WINSTON-SALEM (February 3, 2018) – For the second time this season, junior Kayla White broke the school record in the 60-meter hurdles as she highlighted a slew of great performances from the North Carolina A&T indoor women's track and field team over the weekend. The ladies had victories in the 60mh, high jump and long jump.
“This meet featured a lot of great performances,” said N.C. A&T Duane Ross, N.C. A&T's director of track and field progams. “I'm very pleased with how our teams competed this weekend. We will fine-tune over the next week and get ready for MEAC indoor championships.”
The women had 25 top-10 performances with 13 personal records during the two-day meet. A trio placed in the top-4 of the 60mh led by White.
“Kayla White had an exceptional day in the hurdles. She's a special athlete,” Ross said.
In back-to-back meets, White won the hurdles by setting a new personal record time. This week she ran an 8.14 tor rank eighth nationally and No. 1 in the MEAC. Last week she ran an 8..21 to win the 60mh at the Liberty Kickoff. Four Aggies in the 800m hit their best times of the indoor season paced by sophomore Kristoni Barnes. Barnes exploded with a personal record 2:09.21 to place fourth overall. More importantly, Barnes entered the national ranking at No. 65 and she ranks No. 2 in the conference.
“Kristoni keeps getting better and better. She's truly a joy to watch. It won't be long before she's on the podium at the NCAA Championships,” Ross said.
Sophomore G'Jasmyne Butler (2:16.66) ran her fastest time of the season, while sophomore Khadijah Reid (2:17.99) placed 10th and sophomore Camille Martin (2:19.71) posted a personal record.
Senior India Brown (7.48) was the runner-up in the 60 meters, while sophomore Taliyah Townsend (7.49) placed fourth with a personal record and the No. 3 time in the MEAC. In the 200, the Aggies were third and ninth behind personal record performances from sophomore Sun-Sara Williams (25.15) and Kennedy Thorne (25.64). Martin posted another PR as she finished the mile run in 5:10.79 for the fourth-fastest time in the league.
Freshmen Nia Lundy (56.15) and Payton Russell (56.16) clocked personal records in the 400 to place third and fourth. Sophomore Tori Ray (56.25) followed in fifth place with a season-best time and Williams (57.11) was ninth. Lundy is ranked third in the 400 in the MEAC, Russell is fourth, Ray is fifth and Williams is seventh.
N.C. A&T won both the long and high jump competitions to highlight the field events. Sophomore Madeleine Akobundu had her first victory of the indoor season in the long jump after a pair of runner-up performances. Akobundu leaped 19-feet, 4-inches to coqueri the field. In the high jump, freshman Nazah Reddick notched a personal-best mark of 5-feet, 7-inches to win the event. Reddick is tied for third in the MEAC high jump rankings. Also competing in the high jump was sophomore Jade Smith who posted a personal-record 5-feet, 3-inches to place fourth.
Senior Morgan Knight climbed to No. 1 in the MEAC in the pole vault, an event she has owned in outdoor and indoor MEAC championship meets. She earned the ranking with a personal-record 12-fet, 1 ½ inches to plae third. Knight (8.59) also ran in the 60m and was third while freshman TeJyrica Robinson (8.66) was fourth. Two Aggies finished in the top-10 of the triple jump with junior Anisa Toppin (38-feet, 6 ¾ inches) placing fourth and freshman Royce Johnson (37-feet, 2 ½ inches) taking seventh. Freshman Loren James had a personal record 50-feet, 9 ¼ throw in the weight throw to round out the the super performances at the Camel Invite.
