After what was somewhat of a disappointing 3rd place performance by the women of A&T at the 2008 MEAC Indoor Championships, junior sprinter Alexandria Spruiel and junior hurdler Loreal Smith both qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. They became the first Aggies in history to accomplish such a feat.
“They are great representatives of the university,” said Roy ‘Spaceman’ Thompson, director of track and field programs. “They have been so vital to our program because they are outstanding leaders and they give our other athletes something to stride toward. They have certainly turned our program in the right direction.”That direction has been toward the record books.
Spruiel has been nothing short of legendary this season establishing herself as a force to be reckon with in the lanes. Her outstanding season has been solidified by breaking the school record in the 400 meters at UNC-Chapel Hill with a time of 56.69 and the 500 meters at the Virginia Tech Indoor Invitational with a time of 1:12.70.
She then went on to break her own record in the 400 meters – twice. Once by clocking a 54.62 at the Penn State Indoor National Invitational; then again by posting a mind-numbing 53.48 at the Virginia Tech Last Chance Meet. The one-time MEAC Track & Field Athlete of the Week has moved into the top ten nationally.
“Spruiel is a tremendous athlete,” said Thompson. “She had a breakout year last year, but she is not the kind of athlete who is going to settle for having just one good season. She is going to continue to train hard, work on her mechanics, and her strength. You see how hard she works and you know she is going to continue to do well.”
But Spruiel is not the only Aggie bringing pride to A&T.
Smith was in a record-breaking mood this season as well, making her mark on the 60-meter hurdles time with a school-record 8.46 at the Penn State Indoor National Invitational. Smith then broke her own record at the Virginia Tech Last Chance Meet in the same event with a time of 8.19 moving her into the top ten nationally as well.
“We want to be a nationally recognized program and this is a step toward that,” said Thompson. “Year in and year out we want athletes qualifying for nationals and competing for national championships. That will mean we are doing well in other meets, including winning our [indoor and outdoor] conference championships.”