| Members of the North Carolina A&T track and field teams will compete Saturday in the Georgia Invitational in Athens, Georgia.
Duane Ross, director of track and field programs, wants this group of athletes to lock in their positions for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round and be able to compete in an extra meet before Aggie Last Chance.
The top 48 marks in each event will qualify for the East regional meet, which is May 28-30 at the University of North Florida.
The women’s 400-meter relay team is 40th in the East at 45.21, which they ran last weekend to win at the MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The foursome of freshmen India Brown, Reneazia Collins, Qizeah Jackson and senior Latrese Barker will run to drop this time to secure their spot at the regional meet.
Sophomore Daniqua Dye will be competing in the women’s 400 meter hurdles to lower her 1:02.95 time in this event to qualify.
On the men’s side, freshman Dajuan Harding will compete in the 400 meters. Harding is 39th in the region with a time of 46.99. Sophomore Frank Quarles, ranked 27th regionally (24-feet, 5-inches), will compete in the long jump. Quarles is coming off winning the long jump championship at the MEAC outdoor championship.
“It’s a tune-up for regionals,” Ross said. “Also, the other conferences are having their championship weekends next week so we need to improve these times to make sure we get a selection to regionals. They also need another competition before our last-chance meet, so we want them to have two opportunities before regionals.” |
