BALTIMORE, Md. – Morgan State University is deeply saddened by the loss of George Rhoden, an HBCU Olympian and former track and field legend who passed away on August 24, 2024, at the age of 97. Rhoden, a native of Jamaica, attended Morgan State (1950-52) where he excelled in track and field. He was hailed by many as the best quarter-miler to have ever represented Jamaica.

In 1952, Rhoden represented Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, where he won a gold medal in the 400-meter race and was a member of the Golden Quartet that won the 4x400m. a silver medal in the 800-meter race. He became the first Jamaican to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field and was hailed as a national hero.

Born on December 13, 1926, in Kingston, Jamaica, Rhoden’s journey to Olympic greatness began in the late 1940s, when he emerged as one of the leading long sprinters of his era. Alongside his compatriots Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley, Rhoden helped establish Jamaica as a dominant force in athletics during the post-war period.

Rhoden first competed in the 1948 London Olympics, where he participated in the 100m and 400m events. Although he did not secure a medal in London, it was a precursor to the greatness that would follow. Rhoden and his teammates were expected to perform strongly in the 4x400m relay, but a muscle injury to Wint during the final dashed their hopes of a medal.

Rhoden continued to emerge in the world of track & field. On August 22, 1950, he shattered the world record in the 400m, setting an astonishing time of 45.8 seconds in Eskilstuna, Sweden. His dominance in the 400m was further cemented by his victories in the AAU championships from 1949 to 1951 and the NCAA championships while at HBCU Morgan State University, where he claimed titles in the 220-yard (200m) and 440-yard (400m) events.

At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Rhoden’s athletic prowess soared to new heights. As a pre-race favorite in the 400m, Rhoden’s every stride was fueled by anticipation. In a race that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, Rhoden emerged victorious, narrowly edging out his close friend and fellow Jamaican, Herb McKenley, to claim the gold medal. But Rhoden’s Olympic glory did not end there. As the anchor leg of Jamaica’s 4x400m relay team, he led his team to victory, securing a second gold medal and setting a new world record of 3:03.9. This victory was especially sweet, as it came against the United States, the country where Rhoden had made his home after moving to San Francisco.

Rhoden’s legacy is one of perseverance, excellence, and national pride. His achievements paved the way for future generations of HBCU and Jamaican athletes, setting a standard of excellence that continues to inspire.

As the last surviving member of that legendary 1952 relay team–comprising George Rhoden, Herb McKenley, Arthur Wint, and Les Laing–his passing marks the end of an era for Jamaican athletics. Rhoden’s contributions to the sport, both on and off the track, will be remembered as a cornerstone of Jamaica’s rich sporting heritage.

George Rhoden is survived by his family, friends, and a grateful nation that will forever honor his contributions to Jamaica’s sporting legacy.

In addition to his athletic achievements, Rhoden was a dedicated HBCU educator and mentor. He taught physical education and coached track and field at Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia. He also served as the president of the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association and was a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Rhoden’s legacy will continue to inspire generations of student-athletes and track and field enthusiasts. He will be remembered as a true pioneer and a champion who represented Morgan State University with pride and distinction.

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HAMPTON, Va. — Hampton University graduates and former HBCU roommates Edose Ibadin and Chidi Okezie wrapped up competition for Nigeria in the Paris Olympic Games in early August.

“Our two former Pirates, Edose Ibadin and Chidi Okezie represented themselves, their family, their country, and the university well at the Paris Olympic Games,” said Hampton head coach Maurice Pierce. “Competing in the Olympic Games is our sport’s highest honor and we are very proud of them”. 

Pierce coached both HBCU athletes during their time at Hampton. Ibadin competed in the men’s 800m race.

“What it meant to be able to compete at the Olympics is that my hard work has not only paid off but the people who have invested in me over the years got a huge return,” said Ibadin. “I may have been competing on the track individually but I was not alone. There have been so many people who have been a part of my journey and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Ibadin continued, “This has been a dream come true and I know I’ll be able to carry this experience with me for the rest of my life. Who I have become on this journey to the Olympics will for sure help me in many other areas of my life.”

Okezie also ran for Nigeria in the mixed 4x400m, the men’s 400m, and the men’s 4x400m.

“It’s definitely a great experience,” said Okezie. “Being able to run on the track in multiple events, the 400m and the 4x400m relay. I didn’t get the results that I wanted, but the experience to get on the track and seeing my daughter watching me run was amazing. Watching her face light up after the race, couldn’t have asked for more.”

Okezie also explained that running on the track at the Paris Olympic Games was sensational. “Coming from the tunnel, hearing the crowd, 80,000 from the stands…it was like a dream come true.”

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PARIS — Making her Paris Olympics debut, former HBCU Track & Field student-athlete Monae’ Nichols of Bethune-Cookman advanced to the finals of the Women’s Long Jump following Tuesday’s semifinals on August 6, at the Stade de France.
 
Nichols recorded a jump of 6.64 to book a place in the final of the Women’s Long Jump. Similar to her Olympic qualification, it was Nichols’ final jump in the semifinals that saw her through to the final with the eighth-best overall performance in the round.
 
She will serve as one of 12 participants in the finals.
 
Before transferring to Texas Tech, Nichols competed for Daytona Beach, FL HBCU Bethune-Cookman from 2018-21, while she would finish her senior season in Lubbock, Texas, with B-CU Athletics suspended for the duration of the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
In her time as a Wildcat, Nichols competed in the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Nationals in the long jump, while also competing in the 2019 NCAA East Preliminaries in the 4×100. She was the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion in the long jump during the outdoor season and took home top honors in the MEAC during the 2018 indoor season as well, completing back-to-back individual titles across the campaign.

 
The finals of the Women’s Long Jump for the Paris 2024 Olympics are scheduled for Thursday, August 8, at 2 p.m. EST.
 
Follow Bethune-Cookman Track & Field on Twitter (@BCUTrackXC) and Instagram (@BCUXCTF) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.

Monae’ Nichols at Bethune Cookman (2018-20)
2019 NCAA OUTDOOR NATIONAL PARTICIPANT (LONG JUMP, 18TH)
2019 NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY (4X100 RELAY, 24TH)
2019 NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY (LONG JUMP, 8TH)
2019 MEAC INDOOR WOMEN’S LONG JUMP CHAMPION
2018 NCAA OUTDOOR NATIONAL PARTICIPANT (4X100, 21ST)
2018 NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY (4×100 RELAY, 12TH)
2018 NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY (LONG JUMP, 14TH)
2018 MEAC OUTDOOR WOMEN’S LONG JUMP CHAMPION

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Despite finishing third in her heat, the former All-American ran one of the fastest non-automatic qualifying times, edging out France’s Helene Parisot personal best (22.55).

USA’s Gabrielle Thomas registered the fastest time in the semi-final round, producing a 21.86.

Tuesday’s (Aug. 6) final is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. (ET) / 9:40 p.m. CEST (Central European Summer Time).

Jessika Gbai had a remarkable track and field career at Howard University, making significant strides on both national and international stages. A standout sprinter, Gbai specialized in the 200m and 100m events, consistently performing at a high level. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in Howard’s women’s track team’s resurgence, contributing to their historic sweep of the MEAC indoor and outdoor championships in 2022, ending a drought that lasted over 40 years. 

