2019 Race in Review: Return of NCAT men, 1st time for Fay State women
HBCU team photos by Chris Coleman.
At left, the champion Fayetteville State U. women; at right, the victorious North Carolina A&T State men.
The Cedric Walker HBCU Challenge featured an intriguing mix of the “old” and the new. The “old” included North Carolina A&T State regaining the men’s team title they lost last year and the Aggies’ G’Jasmyne Butler (at right) winning her 2nd straight individual crown. On the other hand, new to the top of the podium was Fayetteville State U. in the women’s team race and Mathew Chesum (lower right) in the men’s individual battle.
- HBCU Women: NCAT senior G’Jasmyne Butler – who came to the Aggies from nearby Leesville Road High School – became the first woman to defend an individual title in Challenge history. She ran 18:55.2, pulling away in the second half of the race in a relatively close battle with Dawnel Collymore (Benedict, 19:03.3), Ashley-Jean Raymond (NC Central, 19:08.5) and Infinnatie Rowe (Morgan State, 19:12.5).
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In the women’s team race, however, it was Fayetteville State’s turn to shine. Led by newcomer Mercy Chemutai (6th, 19:52.6), they edged
Maryland-Eastern Shore, 62 to 68, to take their first title here – and move up one spot from their runner-up position here last year. Senior Nelly Kandie, in 11th, led four more Broncos in the top 18 finishers. Defending champion NCAT finished 6th. - HBCU Men: After claiming each of the four titles between 2013-2017 (the 2015 event was cancelled due to severe storm), NCAT surrendered the team title to Morehouse College in last fall’s race. But this year, the Maroon Tigers faced life without 3-time Challenge champ Trey Simons and the Aggies returned to the top of the podium. They put all five scorers in the top eight, led by the trio of Regan Kimtai (28:32.1), Devon Williams (28:51.1) and Morris Kimble (29:05.6) in 2-3-4.
- Meanwhile, Benedict College’s soph Mathew Chesum made his WakeMed debut a victorious one, winning with lots of room to spare in 27:59.9 – more than 30 seconds up on Kimtai. With teammate Kelvin Kiplagat in 5th, the Tigers put together a runner-up finish with 43 points – ahead of Maryland-Eastern Shore and Morehouse.
2018 Race in Review
- Morehouse College senior Trey Simons won his 3rd straight individual title with a 24:57.4, leading his team to its first team crown in the event. Simons was followed by North Carolina A&T State freshman Morris Kimble (25.37.5), then teammates Kiplimo Collins (junior, 25:39.6) and Randy Carter, Jr. (soph, 25:44.5). Rounding out the top five was St. Augustine freshman Baron Freeman (26:12.4).
- The Maroon Tigers scored 45 points, just ahead of 4-time defending champion North Carolina A&T State (50). Morehouse was 3rd in 2016 and runnerup in 2017. North Carolina Central was 3rd with 94 pts, Benedict 4th at 110 and St. Augustine's 5th at 159.
- With 4-time team champ Hampton U. not returning in ’18, North Carolina A&T State rolled to its 1st title with 26 points, 57 ahead of Fayetteville State. NC Central (123), Benedict (141) and St. Augustine's (145) grabbed the next three spots.
- The Aggies were led by individual champ G’Jasmyne Butler, a junior, who ran 18:52.2. Dawnell Collymore of Benedict (19:11.0), Nelly Kandy of Fayetteville State (19.23.2), and Kristoni Barnes of A&T (19:49.1) -- also all juniors -- were the next three finishers. A third Aggie, freshman Shalah Means, rounded out the top five with 20:05.7.
Trey Simons (Morehouse) defended his '16 Men's Challenge title, clocking 25:48.1 and winning by almost 30 seconds.
