As the Virginia Union Panthers close their 2010 outdoor track & field season, two panthers would leave their mark on the national level. Melvin Edison claimed his second title as All-American in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.30, ranking him 4th in the nation. Edison persevered through two knee injuries to claim his title. Coach Johnson told us, “Edison has had an injury-filled career, but he prevailed at the end”. Edison says, “This season was a very hard and emotional one, but prayer and hard work always seems to work for me”.
Another Panther who is turning some heads in the CIAA and on the national level is sophomore Brian Gurley. Gurley would make his debut on the national scene in the 100 meter dash. Coach Johnson says “Gurley is just getting his feet wet on the track & field scene.” His explosive stride would clock him in at 10.78, ranking him within the top 20 in the nation. Gurley has become a threat on the track and has time to improve.
Head Coach Wilbert Johnson is proud of his entire team. He told us “I'm glad both Edison and Gurley went to the NCAA National Meet and did the best they could do. Virginia Union University was well represented”. His vision for next year's squad is to include the majority of the team on the NCAA participation list. Coach Johnson says, "We are expecting an increase of athletes to go to the NCAA meet and to score plenty of points. VUU men's and women's track & field team will be high-lighted on the map".
