Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
The North Carolina A&T outdoor track and field teams won five of the eight field events on Friday, May 2 as they hosted the first day of the Aggie Classic at North Carolina A&T’s Marcus T. Johnson Track. In addition, sophomore Isaiah Taylor set a personal record (PR) in the men’s 400-meter hurdles to highlight the first day for the Aggies.
Graduate Julieth Nwosu demolished her previous women’s discus program record of 165 feet, 4 inches by throwing 171 feet, 1 inch on Friday to win the women’s discus. Junior teammate Taylor Reagor threw a PR of 156 feet, 3 inches, to place fourth. Junior Olivia Dowd earned her second straight win in the women’s triple jump.
Two weeks after jumping a PR of 42 feet, four inches at A&T’s Aggie Invitational at Johnson Track, Dowd won again in the triple at Johnson Track by leaping 41 feet, 2 ½ inches. Dowd’s jump at the Aggie Invitational was the No. 1 jump in the Coastal Athletic Association coming into the weekend. It ranked 20th in the NCAA East Region coming into the weekend.
A&T’s men had three wins in field events, starting with sophomore Xavier Partee in the triple jump. Partee posted a PR by jumping 51 feet, 5 inches, to win the event. Partee came into the weekend ranked second in the CAA behind freshman teammate Ty’Heak Buie. Partee’s PR will likely still have him at No. 2 behind Buie, who jumped 52 feet, 4 ½ inches at the Aggie Invitational.
However, Partee’s jump could move him into the top 10 in the NCAA East Region. Buie finished second behind Partee on Friday. Buie’s best jump landed him at 50 feet, 4 ½ inches. Buie is currently ranked seventh in the region after his Aggie Invitational jump.
A&T also finished first and second in the men’s high jump and men’s discus. Sophomore Yule Pieters won the high jump by leaping 6 feet, 8 inches to finish ahead of senior teammate Kendrell Goodes, who jumped 6 feet, 6 ¼ inches. Pieters could move into the top 5 in the conference by the end of the weekend. Meanwhile, A&T’s two senior throwers continued their dominance.
Carlos Alexander won the discus with a 161-foot, 11-inch throw, finishing ahead of Brayden Hodgest, who placed second with a measurement of 161 feet, 1 inch. Alexander, Hodgest and freshman Alex Henry ranked second, third and fourth coming into the weekend behind Monmouth’s Isaiah Battle (173 feet, 1 inch).
Isaiah Taylor won the 400H on the track with a PR of 50.49. He finished ahead of his twin brother Xzaviah Taylor, who placed third by running a 50.71. Sophomore Braden Jordan also PR’ed. Jordan finished fifth on Friday by running a 53.64. Xzaviah Taylor leads the CAA in the 400H after running a 50.38 at the Florida Relays on April 4. Isaiah Taylor’s time on should move him to No. 2 behind his brother.
Xzaviah Taylor came into the weekend ranked ninth in the NCAA East Region. Isaiah Taylor could move into the top 15 in the region when the week comes to an end. Junior Jason Holmes placed fifth in the men’s 200m but could move into the top 5 in the conference after running a 20.77.