Gbai’s achievements extended beyond collegiate athletics. She represented Côte d’Ivoire in international competitions, including the World Relays Championships, where her team qualified for the Paris Olympics. This accomplishment underscored her versatility and commitment to excellence on the track. Additionally, Gbai was part of Howard’s record-setting 4x400m relay team, which not only set a new school benchmark but also competed at the NCAA Championships, further solidifying her legacy at Howard.

Her journey from a high school athlete in Philadelphia to an Olympian and a key figure in Howard’s track success story exemplifies dedication and skill, marking her as a prominent figure in HBCU athletics and a source of inspiration for future athletes.

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Okezie will first take part in the mixed 4x400m relay (Aug. 2, 1:10 pm EST) while Edose Ibadin will kick off his first race in the 800m at 5:55 am EST on Aug. 7.

For the results, click this link here.

Okezie, a 2015 graduate, has qualified for Nigeria’s 4x400m relay team, along with the mixed 4x400m relay squad and the 400m individual event.
While at Hampton, he was an HBCU All-American sprinter and was awarded All-MEAC honors in indoor and outdoor track in the 200 and 400-meter dash along with the 4x400m relay.

Okezie also was part of the United States 4x400m relay team that won a gold medal at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona. He reached the finals of the 400m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games while also running the anchor leg of the 4x400m relay. At the 2018 African Championships, Okezie earned a bronze medal in the 400m. He also anchored the Nigerian 4x400m relay team which earned a bronze medal.

Ibadin also graduated in 2015. He has qualified for the 800m.

As a Hampton University Pirate, Ibadin was named Second Team All-American in the 800m, and First and Second Team All-MEAC in HBCU track across the 800m and 4x400m.

He currently holds the Nigerian record in the 800m at 1:44.65. He helped Nigeria win the gold medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2023 African Games.

A full Paris Olympics schedule is listed here below (Times are subject to change)

• (Chidi Okezie) Aug 2^nd Mixed 4×400 first round 1:10 pm EST
• (Chidi Okezie) Aug 3^rd mixed 4×400 final 2:55 pm EST*
• (Chidi Okezie) Aug 4^th 400m first round 1:05 pm EST
• (Chidi Okezie) Aug 5^th 400m Repechages 5:28 am EST*
• (Chidi Okezie) Aug 6^th 400m semifinals 1:35 pm EST*    
• (Edose Ibadin) Aug 7^th 800m first round 5:55 am EST
• (Chidi Okezie) Aug 7^th 400m final 3:20 pm EST*
• (Edose Ibadin) Aug 8^th 800m Repechages 6:08 am EST*
• (Chidi Okezie) Aug 9^th 4x400m first round 5:05 am EST  
• (Edose Ibadin) Aug 9^th 800m semifinal 5:30 am EST*
• (Edose Ibadin) Aug 10^th 800m final 1:05 pm EST*
• (Chidi Okezie) Aug 10^th 4x400m final 3:00 pm EST*

*= depends on prior results

All races can be found on Peacock with some broadcast across NBC stations.

For the full track and field tv schedule click here.

The post HBCU at the Paris Olympics: Hampton University duo set for debut appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

ACCRA, Ghana — Former HBCU men’s track & field standout Joseph Amoah of Coppin State University has been selected as the captain and flagbearer for Ghana during the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will take place from July 26 through August 11.  Amoah is making his second Olympics appearance at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, where he will be competing in the 4x100m Relay.
 
“I would like to say thank you to the team for selecting me as captain and flagbearer of the opening ceremony,” said Amoah. “It’s an honor to me. It makes me feel honored and distinguished to have this type of opportunity.  I feel like its another milestone in my career. Not a lot of people even get the chance to compete in the Olympics so being able to compete and getting selected as the flagbearer is mindblowing. I can’t thank God enough.”
 
Ghana will be presenting nine athletes at this year’s Paris Olympics. The heats of the 4x100m will be run on August 8 at 5:35 am ET with the final set for 1:45 pm ET on August 9.

A native of Accra, Ghana, Joseph Amoah was a seven-time USTFCCCA All-American and the 2019 and 2021 Mid-Atlantic Region Track & Field Athlete of the Year. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Amoah took 13^th in the 200m with a time of 20.27 in the semifinals. Amoah also anchored the 4x100m Relay to the finals at the Olympics in a national record time of 38.08, chasing down the United States anchor for the final qualifying spot in the final.
 
Amoah owns personal record times of 9.94 in the 100m dash and 20.08 in the 200m dash while holding records at his HBCU Coppin State in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x400m Relays.

The post HBCU Track Alum Named Olympic Flagbearer for Home Country appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The Olympic stars won gold medals as part of the U. S. 4×400 meter relay team while Stewart also won a bronze medal as part of the 4×400 mixed relay team that finished third. The pair, the first in NC A&T history to win Olympic medals and the only HBCU athletes to medal at this year’s Olympics, put those medals on display and talked about their experience in Tokyo at the press conference.

Though they’re proud to display the medals, they are not the most comfortable being worn around the neck. The gold medal weighs over one pound while the bronze is just under a pound.

“Since I’ve been back in the states, I’ve been asked to take pictures with the medals and wear them,” Stewart said. “It’s been kind of a tearful experience because they’re both extremely heavy. They don’t seem that heavy but you look on the side and they’re definitely thicker than what you expect and they definitely weigh a lot more that what you would think.”

“Yeah, they’re most definitely different than the ones we usually get,” said Ross.

The Olympic stage

The Olympic experience taught both a lot.

“The Olympics, by itself, is a major stage to be on,” said Ross, who qualified in the Olympics open 400 meters but did not advance past the opening round. “I’m just thankful for having an opportunity to go there and compete. Although the whole meet didn’t go exactly as planned, just being there in itself is an amazing opportunity.

“After what happened in the open (400), being able to run and represent the United States in the relay and come home with a gold medal, is a great feeling.”

“I can say the experience over there was eye-opening, and more like an out-of-body experience,” said Stewart, who ran the first leg in both rounds of the mixed relay (involving two men and two women runners), an event held for the first time in Tokyo.

He then ran the first leg in the preliminary round of the men’s 4×4. Ross Jr. ran the second leg in that preliminary round where the U. S. team finished first in 2:57.7. Another quartet of 400 runners brought home the gold medal in the finals in 2:55.70.

“The main thing I had to focus on was running my leg on the relay as best as I possible could,” Stewart explained. “Depending on which leg they put me on, which happened to be first, twice, to make sure I put them in as much of an advantage to be able to extend on it. That’s what I did.”

Being amongst Olympic stars

Neither was star-struck from being surrounded by elite athletes from all over the world. The 19-year old Ross Jr. however, did say he had a reality check. But his was at the U. S. Olympic Trials.

“The week before I ran a new PR (personal record of 43.85 at the NCAA championships) and was basically in the same spot as everybody else,” he said. “But coming in and seeing (35-year olds) Allyson Felix and LeShawn Merrit, the people we used took up to on TV when we were kids growing up, seeing them and actually being on the line with them was just a different experience.

”When I saw LeShawn Merritt, I didn’t think it was him at first. Then, we started warming up, and you start noticing that these people are actually real, and they’re right here.”

How they got to Tokyo

Ross Jr. and Stewart made the U. S. Olympic team and earned their trip to Tokyo after finishing third and fourth in the 400 meters respectively at the trials in Eugene, Oregon. It earned Ross Jr. a spot in the open 400 in Tokyo and Stewart into the pool of runners for the 4×400 relays.

