Top HBCU track team heads to Oregon for NCAA Championships

North Carolina A&T has established itself as one of the top HBCU track and field programs over the past several years. Under former head coach Duane Ross, the Greensboro, North Carolina-based HBCU became a track and field power, winning a second-place team finish at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships, the best-ever finish by an HBCU program. After Ross took over the program at the University of Tennessee , new head coach Allen Johnson stepped in and continued the Aggies’ success on the track.

The 2024 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round is being held in Lexington, Kentucky, and North Carolina A&T is continuing to lead the way for HBCU track by sending two individuals and a relay team to Eugene, Oregon for the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Below is a press release from North Carolina A&T with more information.

Courtesy of North Carolina A&T Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. – North Carolina A&T’s men’s outdoor track and field youth is headed to the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships after a wonderful showing on Friday during the third day of the 2024 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round.

Redshirt freshman Jason Holmes, sophomore Thomas Smith IV, and the Aggies 4×100-meter relay team are headed to Eugene, Ore., and the Historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, June 5-8, for NCAA nationals. Holmes and Smith qualified for the national semifinals in the 110-meter hurdles thanks to their respective performances in the quarterfinals on Friday. The 4×100 team also qualified for nationals.

In qualifying for the 110H semifinals, which will take place in Oregon in June, Holmes broke the program record in the event for the second time this season by running a 13.40 (13.393), surpassing the previous program record he set at Penn Relays at 13.43.

Holmes finished second in the third heat behind Auburn’s Ja’Kobe Tharp’s 13.24 to reach nationals as an automatic qualifier by finishing in the top 3 of his heat. Holmes finished thousands of a second ahead of LSU’s Matthew Sophia’s 13.399. Following the 13.48 Holmes ran at the 2024 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships two weeks ago, Smith now owns the top three times in program history.

“The biggest difference in getting down to the 13.4s is trusting my coaches and my willingness to win,” said Holmes, who did not participate as a true freshman during the 2023 outdoor season. “I want to go out there and win. I want to beat everybody. So, with good coaching, I am already aggressive; that’s been carrying me throughout the entire season. I’m trying to go 13.3, 13.2, and get even better.”

Smith also reached nationals as an automatic qualifier after finishing third in the second heat. After running a personal-record 13.62 on Wednesday in the 110H first round, Smith clocked a 13.65 in the quarterfinals on Friday, sending him to his first NCAA outdoor championship.

“I honestly didn’t think I would be here right now because I was going 13.8, 13.7. But I came in with an open mind of trying to win as many races as possible because I wanted to keep running. Now, I’ve got that chance.”

Senior Aveon Reid also competed in the 110H quarterfinal on Friday but failed to qualify after finishing fifth in the third heat with a time of 13.72. It was the 14th-fastest time, putting him outside the top 12 qualifiers. But all is not lost for Reid. Holmes will have two opportunities to win an event national championship in Eugene, and Reid will join him in the event after the duo was a part of the 4×100 team that ran a season-best 39.24 in the first heat to finish third.

Reid led off the relay before handing things over to Holmes, being challenged by a Georgia runner, and handing off to senior Caleb Jackson. Jackson turned things over to freshman Isaiah Taylor down the stretch. The Aggies finished behind Auburn’s 38.654 and Florida’s 38.656 in the first heat. A&T finished with the ninth-fastest time. Two Aggies also competed in the 400H quarterfinals. Reid placed seventh in the third heat with a time of 52.74, eliminating him from the NCAA nationals. Xzaviah Taylor did not finish.

A&T now awaits to see if 100 hurdler Lucheyona Weaver will join them in Eugene. She will compete in the 100H quarters on Saturday at 6:15 p.m.

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