The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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TRACKING THE PACK SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 ■ 19 BY TIM PEELER Cravont Charleston was the fastest sprinter in the United States earlier this summer. Those who know him were not nearly as surprised as the rest of the track and field world. "I told people going into [the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships] that 'Vont was going to win," said Danny Peebles, the one-time Olympic- caliber sprinter who played football for the Pack and was a member of the school's 1985 NCAA champion 4x100 relay team. "Some people thought he might be a little under the radar, but not anymore." Charleston, a five-year participant for the Wolfpack indoor and outdoor track and field programs, surprised more noted opponents like Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles to take the men's national championship in the 100 meters in Eu- gene, Ore., finishing with a blazing time of 9.95 seconds. The win was a surprise even to Charles- ton, who was in an outside lane and couldn't really tell he clipped Coleman and others at the end. "I thought I got fourth," he said after the race. Charleston earned a trip to Budapest, Hungary, for the World Athletics Cham- pionships in August. While he didn't make it out of the first round in that event, running a 10.18 and finishing fifth in his heat, his performance at the U.S. nation- als was a remarkable achievement. "He's not exactly an overnight success," longtime NC State men's track and field coach Rollie Geiger said, "but he was run- ning against an accomplished group, and not a lot of people expected him to win." Although he won two All-America honors and five ACC titles for the Wolf- pack, the native of Charlotte and gradu- ate of Mallard Creek High School is seen by many as a late bloomer who had never made the finals at a major track event. He had an outstanding career from 2016-21, but COVID halted his 2020 at- tempt to win an NCAA indoor champi- onship in the 60 meters in Albuquerque, N.M., and injuries ham- pered his final outdoor sea- son in 2021. He had never broken the 10-second mark in the 100 until last year at age 24. While he's made a name for himself, Charleston is a rare bird in the track com- munity: He's the first na- tional champion in his event since 2012 to be without a shoe endorsement deal. The lack of an apparel contract forced Charleston to take a part-time job with a fast food restaurant to make ends meet shortly after he graduated with a degree in communications from NC State. It paid the bills and also allowed him to keep training with two-time Olym- pian and 1996 gold-medal winner Allen Johnson, who was an assistant for Gei- ger until last summer when he became the director of track and field programs at North Carolina A&T. Charleston still lives in Charlotte but trains with Johnson at a track in Greensboro. Johnson recognized Charleston's talent immediately. "I've been expecting this since he was a freshman in college," Johnson said. Charleston just needed a few years of injury recovery and confidence-building to get to this point in his career. "I know I can race with the big guys," he said to NBC after proving it on the track. Charleston is not the first Wolfpack sprinter to make a national splash. Pee- bles did it during his Hall of Fame career, as did other dual-sport athletes who populated NC State's football rosters, like receivers Alvis Whitted, T.J. Graham, To- bais Palmer and Nyheim Hines. "The state of North Carolina and NC State have had some of the best athletes in the world, and it's humbling to see that still continue," Graham said. "NC State has some rich history in the sprints, as well as distance races and cross country. We need to get that football-track con- nection going again." NC State Alum Cravont Charleston Races To U.S. Title A PERCENTAGE OF EVERY HOME SALE GOES TO SUPPORT ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH AND CARE. McKeeHomesNC.com | 910-672-7296 PROUD TO SUPPORT THE NC STATE WOLFPACK Faye eville | Raleigh | Pinehurst | Wilmington Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. CHARLESTON