Cross Country | 8/28/2025 12:09:00 PM
GREENSBORO — North Carolina A&T men's track and field programs have developed into a league powerhouse following a historic 2025 season, and the women aren't far behind.
The Aggies cross country teams were an essential piece in that success, and they aim to continue making the team stronger. The A&T men clinched the first-ever Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) men's outdoor championship in May and their first-ever CAA indoor title in February.
The cross country tune-up certainly helped junior Dawson Grogan during his sophomore season. During the outdoor season, Grogan placed second in the 800 meters at the CAA championships at A&T's Marcus T. Johnson Track to score eight crucial points for the conference champs.
During the CAA indoor championships, he helped the 4x800-meter relay team win the conference title in the 4x800 event and placed fourth in the 800m, contributing 15 points to the team's total.
Last season, women's standout runner Fajr Kelly started her track season with cross country and eventually advanced to the 2025 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Fla., in the 800m. She placed sixth in the 800m at the CAA outdoor championships, and she was a part of the seventh-place DMR team at the CAA indoor championships.
Kelly's eligibility has expired, but Ryan Prioleau's has not. She returns for her sophomore season after using her tune-up to finish fifth in the 4x800 and seventh in the DMR at CAA indoors.
Cross Country is usually a destination for A&T's middle-distance and distance runners for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The 2025 season opens for both teams on Friday, August 29, at the Elon "Friday Night Lights" Opener at the Elon Cross Country Course at 8:15 p.m.
Both teams enter this year with quality returners, as well as promising freshman talent. Cross-country/distance coach Quamel Prince observed the way his team developed throughout the season to contribute.
"They start early," said Prince, who has led this team since October of 2022. "So as the season went on, they got stronger, faster, and were able to build their stamina really well."
Freshman Taysaun Wilson was the first name that Prince provided when asked who he thought would produce a standout performance. Wilson hails from Toms River, New Jersey, and was a New Balance Nationals sprint medley champion. He also helped his team place second nationally in the 4x400-meter relay.
Coach Prince also spoke optimistically about senior Abdiselam Green. Green paced the Aggies with a solid 28:02.10 in the 8k at the 2024 CAA Cross Country Championships.
The women will have to adjust after losing Kelly, who was the fastest A&T runner in all 18 of her career cross country events. However, before exiting, Kelly poured into junior Prioleau to encourage her to step up as a leader. In preparation for this season, Prioleau has demonstrated to Prince that she has taken this task to heart and has been showing up each day, working extremely hard.
Alongside her, the women's team brings in a staggering group of eight freshmen. Prince is hopeful about what he sees in them.
" I think I have a really good group. They've been working well together," Prince said. "This is a group of girls who really love to run, so the distance doesn't really bother them much. It's kind of early, but based on what I've seen so far, it's been really good."
The Aggies will participate in four meets before the CAA Cross Country Championships, scheduled to take place on October 31 in West Long Branch, NJ. In that span, Prince hopes to see his young runners mature and his veteran runners primed to start the quest for more CAA track and field championships.
"I want to see some young athletes compete," Prince said. "I really want to see them go out there and do their best and really try to place as high as they can. I'm excited to see who competes."