The Trials were only one week after the pair led the NC A&T men to an unprecedented third-place finish at the NCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field championships, also in Eugene. Ross Jr. won the national championship in the 400 meters in a world-best time of 43.85. Stewart finished fourth in 44.96. They ran the last two legs of the Aggies 4×400 relay team that also took home the NCAA championship.  

Their greatest Olympic memory

Their experience in the relay races were the things they will remember most about their Olympic experience, but for different reasons.

Stewart said the mixed relay had the most lasting impression on him because he made new connections and new friends.

“We all had the same like-minded mindset and the same interests. It was a great experience meeting more people that have the same interests but do different events,” he said.

Ross Jr. talked about the array of talented runners that joined him in the relay races.

“We had an outstanding 4×4 just in our school (NC A&T) alone. But going there and being able to compete in the 4×4 with people who are just as talented and train just as hard as you. It was definitely different going out there and running 2:57 compared to the (record-setting) 2:59 and 3-flat we’ve been running all year that’s basically been the star of the show.

“So going out there and running that fast, it was most definitely memorable.”

Olympic accomodations

In Tokyo, both stayed in the high rise that housed the U. S. team in the Olympic Village, though not in the same suite. Ross was accompanied to Tokyo by his father, Duane Ross, the director of NC A&T’s six track and field programs. They were both coached by University of Florida head track coach Mike Holloway who headed the U. S. track and field team.

Having a teammate close made a difference said Ross Jr. COVID-19 protocols however cut down on what could be done.

“It was more comfortable,” said the soft-spoken Ross of having Stewart nearby. “I had my dad there but he wasn’t allowed on the village. So it was really just me and Trevor. So it was nice having somebody that you don’t really have to go out of your comfort zone to meet or introduce yourself to and having somebody that understands and has been basically doing the same thing you’ve been doing for the last three or four years.”

“It was definitely closed off from the rest of the world,” Stewart said of life in the Village. “Everyone had their own high rise. It was the U. S. in one area and the next 20 or 30 steps over it would be Mexico or some other country. So, we were like all here in this one area but we were all separated due to COVID. I had no problem with it because, it’s a pandemic.”

The Olympic 400 meters

Under the watchful eye of his father, a former world-class hurdler who participated in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Ross Jr. finished fourth in his opening round heat in the 400 meters falling .03-hundedths of a second from advancing to the second round. He drew the outside lane — lane nine — meaning he ran the entire race without being able to pace himself off other runners.

“The one thing I have to work on is running within myself and not having to base my speed off of anybody else,” said Ross Jr. “I have to focus on me and not everything around me.

“After the open 400, I was more upset than he was,” the younger Ross said of his father’s reaction. “That’s literally what I’ve been training for my whole life. So being able to go out there and not running to where I was fully capable, was more upsetting to me than him. He was more of a support system, that was getting my head focused and getting ready for the upcoming relays that we had next.”

An Olympic lesson

Ross Jr. said he also heard, surprisingly for the first time, of his father’s experience in Athens, where he also went in highly ranked but did not make it out of the first round.

“He was disappointed in (his) outcome and he was talking about how it can affect athletes mentally and it can also ruin careers if they don’t go about it the right way. So, he was making sure that I was together, focused and didn’t let one bad race mess up the rest of my career. And it helps. And the relay brought back the confidence that may have been missing after the open.”

Olympic celebrity and NIL

As an Olympic gold medal winner, Ross Jr. is expected to be able to take advantage of the new NCAA policy of allowing college athletes to make money off their Name, Image and Likeness, known as NIL. He sees the advantages and opportunities it presents.

“It allows, not only track and field but every other sport where all the athletes have been struggling for years trying to obey certain rules saying we can’t make money off of who we are in the sport we train so hard for, basically to provide money for everybody else.

“It also allows us to finally remain in school and not have to sign a contract too early. We can move at our own pace and do stuff as we want without having to worry of any consequences of, am I going to be missing out of a contract or any deals. I gan get an extra year to stay in school, get my education and continue to do what I enjoy most.”

Ross Jr. said his father is handling any endorsements.

“We just got back. So, we’re trying to go as slow as possible. School starts back tomorrow, so we’ve got other stuff to focus on. And whenever he thinks it’s time for the right deal or to sign, then I’ll listen to him and we’ll talk about it.”

Olympic stars future: Trevor Stewart

The two young men will now head off in different directions.

Stewart, who graduated from NC A&T In 2020 with a degree in liberal studies pursued a minor this past school year, has finished his collegiate eligibility and is considered a professional track athlete. He is currently fielding offers from prospective sponsors and will soon be making a decision. He hinted that the pro contract will likely be outside the state of North Carolina.

“As of right now, I am in the process of solidifying some deals,” he said. “So, after that I’ll be in the process of travelling and doing my favorite thing.”

The gold medal will net him 1/7^th ($5,357.14) of the $37,500 paid to U.S. gold medal relay team members. He’ll also receive 1/7^th ($2,142.85) of the $15,000 for bronze medal relay winners.

Ready for the next challenge

“For the longest time since I came to A&T, it was definitely a home,” said Stewart. “So it gave me a whole lot of sense of self and an understanding of the world around me, as well. I believe it’s ran its course. It’s time for me to branch out into the world and see what the world has for me.

“It (the Olympic experience) was another stepping stone for me. It’s definitely a confidence-booster to come back with two medals, let alone one by itself. But I don’t let it go to my head. My main thing is to stay focused on myself because I have great people behind me that want me to succeed. So, every step of the way, it’s always been do things this way, work harder and I have a whole plan for it. I’ve got a lot more to do, a lot more medals to win and continue to have fun.

“I’ve always held myself on a high regard though I never really showed it. This only shows that I’m just hitting the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot more in me and I know I can do a lot more from here. It’s just one big step and I’m going to keep going forward.”

Olympic stars future: Randolph Ross Jr.

Ross Jr. is set to begin classes this week at A&T and looking forward to competing over the next two seasons for the Aggies.

“My confidence going forward is higher than ever,” said Ross Jr., who had the nation’s best time in the 400 meters indoors as a freshman and outdoors as a sophomore. “It shows that not only are we capable of doing anything, but as long as we continue our training and continue doing everything we’re supposed to be doing going into years forward, we’re going to be the people that are going to be the problem in the future.

”We both hold each other accountable. We know what our own expectations are and we know what we’re capable of. Going into the future we have to make sure we do everything to our best capababilities. We both have promising careers and a lifelong friendship and hopefully we can keep competing against each other in meets like the Olympics. So as we get older and branch out to he world, there’s no telling what we can accomplish.”

Neither experienced the opening ceremony at the Olympics. Stewart did stick around for the closing festivities.

“Once everything was over and the closing ceremony was the only thing left, it was time for me to come home,” Ross Jr. said. “I’ve been training and running since August, September of a year before. It was time for my season to come to an end.”

FYI

The last time solid gold medals were used in the Olympics was 1912 at the Games in Stockholm. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has specific standards for each medal’s content. Gold medals, must contain at least 6 grams of pure gold while silver medals have to be about 93.5% silver. Bronze medals are made with red brass, meaning 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Tokyo Olympic Gold medals weigh 556 grams (1.22 pounds). Silver medals weigh 550 grams (1.21 pounds) and bronze medals weigh 450 grams (0.99 pounds).

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EAST GREENSBORO — Ricky Bobby says, “If you’re not first, you’re last.” We probably should not base our life’s philosophy on a fictional character created by Will Ferrell.

It is undoubtedly a good thing North Carolina A&T’s director of track and field programs, Duane Ross, didn’t follow Ricky Bobby’s logic. Ross brought to A&T two of the best 400-meter runners in the world in Trevor Stewart and his son Randolph Ross, Jr.

