Track & Field | 5/27/2026 11:24:00 PM
LEXINGTON, Ky – Major disappointment met the North Carolina A&T men's outdoor track and field team early in the night on Wednesday during the first day of the NCAA Division I East First Rounds (regionals) at the University of Kentucky's Outdoor Track and Field Complex.
However, the Aggies recovered, qualifying four athletes for the men's quarterfinals on Friday. Juniors
Isaiah Taylor and
Xzaviah Taylor, along with seniors
Jason Holmes and
Jalen Booth-Mitchell, advanced by finishing in the top 24 of their events.
The night started for A&T with the 110-meter hurdles and sophomore Desmond Johnson. Johnson finished eighth in the second heat and failed to qualify for the quarterfinals with a time of 14.12. He had qualified for the First Rounds with a time of 13.75 at a last chance meet in High Point, NC, last week.
A shocking occurrence happened next. The fourth heat of the 110H began awkwardly, with runners asked to come out of their blocks twice. On the second occasion,
Isaiah Taylor talked briefly to an official before settling back in.
It is unclear what the conversation was about. Seconds later, Taylor flinched before the starting gun fired. After officials deliberated, Taylor was shown a red card and disqualified for a false start. Taylor had entered as the favorite after posting the nation's 10th-best time (13.30) at the 2026 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Elon University two weeks ago. To add to the awkward beginning of the fourth heat, minutes after Taylor's disqualification, the University of Tennessee's Yourie Lawrence-Clark also flinched before the gun, earning a red card for a false start and leaving the heat with only six competitors.
A&T bounced back well. In the sixth heat of the 110H, Holmes ran 13.722 to finish third. He took 18th overall, just behind George Mason's Davian Burke (13.721). Holmes will compete in the 110H quarterfinals at 6:15 p.m. on Friday. If he finishes in the top 12, he will advance to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 10-13.
Holmes is not the only one headed to the quarterfinals for A&T.
Xzaviah Taylor looked poised to win the fifth heat of the 400-meter hurdles on Friday. However, a late surge from Auburn's Devin Nugent won him the race.
Xzaviah Taylor still qualified for the quarters after running under 50 seconds (49.756) for the second time in his career. He placed seventh.
Xzaviah Taylor finished just behind his brother Isaiah, who bounced back from his 110 disappointment to place third in the sixth heat at 49.753, a personal record and his first time under 50 seconds. This was also the second consecutive race in which Isaiah ran faster than his twin, following his win at the CAA outdoor 400H title two weeks ago at Elon.
The Taylor twins will compete in the 400H quarterfinal at 7:25 p.m. on Friday. Booth-Mitchell will also compete on Friday. Booth-Mitchell qualified for the 200-meter quarterfinal by running a personal record of 20.56 in heavy rain. He finished third in the second heat behind Alabama's Alpha Balde (20.55) and Tennessee's Traunard Folson (20.36).
Junior
Nakhi Benjamin ran the 200m fifth heat but failed to qualify with a time of 21.53. Another competitor for the Aggies on Wednesday was sophomore
Elijah Thomas in the 400m. Thomas ran 46.59 to finish seventh in the second heat. He did not qualify for Friday's final and placed 40th overall.
The women compete on Thursday. Competition starts at 6 p.m. when senior
Olivia Dowd competes in the long jump. At the same time, senior Zamia Taylor will run the 100-meter hurdles. An hour later, junior
Makenna Urbanek will compete in the 100m.
Freshman Barry Alston will be the first to compete on Friday in the discus at 1 p.m. The Aggies' 4x100-meter relay team will go next at 5 p.m. Friday's action also includes the triple jump. Senior
Xavier Partee and sophomore
Ty'Heak Buie will compete at 6 p.m. The 4x400 team will wrap up competition at 8:45 p.m.
