Courtesy of North Carolina A&T State Athletic Communications


GREENSBORO, N.C. – The North Carolina A&T State men's track & field indoor team is the No. 2 team in the nation. 

The United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its first installment of the NCAA Division I Men's Indoor National Track and Field Ranking Index on Monday, with the Aggies sitting as the second-ranked team in the country behind the University of Arkansas. 

Joining the Aggies in the top five are No. 3 LSU, No. 4 BYU and No. 5 Tennessee. The Aggies have their highest ranking in the index's history and the highest-ranking ever of any Div. I historically Black college or university (HBCU). 

"To quote the great Ricky Bobby, if you ain't first, you're last," Duane Ross, the Aggies' Director of Track & Field Programs, said. "That's what I told them today when they came into practice all excited. Our goal is to be No. 1." 

N.C. A&T is a close second behind Arkansas, according to the USTFCCCA, after an impressive start to the season that includes 14 first-place finishes over two the span of two meets – the McCravy Green Invitational at the University of Kentucky and the Carolina Challenge at the University of South Carolina. 

The Aggies 4x400-meter relay team – sophomore Randolph Ross, seniors Trevor Stewart and Elijah Young and junior Daniel Stokes – moved to No. 1 in the nation this past weekend after running a 3:04.62 at USC.  

In total, N.C. A&T owns seven top-10 marks nationally, including two top-three rankings by Randolph Ross. Randolph Ross is ranked No. 3 nationally in the 200 (20.69) and 400 (46.20) meters. Freshman Javonte Harding is tied with Randolph Ross nationally in the 200 after both men broke the USC's Indoor Track and Field Complex facility record in the 200 last week. 

Junior Rasheem Brown is 2-0 this season in the 60-meter hurdles. He won at Kentucky in 7.84 before moving up to the fourth in the nation by running a 7.77 at USC. Senior Tavarius Wright is sixth in the country in the 60 after running a 6.65 at USC. 

Not all of the success is on the track, however. Junior Brandon Hicklin is seventh in the nation in the long jump after leaping 25-feet, 3/4-inches at USC.