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A&T junior Lasheon Strozier won the men’s triple jump at the Weems Baskin Invitational (Columbia, S.C.) with a jump of 50-feet-1 inch. Photo courtesy Erin Mizelle/NCA&TSU[/caption]
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The 2018 outdoor track and field season is officially underway for the North Carolina A&T men’s and women’s teams. The 2018 season opened with a two-day meet at the Weems Baskin Invitational hosted by the University South Carolina.
N.C. A&T won the women’s 4x100 meter relay, the men’s triple jump and men’s shot. The Aggie men racked up 15 top-10 finishes with five new personal records. The women had 13 top-10 finishes set four personal records.
Two victories in the field events highlighted the men’s weekend. Junior Lasheon Strozier took gold in the men’s triple jump at 50-feet, 1 ¼ inches and freshman Aaron Wilkerson won the shot put at 52-feet, 1-inch.
In the hammer throw, junior Derrick Wheeler’s 171-foot, three-inch toss was good enough for third place and a personal record. Freshman Michael Bell was third in the long jump (23-feet, 1 ¾ inches) and Strozier was ninth tying his previous personal record of 22-feet, 4 ½ inches. In the triple jump senior Nehemiah Lipford placed seventh at 45-feet, 9 ¾ inches.
Senior Todd Townsend ran a personal-best 13.88 in the 110mh to place third. Junior Daquan Maddox ran a personal-best in the 3000m steeplechase to finish fourth at 10:01.45. Senior Joel Thomas was fifth in the 100 (10.43) and was seventh in the 200 by running a personal-record 21.29. Freshman Alan Johnson placed fifth in the 800 with a time of 1:53.84.
The men’s 4x400 team of freshman Trevor Stewart, junior Michael Dickson, senior Corey Aiken and senior Dajuan Harding finished third in 3:15.09.
The women’s 4x100 team of sophomore Tori Ray, senior India Brown, freshman Jadzia Beasley and junior Kayla White ran a 45.39 to place first amongst 30 teams. Freshman Nia Lundy, Ray, White and sophomore Kristoni Barnes placed third (3:48.14) in the women’s 4x400 relay with senior Imani Coleman, sophomore Sun-Sara Williams, sophomore Jade Smith and sophomore G’Jasmyne Butler finishing seventh (3:57.67)in the relay.
Freshman Loren James was the runner-up in the shot put event measuring 44-feet, four inches and freshman Nazah Reddick placed third in the high jump at 5-feet, 4 1/2 inches. Sophomore Madeleine Akobundu set a personal record in the 100-meter hurdles finishing second in 13.44.
In the long jump, Akobundu leaped 20-feet, 1 3/4 inches to finish third. Junior Anisa Toppin was seventh in both the long jump (18-feet, 1 1/2 inches) and triple jump (38-feet, 9 ½ inches) while freshman Royce Johnson competed in the open triple jump and was seventh (37-feet, 10 ½ inches).
Senior Miranda Green (11:59.27) was third in the women’s 3000m steeplechase. Junior Kennedy Thorne placed fifth in the 400mh (1:02.06) and Barnes was sixth in the 800 (2:14.59).
Three women posted personal records in the 400. Barnes finished 12th in 56.64, Williams was 34th in 57.96 and Butler was 36th in 58.26.
