed in his third meet of the season, having notched a personal best in the 600m (1:23.49) at the JDL College Kick-off and a personal best in the 1000m (2:30.15) at the Clemson Opener.
But on Saturday, Grogan secured his first collegiate first-place finish by running a 1:54.35 to win the 800m. Freshman Kamren Kennedy did post a personal best in the 800m, finishing second behind Grogan in 1:54.89. Another freshman, Kaleb Conway, ran an 800m personal-best 1:56.11 to finish third, and senior Jalen Chin finished fifth in 1:57.54.
Kelly also secured a career-best on Saturday. She ran her 800m in 2:09.04. It marked an indoor best for Kelly, whose previous best time in an 800m indoor event was 2:10.69 at the 2023 South Carolina Invitational in the same facility she competed in on Saturday. Kelly's time ranks her 14th in the nation and first in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) in the 800m. After Kelly, the Aggies placed five, six and seven in the 800m, with seniors Ania Campbell (2:19.77), Jayla Jones (2:19.96) and Camille Herring (2:20.37) finishing in that order, respectively.
Senior Shemar Chambers captured the Aggies' third first-place finish of the afternoon by winning the 400m in 47.36, as he ran in the first heat. He finished ahead of South Carolina's Jayson Ward, who crossed the line at 47.76 in the second heat. Chambers, who once called A&T 400m greats such as Randolph Ross, Jr., Trevor Stewart and Reheem Hayles, his teammates, won his first-ever 400m indoor event. He won an outdoor 400m at the 2022 Aggie Invitational at Marcus T. Johnson Track. After Saturday, Chambers ranks 11th in the nation and second in the CAA in the 400m.
There were some excellent showings in field events as well. Sophomore Qualiar Newton had a personal-best 59-feet, 4 ¼ inch throw in the men's weight throw to finish second behind USC Upstate's Keyandre Davis' first-place throw of 62-feet, 1 ¾ inches. Newton's throw was the best in the CAA this season. In the men's shot put, junior Carlos Alexander placed second with a throw of 50-feet, 10 ¼ inches. Meanwhile, junior Aeneas Reed placed third in the men's long jump after his best attempt landed him at 22-feet, 10 ¾ inches.
Junior Joseph Palmer, who earned Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) field athlete of the week after his second-place performance in the triple jump at Clemson last month, placed fourth in the triple jump on Saturday with a leap of 47-feet, ¾ inches.
The Aggie men had three third-place finishes back on the track, with senior Caleb Jackson finishing the 60m in 6.84. Freshman Isaiah Taylor finished the 60-meter hurdles in 8.03. Senior Aveon Reid ran a 60H qualifying time of 7.87 but did not compete in the final. The 4x400-meter relay team of Jackson, Reid, Chambers and senior Brandon Nya finished with a season-best 3:12.89. Nya also had another top-five finish, placing fourth in the 200m in 21.55.
The women's 4x400 relay team of junior Pebbles Scott, senior Mykala Perry, senior Tashianna Gray and Kelly ran a season-best 3:49.26 to finish seventh. A&T returns to action next week when they travel to Blacksburg, Va., for the Virginia Tech Invitational, Friday, Jan. 19-Saturday, Jan. 20 at Rector Field House.
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