GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T used the second day of its annual Aggie Invitational to make significant moves in the NCAA Division I East Region and in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) on Saturday.
The final day of the Aggie Invitational at the Marcus T. Johnson Track Complex for the men's and women's outdoor A&T track and field teams featured three wins, all three in women's events, including two in field events. In addition to the first-place successes, the Aggies stacked some impressive performances across the board on Saturday, including in the women's long jump. Senior
Olivia Dowd now has command of the triple and long jump events in the CAA.
Dowd broke her personal record in the long jump at 20-¼ inches, winning the event and securing the No. 1 conference ranking. She also leads the triple jump after a previous 42-9 mark at Florida's Pepsi Relays. Dowd's long jump mark ties her for 43rd in the East Region. A&T's other Saturday win was in the women's shot put. Senior
Taylor Reagor, an NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round qualifier a year ago in the shot put, won the event with a throw of 48-2½ inches, following her discus win the day before. Her result ranks fifth in the CAA, and sophomore
Kyndal McKinney finished fourth, ranking 10th in the league.
On the track, A&T found strong success on Saturday. For the men, the 110-meter hurdles—long a reliable event—again yielded results. Holmes, a 2024 NCAA nationals qualifier in the 100H, made his 2026 110H debut and finished second (13.46) behind professional hurdler Jamal Britt, who ran 13.07. Holmes' time ranks 11th nationally, sixth in the East, and is fastest in the CAA.
Not too far behind him is junior
Isaiah Taylor. Taylor came in third on Saturday, finishing in 13.48. That ties him 14th nationally and eighth regionally with Florida State's Zach Extine. His hurdle performance moves him into second behind Holmes in the conference. The ladies also have their own outstanding history in hurdles with hurdlers such as
Lucheyona Weaver, Paula Salmon, Kayla White, and Madeline Akobundu.
Freshman
Jayda Lewis looks to add her name to that list. On Saturday, she finished fourth in 13.43. It moves her into the top spot in the conference, and it puts her in a tie for 37th in the region. Senior
Zamia Stelly clocked a 13.54 in the prelims for the second-fastest time in the league this season. Junior sprinter
Makenna Urbanek continued her breakout outdoor track and field season, making a statement with her 100-meter win on Saturday.
Urbanek finished in 11.27 with a 2.2 wind behind her, besting her previous season mark of 11.50 from the Bob Davidson Team Challenge at High Point University. She actually bettered 11.50 earlier in the 100m prelims with an 11.46. Urbanek now leads the conference, with the closest time an 11.43 by Hampton's Nya Felton. Nationally, she is in a three-way tie for 35th in the 100m and stands tied for 22nd in the region.
Sophomore
Elijah Thomas improved his standing in the 400m after finishing second behind Charlotte's Chase Harrison (46.26). Thomas clocked a 46.38 on Saturday to solidify his spot as the top 400m runner in the CAA. The track was also kind to A&T's 4x100-meter relay team. The team of juniors
Lassale Hewlett,
Jordan Ware, senior
Jalen Booth-Mitchell, and sophomore
Correy McManus Jr. finished second with a time of 39.86. That is the fastest time in the CAA this season.
It places the foursome 37th in the region. The men's 4x400 team of juniors
Caleb Gurnell,
Dyimond Walker,
Xzaviah Taylor, and Ware finished fourth in 3:07.83. A different A&T foursome has the best time in the conference, a 3:03.47 clocked at the Pepsi Relays. On the women's side of the 4x400, freshmen
Rachel Tolbert,
Eden Fuller, junior
Serenity Brazell, and freshman
Malayia Morrow finished third by running 3:43.40. It is the third-fastest time in the CAA this season.
The Aggies had three finish in the top 10 in the men's 800m, starting with Walker's 1:51.15. Freshman
Taysaun Wilson placed fourth (1:52.46), and junior
Edwin Hall finished sixth (1:52.56). The Aggies head to LSU on Saturday for the LSU Alumni Gold Meet before returning to Marcus T. Johnson Track, May 1-2, to host the Aggie Classic.
