After Coastal Carolina, the teams will split up to run at the Texas Relays at the University of Texas and the Spring Break Invitational at the University of North Florida (UNF). They will remain split for the Florida Relays at the University of Florida and the High Point VertKlasse Meet of High Point University April 1-2.

Both men’s and women’s teams will reunite on N.C. A&T’s Irwin Belk Track for the Aggie Invitational on April 9. After the first home meet, the team travels to two additional meets before the NCAA East Regional Championships. The Aggies will then compete at home for the eighth straight season at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championships, May 5-7. The Aggie Last Chance Meet takes place on May 15, at Irwin Belk. Regionals will take place May 26-28, at the University of North Florida and the NCAA Outdoor Championships will be held at the University of Oregon June 8.

“I think it’s pretty competitive and it gives us enough time to train,” Director of Track and Field Programs Duane Ross said of the schedule. “I expect to win MEAC. I think we had 11-12 people at regionals last year; I want to take between 15-20 athletes to regionals this year. And I want to have that same 15-20 athletes at NCAA championships.”

Many of last year’s regional qualifiers will be returning to assist with Ross’ game plan. Junior Maurice Eaddy went into last year’s regional preliminaries in the fourth seed. He ran a personal best and school record of 10.11, which he recorded in the Aggie Last Chance Meet, to earn his position.

Eaddy continued to the NCAA nationals in the 100 and as a part of the men’s 400 meter relay team.  On the team with Eaddy was junior Caleb Gabriel. They, along with graduates Marquis Noble and Jeffrey Lewis, entered nationals with a personal record (PR) of 39.9, which they posted in the regional competition.

Senior Kevin Francis qualified in the 110-meter hurdles his first year of track with a PR of 14.24 and sophomore Dajuan Harding ran in the men’s 400 after his PR of 46.99 from the MEAC outdoor championships. Also running in the 400, was junior Todd Townsend who clocked a 52.30 in the Florida Relays.

For the women, there were three qualifiers—sophomores Reneazia Collins, India Brown, and Morgan Knight. Collins and Brown were neck-and-neck in the 100 and the 200. Collins entered the 100 with the 14th fastest time, a PR and school record of 11.42, and Brown came in 16th with a PR of 11.43. In the 200, Collins qualified with a 23.52 and Brown with a 23.36. Knight competed in the women’s 100mh after her PR of 13.55 in the Aggie Invitational pushed her through.

Adding to the strong list, Ross hopes that many of the team’s high performing freshmen will help the agenda. In the women’s 100 and 200 hurdles Ross expects Kayla White to be a big factor. The same goes for Hakeem Mustafaa in distance events, Justin Hamilton in the men’s 200 and 400, Michael Dickson in the hurdles, Lasheon Strozier in the triple jump, and Rodney Rowe in the men’s 100 and 200.