NC A&T set to compete for points, national titles at NCAA Div. I Track & Field Championships
North Carolina A&T’s men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams and a few other HBCU competitors continue their quest for greatness at the NCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon which began Wednesday (June 9) and run through Saturday, June 12.
Head coach Duane Ross has seven men and eight women making up the contingent of NC A&T athletes vying for points, national titles and the nationwide prestige that comes with it. The Aggies teams have outside chances to shock the competition and come away with a national team title. Points (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1) are awarded for the top eight finishers in each event.
Heading into this week’s championship meet, the A&T men hold the top time in the 4×400 meters (2:59.21) and 4×100 meters (38.54) relays. They are second (Trevor Stewart) and third (Randolph Ross Jr.) in the 400 meters. The only black college athlete entering with a top seed in an individual event is Prairie View A&M senior Ja’Sha Sloan whose 1.82 meter leap leads the women in the high jump.
Other top ten entrants among the men are Coppin State senior sprinter Joseph Amoah (10.06), seventh in the 100 meter dash, and A&T freshman Javonte Harding (10.08), eighth in the same event. Tennessee State senior R’Lazon Brumfield (16.44 meters) is fourth among men’s triple jumpers.
A&T sophomore Cambria Sturgis enters with the second best time in both the women’s 100 meters (10.32) and 200 meters (22.26). The Aggies also sport three of the top eight times in the women’s 100 meter hurdles in senor Tejyrica Robinson (12.83, 3rd), junior Madeline Akobundu (12.84, 4th) and junior Paula Salmon (12.89, 8th). The Lady Aggies 4×100 relay times comes in with the third best time (42.92).
Women’s champions over the last five years have averaged 62.4 points with a low of 53 points by Southern Cal in 2018 and a high of 72 by Arkansas in 2016. Men’s champions over the past five seasons have averaged 64.1 points with a high of 85 points by Oregon in 2015 and a low of 52 by Georgia in 2018.
The NC A&T men finished in a tie for 15th with 19 points at the 2019 championships. Stewart was second in the 400 meters (8 points) while Michael Dickson finished sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (3). The Aggies finished fifth in the 4×100 relay (4) and fifth in the 4×400 meter relay (4). Amoah scored 4 points for Coppin State finishing seventh in the 100 meters and sixth in the 200 meters. Alabama State got 3 points from Jamie Brown in the long jump.
Men’s semifinals in Eugene in just about all the running events began at 5:02 p.m. PST (8:02 EST) Wednesday. Women’s semifinals in running events begin on Thursday at 3:32 PST (6:32 EST).
Men’s finals begin Friday at 5:02 pm PST. Women’s finals begin Saturday at 3:32 PST).