Even though they arrived at A&T via two different paths, their journey together eventually brought them to Tokyo, Japan, where they are now both gold medalists. Stewart also walked away from the 2020 Olympics with a bronze. Before it is over, they both could be historical figures in track and field.

They are already legendary student-athletes at A&T.

“This is an elite class of athletes,” said Ross. “To say you’re an Olympian, that is an elite class. There are not a lot of people who can say that. But then to go forward to say you’re an Olympic medalist is just huge.”

How did we get here? How did we get to the point where after decades of having superb track and field student-athletes at A&T but no Olympic medals, the Aggies came away with not one, not two, but three Olympic medals at one Olympic Games?

The Lyles

Let’s begin our tale in the mid-2010s in the state of Virginia. Two track and field high school superstar brothers Josephus and Noah Lyles become two of the most highly-recruited athletes in the country out of Virginia and throughout the nation. So when Ross attends meets in Virginia, there is no question that all the eyeballs gravitate to the Lyles brothers.

As each meet concluded, Ross’ attention heads elsewhere, however. He turns to the young man who is not finishing first all the time. At a regional meet in Virginia, Ross noticed something.

“He didn’t win the race, and he wasn’t the best 400-meter runner in that state as a matter of fact,” Ross said. “I just saw a lot of determination and potential in him.”
When Stewart crossed the finish line at the regional meet, Ross recognized how unhappy Stewart was with his finishing time.

“He came back later and ran the 200 meters and looked at how determined he was in the effort he gave.”
Then the epiphany came for Ross. Dajuan Harding, the Aggies lead 400m runner at the time, was going into his junior season. Ross would soon need a lead 400m man to replace him, and he had his sights on Stewart.

Do you mean the guy who is not even the fastest runner in his state? Yes! Do you mean the guy whose fastest time in the 400m in high school is 46.90? Yes.
That’s right. Do you mean the young man who has an asthma condition? Yes. That would be him. Ross never gave any of those things a second thought, and
neither did Stewart.

“Once Trevor decided he was coming here, he never deviated from that,” Ross recalled. “I looked at Trevor and said, ‘This will be someone good to build this 400-meter group around.’

“People talk about Randolph Ross, but make no mistake, Trevor was the foundation for those national championship 4×4 teams.”

Stewart arrived in AggieLand in 2016 and sat out his first season. He won his first race as an Aggie at the Clemson Orange & Purple Invitational by running 47.05 in the 400m indoor. He would win 27 more races (13 outdoor, 15 indoor).

A Chip Off The Old Block

Meanwhile, 90 miles east in Garner, N.C., was a young man more to Ricky Bobby’s liking as Stewart remained busy building up accolades in East Greensboro.

His name was Randolph Ross, Jr. His father is Duane Ross is a former United States indoor champion (60-meter hurdles), a former NCAA indoor and outdoor champion (55mh, 110mh) and a former Olympian. More relevant at the time is, Duane Ross is the headman for all six track programs at A&T.

In high school, Ross Jr. is a high jumper, a long jumper and a sprinter. He wins the first of his six North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) indoor
or outdoor track and field titles as a junior on Feb. 10, 2018, with a 6-foot, 10-inch mark in the indoor high jump.

He also won the New Balance Nationals high school outdoor championship in the 400 as a senior on N.C. A&T’s Irwin Belk Track in 46.80. Some of his state championships also came at Irwin Belk.

Throughout his high school career, during visits to A&T with his father, he met Stewart. On occasion, Ross would let his prep star son run with his star 400m runner. The results?

“Trevor would give him the business,” said Ross, Sr.

Despite his age, Ross Jr. knew if he wanted to achieve his goals in track and field, at some point, he had to get on Stewart’s level. During the 2019 outdoor season, Ross Jr.’s senior year at Garner Magnet High School, Stewart had collected the 400m title at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) outdoor championships. In addition, he had the fastest 400m qualifying time at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round, and he went on to finish second in the nation in the 400m by a lean.

A&T has Trevor, they don’t

Meanwhile, Ross Jr. received interest from major SEC track and field programs. Those schools possessed a lot of excellent facilities and amenities, but none of them had Trevor Stewart. 

“Trevor, I recruited. I did not recruit my son. “He grew up around A&T and grew to love it,” said Ross, who took over the A&T program when his son was 11 years old. “Of course, I am his father, so that played a role too. But Trevor had a lot to do with Junior coming here.”

Initially, Ross was unsure if his son would attend A&T. He decided not to play a significant role in his son’s recruitment. He did not take any recruiting visits with his son because he did not want to make it uncomfortable for competing schools. Instead, Ross told them to recruit his son as if he did not exist when coaches called.

“I did make some recommendations for him,” said Ross. “If he weren’t going to be at A&T, I would tell him this might be a good situation for you, or this situation might be good. But in the end, it was his decision, and hopefully, he still feels like he made the right decision.”

Ross Jr. became an official Aggie in 2019. In his short time at the largest historically black or university (HBCU), he has won three event national championships (indoor 4×400, outdoor 4×400, 400m). During the 2020 indoor season, Ross Jr. ran the fastest 400m indoor time in the world. A year later, he ran the fastest outdoor 400m time in the world.

Perhaps, he did make the right decision.

“Ever since I’ve been at this school, it’s been one blessing after the next,” said Ross Jr. “I can’t thank the school more for what they’ve done. There has been nothing but support since Day 1.”

Stewart and Ross Jr. have pushed each other to greatness over the last five years, and that could continue.

“I feel like I’ve been a part of a family since I stepped on campus,” said Stewart, who graduated with a degree in psychology. “They’ve taken care of me, helped me grow, and helped me understand how everything works. “With (former teammates) Chris Belcher going pro, and then Kayla White going pro, it set the standard higher for me because I want to be pro. That’s what got me here along with great coaching and people like Junior pushing me along the way.”

While Stewart and Ross Jr.’s paths to A&T were different, the question from Ross remained the same. How far do you want to go in the sport of track and field? Both men told Ross they wanted to earn Olympic status.

Now, they are Olympic medalists with opportunities ahead.

“To see Trevor come away with two Olympic medals when coming out of high school, he wasn’t even the best 400-meter runner in his state that says a lot. A lot of schools overlooked him. I hope he feels proud of what he’s done because he has come so far.”
Yeah, take that, Ricky!

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Team USA ran a sizzling 2:55.70 time in the 4×400 final to blow out the competition en route to a blowout win and secure the gold.

Unfortunately for North Carolina A&T and HBCU supporters, neither of its superstars was a part of the final. Trevor Stewart and Randolph Ross were held out of the final a day after helping the team secure pole position in it. So was Vernon Norwood, a  28-year-old former LSU track star.

Bryce Deadmond was the only athlete to compete in both the semifinals for Team USA. He was joined by Michael Cherry, Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin. Cherry and Norman both competed in the 400m open, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Benjamin brought home a silver medal by running an American record 46.17 in the 400m hurdles.

So Stewart, Ross and Norwood teamed up with Bryce Deadmond in the semis as Cherry, Norman and Benjamin recuperated from their individual competitions. They did well enough to win their heat, but the 2:57.77 time of the semis would have been only fourth-best in the finals. 

Looking at the results and the stats of the race, it’s hard to argue with the decision. Cherry’s 44.26 split was topped by Norman’s 44.03, which was bettered by Deadmond’s 44.01 which was torched by Benjamin’s 43.40 anchor leg to bring home the gold. 

