This weekend, the NC State track and field team will kick off its indoor season. Part of the team will venture up to Boston University to participate in the BU opener, while the other half will compete locally at the JDL opener in Winston Salem.
Last winter, the men’s team took seventh at the ACC Championship meet, while the women finished ninth.
With ample talent returning and young talent emerging, both teams will look to rebound and capitalize.
On the men’s side, top returners include redshirt senior Joshua Davis and sophomore Cravont Charleston.
Davis, the school record holder in both hammer and weight throw will be eager to further his already impressive marks. The Pelham, North Carolina, native took home bronze in the weight throw at last year’s ACC Indoor meet, as well as fifth place in weight throw at the NCAA indoor championship meet.
Charleston, who claimed silver in the 60-meter dash at last winter’s ACC indoor meet, will look to further develop his youthful career and continue momentum. In just one indoor season, he recorded a swift 60-meter personal best of 6.66 seconds. The Charlotte native also produced an even more fruitful outdoor season, garnering first-place ACC championship finishes in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100-meter relay.
Joining Charleston is a densely talented sprint crew. Other key members include seniors Quashawn Cunningham and Shannon Patterson.
Cunningham finished second in the 200 at the 2016 ACC indoor championship, while Patterson holds the school record in the indoor 300-meter dash.
Junior Nyheim Hines and sophomore Dylan Peebles should further bolster the Pack in the sprints. Last season, Hines, who also plays for NC State football, earned all-ACC second-team honors in the indoor 60 and was a member of the 2017 Outdoor ACC Championship 4×100 relay.
Meanwhile, as a true freshman, Peebles took second at the Outdoor ACC Championship meet in the 200 and represented the United States in the 200 at the 2017 Pan America Junior Championships.
In the jump events, junior Christopher Garrick will provide additional depth. Last go around, Garrick placed fourth in high jump at both the ACC indoor and outdoor competitions.
On the women’s side, key returners include redshirt junior Rachel Koon and junior Gabriele Cunningham.
Last winter, Koon garnered second-team All-American honors in the 3,000-meter with a 15th-place NCAA meet finish. Additionally, the T.C. Roberson alumna took silver in the 10-km at the ACC outdoor meet.
Meanwhile, Cunningham tied the 60-meter dash school record last winter and shattered the 100 and 200 dash records during the outdoor circuit. In addition, she represented the United States at the 2017 Pan Am Junior Championships, where she also took bronze in the 200. With momentum from outdoor, expect her to burst onto the scene this winter.
The duo of redshirt junior Lauren Evans and senior Javonne Antoine will look to secure the Pack in the field. Evans, who holds the school record in the hammer throw, placed seventh in the weight throw at last winter’s ACC finale. Antoine, on the other hand, finished seventh at the ACC indoor meet and fifth at the ACC outdoor meet in the triple jump.
With an abundance of young talent set to emerge, expect great things from NC State track and field this winter.
