DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University track & field teams open the indoor season on Saturday, Dec. 2, marking the eighth year under head coach T.J. Walker.
After much success in both indoor and outdoor seasons for track & field last year, Walker looks to keep the program trajectory trending upward. NCCU earned 23 medals in both MEAC Track & Field Championships and two qualifiers in the NCAA First Round last season.
Both teams bring back leadership and fresh faces to Durham. One of those new talents is freshman Jonathan Raijon-Koger (Pfafftown, N.C.) who comes out of high school as a top-ranked high jumper. His talent showed when he placed sixth in the high jump event at the USATF Junior U20 Championships in Oregon this summer.
Sophomore Lamont Victoria (Prince George, Va.) was a two-time gold medalist at the MEAC Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships last season and will be joined in the men's high jump event by Raijon-Koger. Fellow jumpers and MEAC medalists on the women's team, Joidon Boddie (Raleigh, N.C.) and Micah Fulton (Pasadena, Calif.), bring back a strong presence for the Eagles.
Lawrenceville, Georgia, native Daniel Robinson returns closer to home joining NCCU after transferring from the University of Southern California. Robinson is a sprinter in his first year of graduate school at NC Central.
All-MEAC thrower Matthew Swepson (Durham, N.C.) will start his senior year with multiple field duties including shot put, discus and javelin.
Senior Rachel Ozio (Rolesville, N.C.) and sophomore Laila Jackson (Avondale, La.) are both coming off strong cross country seasons and are looking to put that training into distance events.
Outside of nearby meets in North Carolina and Virginia, the track & field teams will visit New York City for the HBCU Showcase presented by KPMG on Jan. 13.
The first challenge for NCCU will be at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-Off on Dec. 2. The meet takes place at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, The outdoor season schedule will be released at a later date.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
