RALEIGH, N.C. - Melanne Sutton is starting to hit her stride.

The North Carolina Central track sprinter rebounded from a difficult freshman campaign to run her best times as a sophomore. And this is only the beginning.

"Before Mel leaves this institution, I think she has the potential to go all the way," said Fabrienne Swepson, NCCU's Interim Director of Track & Field/Cross Country. ""She is a phenomenal athlete and dedicated. Just the intent she brings to the sport, she has the potential to be one of the first female sprinters to take it to the national level since we've been Division I."

Sutton is starting to scratch the surface as a collegiate sprinter after a stellar high school career at Greenville Rose. Her talent was on display at the Raleigh Relays on N.C. State's campus this past weekend.

The Greenville, N.C. native sizzled across the 100-meter finish line in 11.65 seconds, a time faster than most of the field. She placed 2^nd in her heat and 9^th overall out of 86 competitors.

After Friday's impressive 100-meter performance, Sutton came back Saturday to run a personal best 23.95 to finish 14^th out of 128 competitors in the 200-meter dash. She finished second in her heat.

"This year, I have my priorities straight," Sutton said at the Raleigh Relays. "Anytime I don't want to do something in my head, I still do it because at the end of the day, it is going to help me in my races. I push myself past my limits. Thanks to Coach [Reggie] Barnes, he pushes me as well. My teammates push me too."

A track runner since seven years old, Sutton experienced success on every level but hit a wall at NCCU as a freshman. Her 100-meter dash times were mostly in the 12-second range with a season best of 11.93. Her top times in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes were 7.62 and 24.92, respectively.

"I wasn't used to this hard training," said Sutton about her first year at NCCU. "It shocked me. I didn't think it would be all this running. I thought it was going to go smoothly. I had to push hard. My body had to mature, and I had to mature mentally."

Her welcome to college track moment came during fall workouts.

"It was endurance day," Sutton said. "We had to do seven or eight 300 [meter sprints] on the turf. I only got through two or three of them. I was so used to running 100s, 200s."

As a sophomore, Sutton has emerged as a top MEAC sprinter. During the indoor season, Sutton finished second in a personal best 7.38 in the 60-meter dash as the Eagles reached the podium for the first time ever in the MEAC Championships, placing third.

A week later, Sutton posted another personal best – a time of 11.64 in the 100-meter dash at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational, the Eagles' outdoor opener.

What changed? A couple of things.

After struggling on the track as a freshman, Sutton spent the summer training harder than ever. She focused on lifting weights for endurance.

Another change was the addition of Barnes to the NCCU coaching staff this season. Barnes, a former N.C. State track & field standout, specializes in sprinting and hurdling.

"They mesh very, very well. He's been able to tap into something with her," Swepson said. "We've been able to watch her soar beyond what she's been doing before."

Under Barnes' guidance, Sutton made one small, simple adjustment to an already solid running technique.

"When we analyzed film, she saw where she began to tighten up during a race." Barnes said. "As soon as you tighten up, that makes you run slower. Relax, trust the process and flow through it. So now she realizes that. We are doing the same for all the runners."

The adjustment helped Sutton lower her times and re-gain the moxie she had as a high school sprinter. She holds two track records and is second all-time in three events at Greenville Rose.

"Coach Barnes has been an incredible influence on me this track season," Sutton said. "His unwavering patience, insightful guidance, and ability to push me beyond my limits have truly shaped my growth as an athlete. He doesn't just focus on the race; he focuses on the journey, encouraging me to trust the process and believe in my potential every step of the way."

Swepson is not surprised that Sutton came back this season stronger and better.

"Many student-athletes that come to college for the first time do stumble a little bit just because they are trying to get used to a new coach and a new training regimen," Swepson said. "There are so many things that are different. It takes a minute oftentimes to really adjust."

Currently ranked third in the 100-meter dash and fifth in the 200-meter dash in the MEAC, Sutton is eyeing the conference outdoor championships on May 15-17 in Norfolk, Va. A regional berth is not out of the question but there is still more work to be done.

The Eagles' sprinter is tied for 39^th in the 100-meter dash and just outside the top 50 in the 200-meter dash in the NCAA East Outdoor Qualifying list. The top 48 declared student-athletes in each individual event will be accepted to the NCAA East Region first-round meet on May 28-31 leading up to the NCAA Championships.

"At some point, she is gonna win a conference championship," Barnes said. "It is just a matter of time. I'm not rushing it. She doesn't have to break all the records right now. It will come."