Area runners at Penn Relays
Rams and Aggies competed last week in the Penn Relays, the premier track and field track meet in the country.
The A&T team of Desmond Lawrence, Jeffrey Lewis, Marquis Noble and Keenan Smith finished the final in 41.15 of the 4×100 in sixth place after a bad handoff between Noble and Smith on the third and fourth leg exchange. Lawrence, a sophomore transfer from East Carolina, also finished sixth in the college men’s championship final in the 100 meters with a time of 10.56.
A&T Track Coach Duane Ross said making it to the Penn Relays, which attracts only the best college runners to the University of Pennsylvania each sprint, is a victory within itself.
“It pretty much means you are the cream of the crop,” said Ross. “I’m extremely proud of my guys. To see them qualify and be on an emotional high is what a coach lives for. This was a big deal. It sends a message to the rest of the country that we’re on our way.”
Winston-Salem State sophomore Tajanel McNeil finished 14th in the women’s long jump with a 5.51m leap. She also placed 21st in the women’s triple jump with an 11.67m leap.
Her teammate and fellow sophomore Cruz Vargas-Sullivan placed 44th in the women’s 400m hurdles with a 1:02.89.
The Lady Rams relay teams placed 38th in the 4×100 with a time of 47.62. The WSSU 4x200m relay team also placed 42nd with 1:42.71. The Lady Rams’ 4x400m relay team placed 64th with a 3:58.87 time.
