Chapel Hill, N.C. / Norfolk, Va. - The North Carolina A&T track
and field team split up this past weekend.
Some Aggies competed at the 2012
Kent Taylor-Joe Hilton UNC Invitational and
others made the trip to Virginia to compete at the 2012 Norfolk State University
Relays. A&T has its home debut this
weekend at the annual International Friendship & Freedom Games at Irwin
Belk Track. The Aggies will host the F&F Games starting on Friday, and will
conclude the event on Saturday.
It is normally the first opportunity
between the indoor season, which starts
in January, and the outdoor season, which
runs through June, that Aggies fans get to see A&T compete at home.
"I am pleased with what we were
able to accomplish this weekend," said James Daniels, interim director of track and field programs. "Several
of the student-athletes wanted to get another competition under their belt to
prepare for the home meet this weekend."
The field events seemed to be the
highlight for the Aggies at both meets.
A&T only sent jumpers to Chapel
Hill. Senior Shakia Forbes walked away with the only win for the weekend, as she placed first in
the women's long jump with an impressive distance of 20-feet, 2 ¼ inches.
Senior Jared Baldwin also did well in Chapel Hill, as he earned third place in
the men's triple jump with a distance of 48-feet, 10-inches, and fifth place in
the men's long jump with a distance of 23-feet, 5 ¼ inches.
The Aggies continued their success in
the field events at Norfolk State. Junior
Sydni Cobb earned two second-place finishes. Her best throw in the shot put
went 45-feet, 11 ¼ inches, while her top discus throw was 121-feet, 6-inches. Cobb's
throw in the shot put established a new personal record for the Chesapeake,
Va., native. Fellow thrower Juanita Weaver also did well, earning fifth in the
shot put and third in the discus.
The Aggie men had a strong
performance at NSU with three out of four athletes earning at least one top 10
finish. Junior Earl House placed sixth in the men's 200 meter dash with a time
of 21.24. Keenan Smith performed well in the jumps, earning fourth in the
triple jump with a leap of 46-feet, 2 ½ inches, and ninth in the long jump at a
distance of 22-feet, 1 ¾ inches. Kendrick Smith pulled third in the triple jump
with a distance of 47-feet, 2 ½ inches.
