Running Dirty Down 95

Before my current writing life, there was The Hilltop, Howard University’s and the Nation’s Oldest Black Collegiate Newspaper, where many of the questions and themes I still explore first found their voice. What follows are my early published works, preserved in their original form.

From The Hilltop Archives

Originally published in The Hilltop, Howard University — April 2nd, 2004

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Running Dirty Down 95

It's not a joke and the only ones laughing are the Track Bison. April 1 was yesterday, but they're still going to make fools of anybody who's sleeping on them. 

 

Not once, twice, but thrice times Howard's Track team will be heading south for a weekend of run and sun. Only this time it's a nine-hour trip past North Carolina to Clemson University in South Carolina. But don't think because the Bison had success in the Ca-ka-lac that it'll be a walk in the park one state south.

 

"Even though Clemson will be a small meet, it won't lack competition," explained Head Coach Michael Merritt. "We're running against the likes of Clemson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Pittsburgh, Appalachian State and conference rivals FAMU."

 

The women started the season strong at UNC-Charlotte and continued at North Carolina State. 

 

"Everybody improved," added Assistant Coach Kenyatta Grigsby.

 

But it was their 4x100 relay that shined for the day finishing 4th behind NC State, North Carolina A&T and Eastern Michigan with a time of 45.93, .13 hundredths of a second off the 45.80 regional qualifying time. 

 

"The only reason we didn't qualify is because of bad hand-offs," said Coach Grigsby. "But we ran our fastest time of the season."

 

If they were error free, who knows? However, Grigsby wouldn't make any excuse because the Lady Bison had a lot of practice and "that stuff just happens. Minor things like Kiki (Phakiso Collins) not getting out and Erica (Day) not running through the zone," Grigsby clarified. 

 

There was miscommunication on the track, but Ashley West-Nesbitt alluded to the fact that it's natural with a high caliber relay team.

 

"We have the speed and we're blessed with a talented team," West-Nesbitt said. "We just have to get the technical stuff down. At Clemson, we're coming in with a positive attitude and be focused."

 

"Coach said there will be competition, look at Pitt and Clemson. Hopefully we can drop our time," Day suggested.

 

It will seem like de ja vu as the Track Bison will see some of the same teams they saw last weekend. Clemson's women team past up NC State and went further south to the Florida Relays at the at the University of Florida's Percy Beard Track and Field Complex. There they had a good showing despite a not running a 4x100 relay team. 

 

"We're not going in strong," said Merritt about the men's team. "A few injuries and several of our key people are taking senior comps."

 

Among those out with injuries are David Oliver and Leon Synder, but it's the Senior Comprehensive Exams that has Andrew Murphy and Lance Gross in DC for the weekend. 

 

"They've been a key factor in the sprints, relays and jumps," explained Merritt. 

 

Last week, Gross finished second with a long jump of 7.38m (24 feet, 2 and one half inches) and Murphy finish 25th (6.63m).

 

Merritt expects a lot because he doesn't want a repeat performance at the MEAC Championships.

 

"I'd like to see some improvement on the conference level," he said. "By having this type of schedule, it prepares us for conference and regionals."