Track & Field | 1/17/2026 11:23:00 PM
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The 2025-26 indoor track and field season is in full swing after the holidays, with the North Carolina A&T men's and women's track and field teams returning to action on Saturday at the Mondo College Invitational at the JDL Fast Track.
The last time the Aggies indoor teams competed was at the JDL Fast Track, where the Aggies compiled four first-place wins and 15 top-5 finishes. On Saturday, the Aggies looked even more impressive after the break, totaling seven wins and 30 top-5 finishes. Two of those wins came from men's sophomore thrower Alex Henry. Meanwhile, the Taylor twins, Xzaviah and Isaiah, collected two wins apiece.
Junior jumper Xavier Partee and junior sprinter Nakhi Benjamin also made it to the winner's circle on Saturday. In addition, the Aggies set numerous meet records and achieved several personal records.
Xzaviah and Isaiah looked in midseason form, taking down a few records along the way. The brothers teamed with sophomore Elijah Thomas and junior Dyimond Walker to win the men's 4x400-meter relay in 3:11.29, breaking the meet record and posting the best collegiate time ever at the facility. It is the 21st-best time in the country and the best in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
Individually, Xzaviah won the men's seeded 400 meters, crossing the finish line in 47.50. Xzaviah broke the meet record while posting the best time in the CAA this season. As of Saturday, it is the 28th-best time in Division I. Junior teammate Caleb Gurnell finished fourth in 48.20, and senior Michael Brittingham placed sixth in 48.83.
Isaiah won the 60-meter hurdles final in 7.83, breaking the meet record in the process. Senior teammate Thomas Smith IV followed in second place by recording a time of 7.96. Isaiah has the second-fastest time in the conference behind Northeastern's Iolo Grant, who ran 7.82 on Saturday at the Beantown Challenge. Smith has the third-fastest time in the CAA this season.
The Aggies' other win on the track came from Benjamin. Benjamin won the men's seeded 200m in 20.80, setting a new indoor personal best in the 200. It is the third-fastest time in the nation this season, and he snapped the facility, meet and collegiate records in the event. Junior teammate Jordan Ware placed second, finishing in 21.17. That ranks as the second-best time in the CAA behind Benjamin and the 22nd-best time in the country.
In the field events, Henry won the men's shot put and the men's weight throw, setting personal records in both. He won the shot put with a throw of 56-feet 7 ½ inches. It is the second-best throw in the CAA this season. His 65-foot, 2 ¼-inch throw in the weight throw helped him top Duke University's John Fay, who finished second at 64-feet, 9 ¼ inches. Henry has the best weight throw in the CAA this season. A&T's other win on Saturday came from Partee in the men's triple jump. Partee leaped 48-feet, 6 ¾ inches. It is the second-best jump in the CAA this season.
A&T had a few more second-place finishes, with two coming during field events. Freshman Xayden Hunt placed second in the men's long jump at 22-feet, 9 ¾ inches. In the men's high jump, junior Yule Pieters placed second with a leap of 6-feet, 8-inches. He has the third-best jump in the CAA. Senior Zamia Stalley has the best collegiate time in the women's 60H on Saturday. She placed second in 8.62, behind professional track star Gabriele Cunningham's 8.24. Freshman Jayda Lewis has the best time in the conference, running an 8.51 at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-off in December. On Saturday, she finished fourth by running an 8.74.
The Aggies return to action on Friday, January 23, in Lubbock, Texas, for the Stan Scott Invite hosted by Texas Tech.
