The NC State track and field team is headed to the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem to participate in the Camel City Track Invitational. Thirty Wolfpack athletes will be competing head-to-head against Wake Forest, Georgetown, Virginia Tech, Florida, NC Central and many more. The meet will be from Feb. 7-8.
A long distance Pack runner to look out for is sophomore Ares Epps, who has posted the fifth-fastest 800-meter run in the men’s category, a clean 1:50.40 seconds. Epps’ main competition will be a trio of runners from the District Track Club, the fastest of which runs 1:44.80. That difference might seem steep, but it is still very possible for Epps to claim first place.
On to the women’s side of long distance, freshman Samantha Bush is the Pack’s best bet for seizing first in the 1000-meter run. Bush has the second-fastest time going into this meet, with a solid 2:49.50, only 0.50 seconds off of the top time from an unattached runner. If Bush comes into this race with her A-game, there is no question she’ll take first for State.
The women’s 3000 is the event to watch for any long distance fans, as four NC State runners, sophomore Mariah Howlett, sophomore Sara LaTour, redshirt junior Anna Vess and redshirt sophomore Isabel Zimmermann, are all in the top 8 fastest times. These powerhouses can put up a lot of points for the women’s team and should not be taken lightly.
With long distance out of the way, short distance for the women’s team seems to be promising in terms of scoring points. Junior Kylia Wright holds the fifth-fastest time in the 60 at 7.65. She’s only 0.08 seconds off of the leader, so there is a definite chance for some big points earned.
For the women’s 60-meter hurdles, NC State junior Alexis Postell has the potential to take the top spot. Boasting the third-fastest time in the lineup at 8.65, Postell is another female competitor that can earn some serious points for the women’s team. Her male counterpart sophomore Cameron Murray is also in the race for points in the 60-meter hurdles, with a fourth-fastest time of 7.96 seconds.
Both the men and women are in the top eight for the weight throw. Redshirt junior Tyson Fortenberry has posted the fourth-longest throw, a sizeable 18.89m, while his female teammates, redshirt sophomore Jersey Harris and sophomore Kayla Beasley, hold the sixth and seventh spots, respectively.
NC State is looking fairly competitive in all types of events, its strongest field being women’s long distance. A couple of great runs are to be expected from both the men and women, and there will no doubt be points earned for the Wolfpack.
The next meet for the track and field team is slated to be Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Queens Multi Events again in Winston-Salem.
