Track & Field | 4/27/2025 10:58:00 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No matter what foursome the North Carolina A&T outdoor track and field program puts on the track, they seem to strive. The Aggies took their men's 4x400 and 4x100-meter relay teams to Iowa over the weekend to participate in the Drake Relays, with the 4x400 team winning at the event. Meanwhile, a strong contingent of Aggies traveled to the University of Virginia to participate in the UVa High Performance meet at Lannigan Field on Sunday, including the Aggies 4x100 and 4x400 men's 'B' teams. They also won, highlighting a super successful day at UVa.
All four of A&T's relay teams won on Sunday. In addition, the Aggies also secured wins in the 100-meter hurdles, the men's 200 meters, men's triple jump, and the men's shot put, with senior thrower Brayden Hodgest breaking a program record in the men's shot put.
The women's 4x100 team of seniors Pebbles Scott and Lucheyona Weaver, junior Aaliyah Harris, and sophomore Hayleigh Bryant started the day by running a 44.74 for the first-place finish. Their time ranks No. 1 in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and 32nd in the NCAA East Region.
On the men's side, the 4x100 team of senior Jaeden Gumbs, sophomore Nakhi Benjamin, freshman Correy McManus Jr., and sophomore Barfuo Abayie Boakye-Boaten won their event in 40.31. That time is the third best in the conference behind the A&T 'A' team's 38.96. Later in the day, the Aggies also secured wins in the women's and men's 4x400.
Sophomore Serenity Brazell, graduate Mykala Perry, Scott, and sophomore Kymara Brodie ran 3:45.11 to win the 4x400 ahead of UVa's 3:45.75. That is the sixth-best time in the CAA this season. The men's 'B' 4x400 teams were also successful. Benjamin, sophomore Caleb Gurnell, freshman Jailen Hicks, and sophomore Braden Jordan posted a 3:16.99. It is the eighth-best time in the CAA.
In addition to Weaver's win in the 4x100, she also won at the 100H. Weaver ran 13.51 for her fifth career win in the event. She still leads the CAA in the 100H at 13.21. That time also ranks 15th in the East region. Benjamin came away with three wins on Sunday.
In addition to his wins in the 4x100 and 4x400, Benjamin also won the men's 200m, running a 20.99 to win the event. Fellow sophomore Xavier Partee won the men's triple after leaping 50-feet, 9 ½ inches. Partee has jumped 50-plus feet two weeks in a row. Last week at the Aggie Invitational, he jumped a personal record 50-feet, 10 ¾ inches. His jump at the Aggie Invitational ranks him 16th in the East region.
Meanwhile, Hodgest increased his lead in the conference in the men's shot put. Hodgest placed first, with his best toss landing at 59 feet 1 ¼ inches. It marks a personal record for Hodgest, and it breaks the program record he set earlier this season when he threw 58 feet, 5 ¾ inches at N.C. State's Raleigh Relays.
The Aggies also had seven second-place finishes, including Hodgest finishing second in the men's discus at 161 feet, 7 inches. In the women's shot put, graduate Julieth Nwosu placed second with a throw of 51 feet, 10 ½ inches. Nwosu had a personal record in the women's discus, throwing 165 feet, 4 inches to finish third.
Olivia Dowd placed second in the women's long jump by jumping a personal-record 19 feet, 11 ½ inches. It is the fourth-best jump in the conference this season. Gurnell finished second twice. He ran a 21.45 in the men's 200m and a 47.39 in the 400m.
McManus Jr. ran 10.57 to finish second in the men's 100m. In the women's 100m, Scott placed second in 11.94. The Aggies return to action, May 2-3, when they host the Aggie Classic at Marcus T. Johnson Track.
