CHARLOTTE, NC - The Broncos turned in a dominant all‑around performance Friday at the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls Invitational in Charlotte, N.C., piling up event wins, podium sweeps and a string of personal and season bests across the track and field.
The throwing squad set the tone early and often, led by a near sweep of the discus. Adriana Quamina claimed the event title with a winning throw of 45.00 meters, while Aaliyah Whyte followed closely in second at 40.38 meters. Paige Simmons‑Norris added to the strong showing with a fourth‑place finish after recording a mark of 39.58 meters. The momentum carried into the shot put, where Whyte delivered another standout effort by placing second overall with a season‑best throw of 13.83 meters. Quamina continued her productive day with a mark of 12.87 meters, and Simmons‑Norris capped the trio's success by finishing sixth while setting a personal best of 12.07 meters. In the javelin, the Broncos remained competitive as Mikayla Chambers placed fourth with a throw of 27.56 meters, Whyte notched a season best of 26.31 meters to finish fifth, and Simmons‑Norris rounded out the field in eighth at 24.04 meters.
On the track, the distance runners put together one of the most impressive stretches of the meet, controlling multiple races from start to finish. In the 1500 meters, the Lady Broncos swept the top four positions, highlighted by Faith Kiplimo's victory in a time of 4:44.89. Ashley Bell crossed the line second in 4:59.87, followed by Videlma in third at 5:01.70, while Nia Gibson completed the clean sweep with a fourth‑place time of 5:16.09. Kiplimo doubled back in the 800 meters and delivered another winning performance, taking first in 2:15.75. Bell added a third‑place finish in 2:22.61, and Gibson finished sixth with a time of 2:35.51. The distance dominance continued in the 3000 meters, where Pelisha Kosgei captured the event title with a winning run of 11:13.95.
The sprint group also made its presence known, beginning with a strong showing in the 100 meters. Ziyah Etchinson led the Broncos with a time of 12.39, while Angel Scott was close behind at 12.42. In the 400 meters, the team swept the podium in emphatic fashion. Sierrah Matthews powered to victory while setting a personal best of 56.78, Jeaneva Golden followed with a season‑best 57.95, and Sanai Forte completed the sweep by posting a season‑best time of 58.85.
In the field events, the jumps crew delivered a mix of consistency and breakout performances. Abraonna Williams led the way in the long jump, finishing second overall with a mark of 5.58 meters, while Mia Thompson placed fourth at 5.41 meters. The triple jump proved to be a highlight of the day, as Cheyenne Walker made an impressive return from injury by winning the event with a personal‑best leap of 11.60 meters. Thompson joined her on the podium in second place, also recording a personal best at 11.31 meters. In the high jump, Jayda Wilson finished third after clearing 1.52 meters.
The hurdles rounded out the day with promising performances and encouraging debuts. Taniya Dickerson continued her upward trajectory by running a personal‑best 1:05.10 in the 400‑meter hurdles and later clocking 15.33 in the 100‑meter hurdles. Repline Cheptoo made her collegiate debut in the 400‑meter hurdles and impressed with a personal‑best time of 1:08.31.
All eyes now turn to postseason action as the Broncos prepare for the CIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship, set for May 1–2 in Petersburg, Va., where they will look to build on this performance and contend for conference titles.