For comparison, Stewart ran a 45 flat, Ross a 44.4 and Norwood a 44.3 in their individual splits.

While most HBCU supporters would have liked to have seen both Aggies in the final, both of them still earned gold medals. They also earned $37,500 each for winning a gold medal. Stewart also leaves Tokyo with a $15k purse for the bronze in the 4x400m mixed relay events.

Both Stewart and Ross have done a lot of running in 2021 – more than most of the pros they went against since completing the college season. Stewart will start his pro career while Ross returns to NC A&T. No doubt they would have loved to have competed in the final, but both men are still young enough to get better for the 2024 Olympics, which will be here before you know it. They will have a goal to keep in mind while having a gold (medal) in their back pockets. 

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Stewart started the race for the Americans, a role-reversal from his usual spot as the anchor leg on North Carolina A&T’s record-breaking, national championship squad. He got the race off to a solid start, keeping pace with Botswana before handing off to Ross. It was a role reversal for Ross as well, as he runs third on the NC A&T 4×400 team.

Ross, a two-time national champion (400m and 4x400m relay), ran with the type of coldly efficient speed we’ve come to expect to see from the young man who just completed his sophomore season. His lap helped place the Americans solidly in front of the field for the duration of the event.

It was a solid comeback for Ross after seeing his 400m open medal hopes end after just one race. Stewart already has a bronze medal in his back pocket from the 4x400m mixed relay earlier in the week, but the USA squad has a legit shot at winning the 4x400m gold. And it could do so with two members of the same HBCU program.

Livingstone College alumna Quanera Hayes did not fare quite as well in the 400m The 29-year-old USA champion finished seventh in her heat with a time of 50.88 after running a 49.81 to qualify for the final. American Allyson Felix finished third in the event, securing a bronze medal. Hayes didn’t run in the 4x400m relay earlier in the week as she focused on her oen event.  

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Livingstone’s Quanera Hayes (women’s 400 meters) is still alive for an individual medal.

North Carolina A&T senior quartermiler Trevor Stewart has won a historic medal but decorated sophomore teammate Randolph Ross Jr. has not.

Both will have second opportunities to secure gold at the end of the week.

Here’s how the HBCU athletes have fared so far.

Livingstone’s Quanera Hayes makes women’s 400 meters semis

U. S. champion Quanera Hayes ran a time of 51.07 seconds to advance in the women’s 400 meters heats Tuesday. Hayes finished behind Great Britain’s Jodie Williams 50.99 in the heat.

Hayes can run faster. She won the national title at the U. S. Olympic trials in season’s best time of 49.78.

Allyson Felix of the U. S., competing in her fifth Olympics, won her heat in a time of 50.84 to advance. Wadeline Jonathas of the U. S. also advanced with a second place finish in her heat in 50.93 seconds.

The women’s 400 meters semifinals will take place on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The final is set for 9:35 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 6.

Coppin State’s Amoah advances in men’s 200 meters

Coppin State sprinter Joseph Paul Amoah, running for his native Ghana, advanced out of Tuesday’s men’s 200 meters first round with his season’s best time of 20.35 seconds. Amoah was in the seventh and final heat, finishing third behind U. S. champion and defending Olympic champion Noah Lyles (20.18) and Sibusiso Matsenjwa of Switzerland (20.34).

Kenneth Bednarek (20.01) and Erriyon Knighton (20.55) of the U. S. won their heats and advanced. The top three in each heat plus the next three fastest advanced to the semifinals.

Unfortunately, Amoah would not make it past the semifinals.

Trevor Stewart makes N. C. A&T history, takes home bronze

North Carolina A&T senior Trevor Stewart earned a bronze medal Saturday as a participant in the first-ever mixed 4×400 meter relay. The event involves two men and two women on each team.

Stewart, who earned his place on the U. S. Olympic team by finishing fourth in the 400 meters at the Olympic trials, did not run in Friday’s first round. The U. S. team finished first Friday in their heat in 3:11.39 but had to overcome a disqualification as Taylor Manson was ruled to have taken the baton out of the zone. That disqualification was later overturned allowing the American team to advance.

In Saturday’s final, Stewart ran the leadoff leg in 44.9 — the second-fastest on the team — to match some of his best times this season. The team however, was nipped at the tape to finish third in 3:10.22. The gold medal went to the quartet from Poland (3:09.87) and the silver medal foursome from the Dominican Republic (3:10.21) finished just ahead of the U. S.

A&T’s Ross eliminated early in men’s 400 meters

North Carolina A&T sophomore Randolph Ross Jr., who had run the fastest 400 meters time in the world this year (43.85 seconds) in winning the men’s NCAA championship, could only post a time of 45.67 Sunday and finished fourth in the second heat of the opening round of the 400 meters.

Running out of lane nine in heat two, Ross had a lot of ground to make up coming off the final turn. After getting to third in the last 15 meters, he appeared to ease off at the finish. Ross did not advance as his time fell three-hundredths of a second out of advancing to the semifinals.

“That was terrible,” Ross told NBC after the race.

The top three in each heat and the six next fastest times advanced. Ross’s was the eighth fastest. Ricci Petrucciani of Switzerland ran 45.64 in the same heat to finish ahead of Ross and knock him out of the competition.

Ross Jr. was the only of the three Americans in the 400 meters that did not advance to the semifinals.

Another chance coming

Michael Cherry won the first round’s third heat in 44.82 to advance to the semifinals. Michael Norman was second in the sixth and final heat of the first round in 45.35 to advance.

On Monday, Cherry (44.44) won his semifinal heat and Norman (44.52) finished second in his heat. Both advanced to Thursday’s 9:00 p.m. final.

Ross Jr. and Stewart, two members of N. C. A&T’s NCAA champion 4×400 meter relay team, will compete for the U. S. in the men’s 4×400 at the Olympics. The opening round heats will be contested at 8:25 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 6. The final is on Saturday, Aug. 7 at 9:50 p.m.

Saint Aug’s Belle falls short in 400 hurdles semis

Saint Augustine’s Tia-Adana Belle, running for her native Barbados, advanced out of Sunday’s first round of the women’s 400 meters hurdles with a second-place finish in her heat in a time of 55.69 seconds.  

Belle ran considerably slower in Monday’s semifinals finishing eighth in 59.26. World record holder Sydney McLaughlin of the U. S. won the heat in 53.03. Belle seemed to struggle over the eighth hurdle and did not advance.

Former world record holder Daliliah Muhammad of the U. S. won the first 400 hurdles semifinal in 53.30 Monday to advance to the finals. Southern Cal’s Anna Cockrell also earned a spot in finals with a second-place finish in her heat in 54.17.

The women’s 400 meters hurdles final is Wednesday (Aug. 3) at 11:30 a.m.

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North Carolina A&T’s Trevor Stewart is now officially an Olympic medalist. Stewart ran with Team USA’s Mixed Relay 4x400m team and picked up a bronze medal. USA ran a 3:10.22 to come in third behind Poland and the Dominican Republic. 

Trevor Stewart will also run with the USA’s 4x400m relay team later in the Olympics.

Two former student-athletes from St. Augustine’s University inched closer to competing for medals as well. Tia-Anna Belle qualified for the 400m hurdles with a time of 55.69, her best of the season. The former NCAA Division II national champion finished second in her heat running for her home country of Barbados. Her semifinal can be seen in the US on Sunday morning.

