20 schools coming to Cary for 6th HBCU Challenge!

by Steve Underwood


A special table in the HBCU tent at the Challenge includes pennents from various schools, team photos, event t-shirts and a photo of the NSAF's
late Cedric Walker -- a driving force behind this event's beginnings six years ago.

HBCU home page

All four defending meet team champions – the North Carolina A&T State men and Hampton University women in D1 and both St. Augustine’s University teams in D2 – will be on hand Saturday to try and repeat at the NSAF's 6th Annual Robert Shumake HBCU Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

Twenty schools will compete in the men’s 8-kilometer race at 9:30 a.m., while 19 schools battle in the women’s 5-kilometer race at 10:05 a.m.  Representing seven states, the D1 and D2 schools race together, but are scored separately for team and individual honors.  All but one school that raced in 2013 have returned and three new schools – Alabama State University, Benedict College of South Carolina and Coker College – also of South Carolina – have joined in. 

As always, the NSAF’s Jacque’ Kendell has done a tremendous job inspiring the schools to get involved and stay involved, as she’s embraced a greater role with the Challenge since the March, 2013 passing of NSAF board member, coach and mentor Cedric Walker.  The event is part of the Great American Cross Country Festival, which also features 13 high school races at the 5k distance. 

In hopes of repeating, defending D1 (and overall) champ North Carolina A&T State’s men return their top two runners in Saeed Jones and Darren White, who led the victory charge in 2013 while finishing 2nd and 3rd overall.  Indeed, they are the top two returning individuals in the meet.  Hampton’s women, on the other hand, return only their #7 runner from last year.  North Carolina Central’s Amber Brooks, 3rd in the D1 race in 2013, is the fastest individual coming back.  For St. Augustine’s in D2, Fanta Fofana (4th overall) is the fastest of two top-7 women’s returnees, while 11th-place finisher Elhadji Mbow is their top men’s runner coming back.

The other participating schools, after those mentioned above, are Chowan U., Fayetteville State U., Johnson C. Smith U., Livingstone College, Shaw U., Winston-Salem State U. and Wake Tech Community College from North Carolina; Morehouse College from Georgia; The Lincoln University from Pennsylvania; South Carolina State U. from S.C., Bowie State U. from Maryland; and Virginia State U. and Virginia Union U. from Va.

More detailed preview coming Thursday.


Our Partners