Track & Field | 4/18/2025 8:48:00 PM
GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T outdoor track and field programs welcomed 27 schools, including three Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) members, to Marcus T. Johnson Track on Friday for the first day of the 2025 Aggie Invitational hosted by the Aggies.
A&T was a gracious host, but the Aggies also took advantage of participating on the surface where they practice daily. The Aggies had two first-place finishes and 10 top-three finishes while dominating the men's 200 meters.
Graduate Julieth Nwosu established a personal record in the women's discus on Friday. She won the event by having her best toss travel 164 feet, 8 inches. Nwosu's throw could put her into the top three in the CAA. Sophomore teammate Sady Moody placed third in the event, tossing a season-best 141-foot 9-inch throw.
Sophomore Isaiah Taylor earned A&T's other first-place finish. Taylor came across the finish line in 52.23 in the men's 400-meter hurdles. It marks a season-best for Isaiah Taylor, who could find himself in the top five in the CAA along with his brother Xzaviah Taylor by the end of the weekend.
Xzaviah Taylor leads the CAA and ranks third in the NCAA East Region with a time of 50.38 posted at the Florida Relays on April 4. Isaiah Taylor's sophomore teammate Braden Jordan finished behind him in third place on Friday with a time of 54.05.
Eighty-two sprinters participated in the men's 200 meters on Friday. The Aggies had six runners finish in the top 15, including a spectacular effort from sophomore Nakhi Benjamin. Benjamin placed second behind professional runner Phillip Marcelle (20.51) with a PR of 20.75. Benjamin came into the Aggie Invitational ranked fourth in the conference. Therefore, his PR may only move him up slightly in the rankings. However, after the weekend, he may move into the top 30 in the East Region.
Xzaviah Taylor also ran 200m PR, finishing fourth in 20.87. That could be a top-five time in the CAA by week's end. Junior Jason Holmes (21.12), junior Jalen Booth-Mitchell (21.23), sophomore Caleb Gurnell (21.25), and Isaiah Monroe (21.52) also finished in the top 15.
The Aggies had two more second-place finishes. In her second women's pole vault performance of the season, freshman Stephanie Jackson placed second by clearing the bar at 11 feet, 1 inch. Also, in a field event, senior Aeneas Reed Jr. jumped 23 feet, 2 inches, to finish second in the men's long jump.
Reed could move into the top 10 in the CAA. Freshman teammate Ty'Heak Buie placed third in the long jump, leaping 23 feet, ¼ inches. Sophomore William Suttles put three Aggies in the top 10 by jumping 22 feet, ¾ inches. A&T had two additional third-place finishes, with senior Carlos Alexander placing third in the men's discus at 159 feet, 11 inches, and senior Kylan Willis placing third in the men's 1500m at 3:58.57. Freshman Alex Henry finished fourth behind Alexander with a toss of 159 feet, 10 inches.
Day 2 of the Aggie invitational gets underway at 10 a.m. with the women's hammer throw, women's high jump and women's triple jump. The track events begin at noon with the women's 100-meter hurdles. A&T's top five nationally-ranked 4x100-meter relay team will be on the track at 12:50 p.m.