There is another former St. Aug Falcon on the men’s side of the 400m. Shawn Rowe of Jamaica will attempt to run and leap his way into the finals of that event. 

Stewart’s running mate, Randolph Ross, will make his Olympic debut in Sunday’s morning session. The NCAA 400m national champion will run in the second heat in the ninth lane assignment. The event will be broadcast at 9:45 EST in the United States. 

Come back to HBCUGameday.com for more coverage of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

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HBCU Track & Field in Montreal 1976

The Tennessee State Tigerbelles under head coach Ed Temple continued their incredible Olympic story as Kathy McMillan took home a silver medal in the long jump in Montreal. North Carolina Central, still under their mentor Dr. Leroy Walker, placed 110-meter hurdler Charles Foster in the finals where he finished fourth, just out of a medal.

But Montreal was the stage for the introduction of one of the greatest Olympic and world champions of all time in Morehouse’s Edwin Moses. The Dayton, Ohio native entered Morehouse on an engineering scholarship and used that discipline to create one of the most amazing records in the history of track.

And Moses shall lead them

Because Morehouse did not have a track, Moses prepared at area high schools for the Montreal Games. He went on to break the Olympic and world records in winning the men’s 400 meter hurdles gold medal. After earning his undergraduate degree in physics, Moses applied his training to fine-tune his athletic performance in the hurdles.

From 1977 to May 1987, Moses won an incredible 122 consecutive 400 meter hurdles races. The U. S. boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow prevented his quest to repeat but four years later with the streak still intact, Moses captured the gold medal again in the 1984 Los Angeles games.

In 1987 his streak was broken. He still was able to capture a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, South Korea. His Olympic appearances in 1976, ‘84, and ‘88 kept the Southern Intercollegiate Athletics Conference’s streak alive of having an athlete from the conference compete in every Olympics since World War II.

Prairie View A&M’s Fred Newhouse also made his Olympic debut in Montreal. He blazed to a silver medal in the 400 meters and was a member of the 4×400 meter relay team that took home the gold medal. Prairie View’s Deborah Sapenter also medaled as a member of the women’s 4×400 meter relay team that won silver.

Also missing out on the 1980 Olympics because of the U. S. boycott were Tennessee State Tigerbelles Brenda Morehead (Campbell), Chandra Cheeseborough (Guice), Madeline Manning (Mims) and Kathy McMillan.

HBCU Track & Field in Los Angeles 1984: Cheeseborough takes LA

Cheeseborough came back in 1984 in Los Angeles to establish new Olympic standards. She became the first female to capture gold medals as a member of both relay teams (4×100 and 4×400) in the same Olympics.

Cheeseborough-Guice, now the very successful women’s track and field coach at Tennessee State, also won a silver medal in the 400 meter dash in Los Angeles. Grace Jackson, an Alabama A&M product, competed for her native Jamaica in 1984, ‘88 and ‘92. She won a silver medal in the 400 meters in 1988 in Seoul.

HBCU Track & Field in Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992: Soul to Seoul

Starting with the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea, Alabama A&M’s Danette Young (Stone) and Jearl Miles (Clark) have carried the black college banner into Olympic competition and brought home medals. In 1988, Young was a member of the gold medal women’s 4×100 meter relay team. She competed in preliminary rounds and yielded to 200 meter world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner in the finals.

At Barcelona in the 1992 Games, Young showed her versatility grabbing a spot on the silver-medal winning 4×400 meter relay team. Miles also brought home a silver medal from Barcelona as a member of the same relay team.

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SAU alumna Cora Hepburn is part of the Bahamas National Team as an administrator. She is the first female to be named Chef de Mission by the Bahamas Olympic Committee. The definition of Chef de Mission is a person in charge of a national team at an international sports event.

Hepburn was a volleyball standout at Saint Augustine’s in the early 1980s. A 1983 SAU graduate, Hepburn won CIAA Player of the Year, All-District and All-State honors and led her alma mater to multiple conference titles and national acclaim.

Gardiner and Hepburn are two of five SAU alums taking part in the Olympics. Tia-Adana Belle and Shawn Rowe will compete in the 400-meter hurdles for Barbados and Jamaica, respectively, and Gabriel Burnett is head coach of the Barbados National Track & Field Team.

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Ralph Boston’s gold medal in the long jump in the Rome 1960 Olympic Games gave Tennessee State’s black college athletes a total of seven track and field gold medals in Rome. Six of those medals were won by runners for the U. S. women’s team headed by renowned TSU track coaching legend Edward S. Temple.

Temple led the world-famous Tigerbelles to 26 Olympic medals (15 gold, seven siver, four bronze). Forty of his ladies competed in Olympic competition including five for their native countries of Panama, Jamaica, Bermuda and Trinidad.

Temple also led the women’s track and field team at the Tokyo Games of 1964.

HBCU track & field in Tokyo 1964

Tokyo is where Florida A&M football legend and future NFL Hall of Famer Bob Hayes confirmed his title as “the world’s fastest human.“ Hayes blazed the track in winning the 100 meters and anchored the winning 4 x 100 meter relay team with a scintillating finish. Also, two more Tennessee State women runners built on Tigerbelle lore. Wyomia Tyus tied Wilma Rudolph’s world record (11.2) in a preliminary 100 meter heat and went on to capture the gold medal in the event.

Finishing just behind Tyus in the 100 was fellow Tigerbelle Edith Maguire (Duvall) who went on to break Rudolph’s 200 meter world record in capturing that gold medal. Maguire then teamed with Tyus on the silver-medal winning U. S. 4 x 100 meter relay team.

North Carolina Central’s Edwin Roberts brought home a bronze medal for his third place finished in the 200 meter dash in 1964. Boston added a silver to his medal collection with the second-place finish in the long jump.

The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City had several memorable events. John Carlos and Tomy Smith‘s raised fists on the 200 meter victory stand and Bob Beamon’s incredible long jump of over 29 feet were the most noteworthy.

HBCU track & field in Mexico City 1968

Perhaps overshadowed was Tyus setting a new world record in repeating as 100 meters champ, the first athlete ever to successfully defend a sprint title. She followed that up with a gold medal and world record performance in anchoring the women’s 4 x 100 meter relay team. Alcorn State’s Mildred Netter (Smith) was also a member of that relay team.

TSU’s Madeline Manning (Mims) made her Olympic debut in 1968, capturing the 800 meters gold medal. She would go on to compete in four consecutive Olympiads, serving as women’s team captain in 1972, ’76 and ’80.

The Olympic odyssey of Southern University’s Willie Davenport also began in Mexico City. Davenport, ranked as the world’s best hurdler, took home the gold medal in the 110 meter hurdles and came back in 1976 to capture a bronze medal in the same event at the Montreal games.

In the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York, Davenport became only the fourth American to compete in both Summer and Winter Olympics as a member of the four-man bobsled team. Boston, meanwhile in 1968, completed a unique triple by adding a long jump bronze medal to his previous gold and silver medals in that event.

HBCU track & field in Munich 1972

Politics found its way into the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics like never before. Israeli athletes were kidnapped and eventually died at the hands of Palestinians looking to bring international attention to their cause.

On the track, 100-meter world record holder Ray Robinson of Florida A&M was a no-show for his 100-meter heat as the coaches relayed confusing information about the starting time. Southern‘s Rodney Milburn gave the Jaguars back-to-back 110-meter hurdles gold medals as he followed Davenport to the victory stand. Manning claimed TSU’s only medal of the ‘72 Games as a member of the second-place, silver-medal winning 4×400 meter relay team.

