North Carolina Central University

CROSS COUNTRY

     DURHAM, NC -- North Carolina Central University sophomore Yolanda Barber won her second consecutive individual conference title to help the Lady Eagles capture the school's first CIAA Women's Cross Country Championship on Thursday (Oct. 20) at SAS Park in Cary, N.C.
     The championship is actually the first for any women's running sport (cross country, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field) at NCCU, and it comes a year after the Eagles captured its first men's cross country team title. 
     Barber, a native of Suitland, Md., finished the 5k course in 19 minutes, 10.9 seconds, more than 26 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. Barber's winning time is also more than 32 seconds faster than her championship run from a year ago (19:43.40) on the same course.
     Three other Lady Eagles finished in the top 10 to earn All-CIAA honors. Sophomore Aisha Brown (Kodiak, Alaska) placed fourth for the second year in a row with a time of 20:20.6, followed by sixth place Lakisha Gantt (Washington, D.C.) and 10th place Rejon Littlepage (Trenton, N.J.) - both freshmen. Another rookie LaTanya Lesine (Durham, N.C.) just missed all-conference merit by placing 11th, while freshman Ambria Alexander (Landover, Md.) finished 15th and senior Christina Harris (Charlotte, N.C.) placed 26th.
     The NCCU men were in position to finish in second place, but the team's second leading runner, sophomore Robert Curington (Durham, N.C.), collapsed just shy of the finish line. 
     Two-thirds of the way through the 8k (5-mile) course, Curington was ahead of NCCU's top runner, junior Rashaad Lee (Willingboro, N.J.). However, after Lee crossed the tape in 28:27.2 to place seventh and earn All-CIAA honors, Curington's body appeared to start shutting down from dehydration about 100 yards before the finish line. He fell and got back on his feet several times, before willing himself to crawl another 10 to 15 yards. The cheers of support from the crowd were not enough to get him to the end, as medical attention was required about 20 yards short of the finish. Curington was treated and released from Wake Medical Hospital. In spite of Curington's courageous effort, the Eagles settled for fourth place in the team standings.
     Along with Lee, freshman Gerald Jones (Raleigh, N.C.) also earned All-CIAA recognition by placing ninth.

Lady Eagles and coaching staff celebrate the schol's first CIAA Women's Cross Country Championship.

Rejon Littlepage, Aisha Brown, Yolanda Barber and Lakisha Gantt show off their All-CIAA hardware.

NCCU's Yolanda Barber wins second consecutive CIAA cross country title. (Action photo by Adrian Ferguson)

NCCU's Rashaad Lee and Gerald Jones earn All-CIAA honors.