Raleigh Trio Signs With North Carolina A&T Track and Field

Asya Macon

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The North Carolina A&T track and field team has signed three impressive athletes to improve the women’s program over the next four years.

The trio of athletes are all from Raleigh, N.C., and they include Kristoni Barnes (5-6, Raleigh, N.C., Wake Forest Roseville HS), G’Jasmyne Butler (5-3, Raleigh, N.C., Leesville Road HS) and Asya Macon (5-2, Raleigh, N.C., Southeast Raleigh). They will join the women’s program during the 2016-17 season.

“We’re extremely young on both the men’s and women’s side, but when we first came in here we put a lot of focus on the men’s program,” said Duane Ross, director of track and field programs. “Now it’s the women’s turn. The women we’re bringing in are really needed. We’re expecting them to come in and duplicate what the freshman class did last year.”

Barnes is a versatile middle distance athlete and long sprinter who is competitive in the 800 meters as well as the 400. Barnes has a personal best of 57.03 in the 400 and earned all-state honors in the event with a sixth-place finish in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 4-A State Championship. She was also all-state in the 500 with a seventh-place finish at states. Competing for her track club, Carolina Elite of Raleigh, Barnes qualified for the 800 at the USATF Junior Olympics where she earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish in 2:16.57.

G’Jasmyne Butler

“She adds depth to the 400 and the 800 but especially the 800, so she is a crucial part,” said Ross.

Butler comes to A&T as an accomplished middle distance runner. Ross said he and his staff put a lot of time into recruiting Butler. “She’s a national champion, so she’s coming in to lead,” Ross said.

Butler is the USATF Junior Olympic national champion for the Young Women’s 800—a title she earned competing for her Track Explosion club. Additionally, Butler is also the reigning North Carolina 4-A state champion in the 800. Butler boasts personal records of 2:11.07 for the 800, 5:03.50 for the 1600 and 4:40.23 for the 1500. With Butler’s best 1600, she finished third in the state. During the indoor season, Butler recorded a personal-best 3:01.58 in the 1000 to finish third in the state as a junior. Also, Butler has recorded a time of 18:45.49 in the 5,000, making her a prime cross country candidate.

Macon is a long sprinter whose specialties are the 200 and 400. Additionally, Macon has significantly contributed to the relay teams at Southeast Raleigh. She holds a personal best of 56.33 in the 400, which earned her all-state honors thanks to her fourth-place finish at the state meet. Macon is the reigning Greater Neuse River conference champion in the 400, and has a personal-best 25.50 in the 200.

She anchored the Southeast Raleigh 4x400m relay to a second-place finish in the state championship meet, and for indoor, Macon earned all-state honors with a sixth-place finish in the 500 with a time of 1:17.06.

Kristoni Barnes

“I think she is a sleeping giant,” Ross said. “She didn’t win last year, but she is one of the top 400 runners. I think she’s going to have a great season. Her potential is just outstanding.”

Last year, Ross’ women’s track and field team finished third at the Indoor Track and Field MEAC Championships, a steep leap from the eighth-place finish they took in 2014. And most of the top-10 performances went to the freshman ladies Ross recruited such as Morgan Knight, Reneazia Collins, India Brown and Qizeah Jackson, who was the Aggies top scorer with a total of 24 points.

Ross’ latest freshman class is expected to fill the void in the middle distance and distance programs. “We’re not done recruiting,” Ross said. “We want to send a message to the rest of the country that we’re serious about our women’s program, and these girls are on the right track to do that.”

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION