On Saturday the NC State men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the annual Raleigh Relays. The event, held on Paul Derr Track, features an abundance of talented high school, college and professional competitors.
This year was no exception as there were roughly 2,500 individual and relay entries from 100 NCAA programs. College teams such as UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, Ohio State and West Virginia were all present.
Despite the stiff competition, the Pack rose to the occasion. On the women’s side, the team was led by a first place showing from senior Erika Kemp.
The All American, competing in her first 10,000-meter in two years, earned gold with a time of 33:36.26.
“It’s definitely a confidence booster that I’m back on an outdoor track and running well again,” Kemp said. “I really think it’ll help me on 5-kilometer, which is where I’m really looking to PR later this season.”
Kemp was not alone, as the Pack’s women distance runners produced a cluster of outstanding early season performances as well.
Freshman Elly Henes and sophomore Ryen Frazier finished third and fourth, respectively, in the women’s 5,000-meter.
Their marks of 16:01.73 and 16:02.39 rank among the top-3 NCAA times so far this season.
Redshirt junior Alyssa Rudawsky joined in on the 5,000m success, earning a 12th-place finish with an impressive mark of 16:28.84.
In the women’s triple-jump event, junior Javonne Antoine and senior Amara Bell both finished on the podium. Antoine led the Pack in the event, coming in second place out of a field of 31 qualifying participants. The All-ACC triple jumper leaped to a personal-best distance of 12.60 meters, setting the tone for perhaps another NCAA-qualifying year.
Bell also had the jump of her career, finishing in third place with a distance of 12.35 meters. The senior finished top-15 in the event at the 2016 Outdoor ACC Championships, and he looks to build on that momentum. Although it is very early in the season, both athletes’ marks currently stand top-15 nationally.
“I feel like it’s really reassuring,” Bell said. “Especially since last meet I PR’d too and then PR-ing this meet too. I hope I can continue at this rate. Hopefully I’ll get to where I want to be, but I have a little bit of work to do.”
NC State’s sprinters also had impressive showings this weekend. Sophomore Gabriele Cunningham set the tone, winning her heat and earning a first-place finish in the women’s 200-meter dash. Cunningham annihilated the competition, coming in at a swift time of 24.16 seconds, which was .10 seconds quicker than the second-place finisher.
“I felt like that was a decent opener for it being my first 200 [meter dash] of the outdoor season,” Cunningham said. “It definitely feels really good, especially to be running on your home track, you feel comfortable because you train on it every day of the week.”
On the men’s side, this success was almost mirrored. Freshman standout Cravont Charleston won his heat and took home a second-place finish with a time of 21.26 seconds in the men’s 200m dash. The high school state champion flashed potential in his collegiate 200m debut for the Wolfpack.
“In the beginning, my coaches said ‘run the first part of the 200 [meter race] like a 60 [meter race],” Charleston said. “Usually, I don’t get out that well, but today I got out really well and was able to finish it.”
Sophomore jumper Christopher Garrick, and redshirt senior distance runner Sam Parsons earned spots on the podium as well.
Garrick’s clearance of 6’10”.75 was good enough for third in the high jump, while Parsons’ personal best of 3:44.52 was sufficient for third in the 1,500-meter.
NC State capped the weekend of competition off on a high note with the men’s 4×400-meter relays. The squad composed of Charleston, freshman Janapi Dowdy, freshman Dylan Peebles and sophomore Sam Krehnbrink wrapped up the meet with a first-place finish, crossing the line in a superb time of 3:14.46.
“A lot of people came out here to support me,” Charleston said. “My family is here and my teammates. I didn’t know it would be as big as it was, but it was a pretty big turnout.”
Additionally, the meet served as a homecoming of sorts. Not only was there an abundance of Wolfpack fans, students, and friends; but alumni competitors as well.
In the men’s high jump, Wolfpack alumnus Kris Kornegay-Gober took first place with a clearance of 6’11.75”.
Meanwhile, alumna Alexis Perry earned first in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a swift mark of 13.61.
“It feels really good,” Perry said. “I love home and I love this track, so I’m privileged to be able to come back here.”
After a successful season opener, the Wolfpack hits the track again next weekend. NC State will send select athletes to the Stanford Invite in Palo Alto, California, and the rest of the team will compete in the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida. Both events will take place from March 31-April 1.
Senior jumper Amara Bell slides into the long jump pit during the Adidas Raleigh Relays on Friday. Bell's best jump was 5.39m, earning her the seventeenth spot overall in the event. In Saturday's triple-jump, Bell finished third with a distance of 12.35 meters.