North Carolina Central’s Larry Black, one of the most beautiful runners ever on the turn, took home a silver medal in the 200 meters and was a member of the gold medal winning 4×100 meter relay team. Julius Sang and Robert Ouku were members of NCC’s powerful track contingent under Dr. Walker, but competed for their native Kenya in the 1972 games. Sang won a bronze medal in the 400 meters and teamed with Ouku, a 800 meters finalist, in winning the gold for Kenya in the 4×400 meter relay.

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Hayes would break world records and thrill the crowd, bringing home two gold medals. But it almost didn’t happen.

Alonzo “Jake” Gaither was the head football coach at Florida A&M University and he recruited Hayes out of Jacksonville, Fla. Hayes had several offers because of this two-sport prowess. Relatives and alumni convinced Hayes that if Gaither wanted him, he need look no further for a home and he became a Rattler.

Hayes was a two-sport phenom at FAMU. With Gaither’s depth, it was extremely hard to make the Rattler football team, no matter the pedigree of the athlete entering school. Gaither would produce national championship teams and several NFL Draft picks during this segregated era.

This was the Golden Era of HBCU football

Gaither had what is famously known as three of the best teams in college football in each year he coached. The first string was called the “Blood” unit, the second team was called the “Sweat” unit and the third team was the “Tears” team. Chocked full of the top-rated athletes in the world, players knew that if they ever went out for injury, poor performance or any other reason, they might not get to play again in the orange and green. Gaither was a stickler for this tight competition.

It was not unfounded. The scenario was exactly the same at Tennessee State and Jackson State with John Merritt, Grambling State with Eddie Robinson, Southern University with Ace Mumford and Edward P. Hurt at Morgan State. During this time, superior football players were at HBCUs.

Hayes was tearing up the NCAA black track circuit. Unfortunately, with hand timing at these black college meets, Hayes times would not be declared official. Black colleges could not afford the pricey electronic timing systems.

The U Steps In

Hayes’ achievements looked sure to be discarded amid the stifling unfairness of segregation. Unless he could compete in a white college track meet, he could not be considered in the official world rankings. In 1962, the University of Miami broke the exclusion of Hayes and invited him to run in a meet on their campus. The significance of this invitation was the fact that it was in the deep south where racial tensions were at an all-time high, Miami found the courage to invite Hayes – and he didn’t disappoint. Ironically, Hayes often trained at Florida State in Tallahasse, but would not get an invitation from them to compete. Nor would he garner an invitation from the University of Florida, just two hours south of Tallahassee.

Knowing that he had but one shot to influence the world stage, Hayes entered the 100-yard dash chasing the current U.S. record of Frank Bud. Hayes ran a 9.2 and tied Bud’s record.  It was the race heard around the collegiate track world. Hayes had but one shot to impress and did he deliver!

It impressed everyone but Gaither. Teammates of Hayes, had many nicknames for him because of his speed and sparkling personality. His FAMU teammates knew him as “Crow.” Walter Highsmith, the father of former UM running back Alonzo Highsmith, played center at FAMU with Hayes and went on to play for the Denver Broncos and Houston Oilers. Highsmith contends that Gaither gave Hayes the cold shoulder when he returned from the Miami meet. Gaither famously told Hayes “I sent you down there to break the record, not to tie it.” 

It was symbolic of Gaither’s tough love that made his players endear him for decades after they left the school.

Mr. Gaither, it’s the President

Preparing for his senior year at FAMU, Hayes was offered a spot on the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team. Usually an automatic acceptance for any athlete lucky enough to receive the invitation, Gaither blocked Hayes from going to the Tokyo Olympics.

The U.S. Olympic committee made another effort to get Gaither to allow Hayes to run for the U.S. team. This time, they called Gaither directly. Gaither’s response, “He’s a football player that happens to run track,” he said. Gaither was concerned that time away from training for football in a year that the Rattlers were stacked and shooting for a national championship would mean Hayes would not be in football shape as the Olympics would run into the beginning of the season.

Hayes often said that he was only admitted to join the USA for the Tokyo Olympics with a call from U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson directly to Gaither. Gaither would reluctantly tell the president he would consider it. Shortly thereafter, Gaither called Hayes in his office. 

“You can go run in the Olympics,” Gaither told him. “But you’re going to have to earn your spot when you get back.” 

Typical Gaither.

Football Player Takes Tokyo Olympics

Hayes never lost a 100-yard or 100-meter race in college…and the Tokyo Olympics wouldn’t be the start of anything different. Hayes cruised to the world record in winning the 100-meter dash. He had to do it in an unusual fashion. He tore his left spike shoe during warmup and had to quickly borrow a spike from a teammate before the race. Hayes’ athletic frame and unconventional running style made him a site to see. Being a football player, he was much bigger than most sprinters. As Gaither said – he was a football player first. Hayes also had to overcome an awful draw…he had to run from lane No.1. Anyone who knows about track knows that the center lanes are the most advantageous when it comes to sprints.

With that gold secured and two members of the 4×100 relay team injured, it looked dim for the U.S. team. Hayes reportedly went and recruited two 200-meter runners to round out the squad. It was a group that had never practiced handoffs together. Hayes was confident in what his team could do. This is where the legend of “Bullet Bob” was earned.

“I wasn’t being cocky, but I just knew we were America and those Russians, they weren’t going to beat us,” Hayes famously said of the Tokyo Olympics. “I told my teammates just give it to me close and we’ll win this race. Just give it to me close and I’ll do the rest.”

The U.S. team did its best, but it didn’t give it to Hayes close. When he received the baton in the final turn, the team was in fifth place. One reporter described Hayes leg as “an explosion down the track never seen before or since.” Hayes did the improbable…he walked down four world-class sprinters, leaving them in his rear for the last 10 meters. His leg of the relay has been split at 8.6 seconds.

The country boy from Jacksonville not only impressed the world at an event that Adolph Hitler had famously shunned black athletes at, but he also impressed Gaither. No one was prouder go Hayes than Gaither. Unable to contain himself, he went on the victory tour at Hayes’ request. 

Hayes takes the NFL after Tokyo Olympics

Hayes would go on to a stellar NFL career, holding several Dallas Cowboys records during his career. With Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks Roger Staubach and on Meredith, Hayes would introduce a new era into the NFL. 

Mike Ditka credits Hayes with forcing defensive coordinators to develop a zone coverage scheme. Before Hayes, the coverage was strictly one-on-one. At the induction of Hayes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Staubach said “Bob Hayes was as fast as he needed to be. There were times when I felt like I had overthrown him and he would find another gear and go get it.”

As we prepare for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, keep in mind that the last star at the Tokyo games was one Robert Lee Hayes… ”Crow.”

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JACKSON, Miss. — Jackson State freshman Adell Colthrust will compete for Trinidad and Tobago at the Tokyo Olympics that are slated to begin July 23. Colthrust will race in the 4×100 meter relay.
 
“The journey to Tokyo has been difficult, but by God’s, I am able to represent not only Trinidad and Tobago, but act as an ambassador for Jackson State University,” Colthrust said. “I am humbled to be selected. Coach Thorne, Coach Country (Harris), Coach Brewster, and Coach Spooner provided me not only the opportunity to continue my education, but also my track and field career and for that, I’m very thankful.”
 
JSU head coach Mark Thorne is excited for Colthrust to experience the Olympics.
 
