By Roscoe Nance


Duane Ross has proven he knows a thing or two about building a track program. How else could he have guided the North Carolina A&T State men’s and women’s track & field and cross country teams to seven Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships in his six seasons as the Aggies’ Director of Track and Field Programs?
 
It’s pretty obvious Ross is a master of the understatement as well, considering this assessment of how the Aggie men and women have fared thus far in the indoor season.
 
“We’ve started off pretty good,” he said.
 
That’s like saying “Bullet” Bob Hayes ran pretty fast.  
 
The A&T men are ranked No. 24 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national computer rankings. The Aggies are also ranked second in the Southeast Region.
 
The women are No. 6 in the Southeast Region.
 
With three weeks remaining before the MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships (Feb. 21-23 in Landover, Md.), the conference statistical leaderboard on the men’s and women’s side resembles an Aggies roster sheet. No fewer than two North Carolina A&T State athletes have the best times in virtually every event, and many events as many as Aggies appear.
 
Additionally, an Aggie has been named the MEAC Athlete of the Week after each meet North Carolina A&T State has competed in this season. The Aggies’ dominance bodes well for them as they pursue lofty goals they have set for themselves.
 
Those goals are:

“We aim high,” Ross said. “That’s the culture we’ve developed here. Our goal is to aim high; if we’re in the competition, win the competition. We’re happy but we don’t want the kids to be too content. We expect everybody to bring their best. The NCAA Championships is the best in the country. We have to be prepared for that.”
 
Ross said the Aggies have embraced chasing the goals set for them and are committed to reaching them. They took a step toward reaching one of them – winning the Triple Crown – when they captured the men’s cross country title this past fall.
 
It was their first cross country championship in 35 years.
 
“That’s something we take a lot of pride in,” Ross said. “When they can see the fruits of their labors, it’s a plus. We talk to them about establishing their legacy, doing something tat hasn’t been done. They want to leave their legacy. They want to be called the best ever. It’s attainable.”
 
The Aggies’ track program was in the doldrums when Ross took charge in 2012. He said he changed the culture by implementing simple rules, such as being on time for practice, dressing according to protocol, going to class, being good teammates and supporting each other.
 
“Keep things simple,” Ross said. “We do simple better. We want them to have fun, compete, compete hard and be the best at everything. When we practice, we practice as a team. If you’re not dressed accordingly, you don’t get on the bus. Once that started to become second nature, everything else followed suit. Then we started talking about winning championships. How can we talk about an NCAA championship if we can’t get to class on time, get to practice on time, dress accordingly?”
 
Ross stresses character, discipline and structure. But he also places a high priority on talent, and there is an abundance of talent in Greensboro on the men’s and women’s teams. Senior sprinter Rodney Rowe, a two-time MEAC Athlete of the Week this season, has emerged as a team leader on and off the track.
 
Rowe, a four-time All-American, made his season debut in the 200 meters on Jan. 18 with a first-place finish at Virginia Tech’s Hokie Invitational in 21.11. His time tied for the 17th-fastest in the nation and is the fastest in the MEAC. Rowe also ran the 60 meters at Virginia Tech, where he finished third in the prelims in 6.77 before finishing second in the final at 6.69 – tied for the 20th best in the country and the fastest in the conference.
 
“We don’t choose captains,” Ross said. “We let leaders emerge. He’s one of those we mention when we talk about character. Sometimes athletes have the stereotype of being prima donnas. He’s an All-American, top sprinter. But after practice, he will walk behind the team and pick up. He’s the type who will bring equipment to the track at the start of practice. That character is going to take him a long way.”
 
Freshman sprinter Cambrea Sturgis is an emerging star on the women’s side. Sturgis    clocked a school record 23.43 in the 200 meters at the Hokie Invitational to win the event. Her time is the best in the MEAC and is tied for eighth-fastest in the nation. Sturgis’ 60-meter time of 7:38 at the Virginia Tech Invitational is second-fastest in the MEAC to teammate Kayla White’s 7:25, which also came at the Virginia Tech Invitational.
 
“Cambrea has so much top side,” Ross said. “She is still learning. Her progression is out of sight.”
 
Ross said he first spotted Sturgis when she was a sophomore at A. L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, N. C., and he knew immediately she was special.
 
“When she steps on the track, she looks like a baby,” he said. “She’s four feet and some change, but on the track her alter ego emerges. Mechanically, she has the tools. She is wired the correct way for a sprinter. I knew she had a future in this sport, and as soon as I could, I started recruiting her.”
 
Other Aggies in the top 25 nationally are:

“We’ve got some good athletes,” Ross said. “Let’s not forget that.”
 
That said, Ross and the Aggies are taking nothing for granted as they pursue their goals and the conference championships approach.
 
“We are on the way,” he said. “I’m pleased with where we are. The conference is competitive. If we’re dominating the conference, it’s a sign of what we can do at the NCAA Championships. Am I surprised? No. I know the type of athletes and coaches we have. We enjoy doing what we’re doing. We’re right on target. But there are some competitive teams in conference. We’ve got to stay on our toes.”
 
Ross said that he sees encouraging signs from the team that it is not becoming overconfident or peaking too soon.
 
“Our kids are so excited,” he said. “They know they are nowhere near where we want to be in terms of preparation. They know where they are; they’re smart. We do a good job of teaching why we do what we do. We haven’t started tapering at all. One of the things that did me proud was after the Virginia Tech meet, some of the sprinters said, ‘Wait and see what happen in 30 days.’ That makes you smile as a coach. It let’s you know they’re listening. They understand.”