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Riding a second straight CAA title, the North Carolina A&T men’s outdoor track and field program and the rest of the A&T track and field team continued to receive encouraging news this week.
The NCAA released the qualifiers for the 2026 men’s and women’s outdoor track and field Division I Preliminary First Rounds. The West First Round will be hosted by the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., May 27-30. The East First Round (regionals) will have the same dates and be hosted by the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.
The Aggies are headed to UK. The A&T women’s outdoor track and field team will send five different athletes to compete in six different events. The men will send 17 different athletes to compete in eight different events. That includes both relay teams, the 4x100-meter relay, and the 4x400.
The last time an A&T men’s 4x100 team failed to qualify for regionals was 2013, with this season making their 12th straight appearance (there were no regionals in 2020). A&T’s 4x400 teams have qualified nine of the past 10 seasons, with last season being the exception.
Senior Olivia Dowd, a former walk-on, will compete in both the long and triple jumps for the women, becoming the first female long jumper to qualify since 2021. The Taylor twins, Isaiah and Xzaviah, will lead the men. Isaiah Taylor will compete in the 110H, 400H, and 4x400, while Xzaviah Taylor is in the 400H, 4x100, and 4x400.
The top 24 in individual events from the first round advance to the quarterfinals. The top 12 from the quarterfinals advance to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Additionally, the top 12 relay teams from regionals advance to nationals.
Women’s 100m
Makenna Urbanek (#32, 11.27) – Her 11.27 clocked at A&T’s Aggie Invitational was a personal record.
Women’s 100mh
Zamia Stelly (#43, 13.36) – She was fractions of a second away from winning a CAA outdoor championship in the 100H last Saturday with her personal record 13.36.
Women’s High Jump
Spirit Morgan (#4, 6 feet, ½ inch) – She did not compete at the CAA outdoor championships.
Women’s Long Jump
Olivia Dowd (#31, 20 feet, 6 ½ inches) – She is the first female long jumper to qualify in five seasons.
Women’s Triple Jump
Olivia Dowd (#23, 42 feet, 9 inches) – Dowd earned honorable mention All-American honors in the triple last season.
Women’s Discus Throw
Taylor Reagor (#42, 170 feet, 1 inch) – Reagor qualified for regionals in the shot put last season.
Men’s 200m
Jalen Booth-Mitchell (#32, 20.58) – His 20.58 helped him secure the 2026 CAA outdoor championship in the 200m.
Jordan Ware (#37, 20.62) – Ware has not competed since April 18.
Nakhi Benjamin (#46, 20.69) – He will try to recover from a disappointing performance in the 200m at CAA outdoors.
Men’s 400m
Elijah Thomas (#46, 46.12) – Thomas’s 46.12 was a personal record, but he finished third behind Xzaviah at CAA outdoors.
Men’s 110mh
Isaiah Taylor (#5, 13.30) – Taylor is now the 110H record holder in the CAA, at the CAA outdoor championships meet, and at A&T.
Jason Holmes (#10, 13.37) – Holmes’s 13.37 is a PR and the second-fastest time in A&T history.
Desmond Smith (#23, 13.75) – Smith is a part of A&T’s No. 1 nationally-ranked 110H group.
Men’s 400mh
Xzaviah Taylor (#9, 49.58) – Taylor lost to his brother in the 400H at CAAs, but Xzaviah is still the school record holder (49.18).
Isaiah Taylor (#17, 50.33) – The Taylor household now has two 400H CAA outdoor champions, after Isaiah won the title in 2026 and Xzaviah claimed the title in 2025.
Men’s 4x100-meter relay
#17, 39.30 – Lassale Hewlett, Jason Holmes, Correy McManus, Jr., Jalen Booth-Mitchell, Nakhi Benjamin, Brandon Johnson, Jordan Ware, Xzaviah Taylor.
Men’s 4x400-meter relay
#7, 3:03.47 – Elijah Thomas, Xzaviah Taylor, Dyimond Walker, Isaiah Taylor, Michael Brittingham, Caleb Gurnell
Men’s triple jump
Xavier Partee (#28, 51 feet, 1 inch) – Xavier was not happy with his second-place performance at CAAs, but he will get another crack at the triple jump at UK.
Ty’Heak Buie (#40, 50 feet, 10 ½ inches) – Buie is headed to his first NCAA first round.
Men’s discus throw
Everett Alston (#37, 182 feet, 4 inches) – As a freshman, Alston has the discus throw school record and a trip to the NCAA regionals.
