Track & Field | 8/6/2021 11:16:00 AM
TOKYO – Two track and field athletes from North Carolina A&T's men's 4x400-meter relay NCAA indoor and outdoor national championship teams competed Friday morning in America and Saturday night in Japan on the United States Olympic 4x400 team.
N.C. A&T's
Trevor Stewart and
Randolph Ross Jr., along with Texas A&M's Bryce Deadmon and Vernon Norwood won the first men's 4x400 heat of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by running a 2:57.77. It is the fastest time run by a US team this year.
It is a little faster than the 2:59.21 the Aggies 4x400 team posted at the Division I NCAA East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 29.
During the Aggies indoor and outdoor seasons, Stewart ran the anchor leg. However, he had a different role on Friday.
It was not a problem. Stewart ran the fastest lead-off leg by any athlete from the heats of the men's 4x400 on Friday as he completed his leg in 44.7 seconds. Ross Jr.'s second-leg split ended in 44.5. With a slight lead, he handed the baton off to Ross Jr.
Ross Jr. began to put distance between the U.S. and the rest of the competition. Deadmon increased the U.S. lead before handing the race over to Norwood, a two-time world champion in the 4x400.
Deadmon, the third collegiate athlete on the team, cruised to the finish line as the Aggies finished ahead of Botswana (2:58.33). The U.S. will battle Botswana, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy, Netherlands, Great Britain, Czech Republic and Germany for gold Saturday morning at 8:50. The race will be aired Saturday night as a part of NBC primetime coverage.
Earlier in the Games, Ross Jr. failed to qualify for the 400-meter semifinal in his first Olympic appearance.
Duane Ross, N.C. A&T's director of track and field programs said having the duo competing together will make both of them better.
"The fact that Trevor and Junior are running together is huge," said Ross. "Their camaraderie is incredible. One of the things Junior didn't have in his race was his teammates around him to support him.
I was there, but I'm not his peer. It was like he was on an island all to himself. With Trevor there with him, I think you're in for a show."