“It’s a great honor to have our second Olympian to compete in the Olympics as a freshman,” Thorne said. “We are very proud of Adell and wish him the best of luck in Tokyo. He is a very dedicated hard-working athlete and is deserving of this opportunity.”
 
 Former JSU student-athlete Anaso Jobodwana will represent South Africa and is competing in his third Olympics.
 
In 2012 Michael Tinsley won the silver medal in 400-meter hurdles for the United States and Olsen Barr represented Guyana in 1988 Olympics.
 

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Former Johnson C. Smith University 400-meter standout Tovea Jenkins ’17 of Kingston, Jamaica has punched her ticket to Tokyo and the 2021 Olympic Games.

The 2017 NCAA Division II outdoor champion on the 4 x 400 meters relay team, Tovea Jenkins ran a personal best of 50.68 as she placed fifth at the Jamaica National Championship meet, securing her spot on the Jamaican Olympic Team.
 
The five-time All-American will be a part of the Jamaican 4×400-meter relay team pool. 
 
Jenkins is the fifth Olympian from JCSU and the first JCSU Olympian since sprinter Vince Matthews earned gold in 1968 (men’s 4×400 relay) and 1972 (400).

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RALEIGH, N.C. (July 7) — Tia-Adana Belle is headed to the Olympics for the second time in her track career.
 
Belle will be one of eight athletes from Barbados competing in Tokyo, where the Summer Games will be held July 23 to August 8.

Belle to represent Barbados in second Olympics

Five years ago, Belle ran for Barbados in the 2016 Olympics as a student-athlete from Saint Augustine’s University (SAU). By the time she completed her collegiate career in 2017, Belle was the greatest women’s 400-meter hurdler in Division II.
 
She is the NCAA Division II national record-holder (55.42) in her signature event. In fact, she owns six of the top seven Division II times in history.
 
Belle dominated the 400 hurdles event as a collegian, winning three straight Division II national titles from 2015 to 2017. She is one of only two athletes to accomplish the feat.
 
A 12-time All-American, Belle was the Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in the CIAA and the Atlantic Region (twice). She graduated from SAU in 2018.
 
Belle joins Shawn Rowe as SAU graduates who will compete in the Olympics. Rowe was named to the Jamaica Olympic Team late last week.

Other former CIAA student-athletes slated to compete in Tokyo include Livingstone College’s Quanera Hayes, who will represent the USA in the 400m and Johnson C. Smith’s Tovea Jenkinns, who will represent Jamacia in the 4×400 relay pool.

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Stillman College alum Jeff Henderson has advanced to the men’s long jump finals at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials, which will be Sunday, June 27 at 3:45 p.m. Pacific Time (5:45 p.m. CT). Henderson finished Friday’s qualifying round in seventh place with an 8.02-meter jump.

The Top 12 of 24 competitors advanced to Sunday’s finals. NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will live stream the events. Click her to track live results.

Henderson, the 2016 gold medalist at the Rio Olympics, jumped 8.02m in his first jump to move into third place through the first jump. He opted not to jump his next two attempts. He is joined in the finals by 2016 Olympian Jarrion Lawson, who led the field Friday with a 8.12m jump in his third attempt after two fouls. Lawson placed fourth in Rio in 2016.

Steffin McCarter from University of Texas was second after leading the field with 8.10m on his first jump and choosing not to jump again. University of Florida alum Marquis Dendy was second at 8.09m on his second jump. LSU’s JuVaughn Harison, who had the top mark of the year entering the trials, was fourth at 8.06m on his second jump. Rutgers alum Corey Crawford was fifth at 8.03m. Henderson, the top five and 11th-place Isaac Grimes of Florida State (7.88m) each reached the Olympic Trials with an Olympic standard mark of 8.22m or better this season.

Among those competing but failing to advance to the finals were 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Will Claye, who finished 24th at 7.18m, and fellow 2012 Olympian and Chicago Bears wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, who finished 18th in the qualifying round with a 7.57m jump. 

Jeff Henderson stands alone

Jeff Henderson is the only men’s long jumper in the trials who completed his collegiate career at the NCAA Division II level and the only graduate of a historical black college or university (HBCU).  A native of McAlmont, Arkansas, Henderson won two national titles for Stillman College at the 2013 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field championships: the 100-meter dash (10.18) and long jump (7.81m). He was also runner-up in the 2013 championships in the 200-meter (20.65) to earn 28 points as High Point Athlete of the Meet and help Stillman to a program-best ninth-place team finish. Henderson earned his bachelor’s in business administration in 2013.

Qualifying Results
1. Jarrion Lawson (Unattached) 8.12m
2. Steffin McCarter (Texas) 8.10m
3. Marquis Dendy (Unattached), 8.09m
4. JuVaughn Harrison (LSU), 8.06m
5. Corey Crawford (Unattached), 8.03m
6. Rayvon Allen (Oklahoma), 8.02m
7. Jeff Henderson (Team Adidas), 8.02m
9. Trumaine Jefferson (Unattached), 7.98m
10. Allen Gordon (Mississippi), 7.93m
11. Isaac Grimes (Florida State), 7.88m
12. Damarcus Simpson (Unattached), 7.85m———————————————————–
13. Rayvon Grey (LSU), 7.85m
14. Jarvis Gotch (Unattached), 7.76m
15. Will Williams (Unattached), 7.73m
16. Treyton Harris (Unattached), 7.69m
17. Jason Smith (Long Beach State), 7.66m
18. Harrison Scharge (UCLA), 7.62m
19. Marquise Goodwin (Unattached), 7.57m
20. Justin Hall (Texas Tech), 7.36m
21. Kyle Darrow (Chula Vista Elite), 7.33m
22. Charles Brown (Unattached), 7.28m
23. Malik Moffett (Unattached), 7.25m
24. Will Claye (PUMA / NYAC), 7.18m

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“I had to execute and just get tall coming off the curve and just make it into the finals,” Sturgis said of her second-half surge in the event. “I just had to run my race and be patient.”

Sturgis was one of three current and former Aggies slated to run the 200m, but both freshman Jonah Ross and former Aggie star-turned-pro Kayla White were scratches.

Livingstone alumna Quanera Hayes finished third in her 200m heat, which meant she had to qualify on time. And she did, as her 22.58 got her into the semifinals just like her future Olympic teammate Allyson Felix.

It was a solid bounce-back day for Cambrea Sturgis. After winning her 100m heat last Friday, she failed to qualify for the finals on Saturday evening, leaving her on the outside looking-in to an event she dominated a week earlier at the NCAAs. Sturgis said her experience on the track at Hayward field has given her confidence as she’s faced a step up in competition.

“My self-confidence changed because after winning, being two-time national champion – I was more confident in knowing where I stand, especially going into the Olympic Trials,” she said. 

She also picked up motivation from her teammates Randolph Ross and Trevor Stewart. Both of them punched their ticket to Tokyo by coming in third and fourth place in the 400m. 

“It was very motivating,” Sturgis said. “Especially since I know the 400 is such a tough race, and I have two of the most easiest races, so it just makes me go out here and work even harder.”

The 200m semis will take place on Friday at 7:25 PM EST.

Former A&T sprinters Rodney Rowe (Heat One) and Christopher Belcher (Heat Two) will compete in the preliminaries of the men’s 200m on Friday. That event starts at 5:04 PM.

Former Hampton All-American Trey Holloway will compete in the 110m hurdles. That event starts at 5:33.

Action will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network. 

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Felix’s story of motherhood is pretty well known, but Hayes has a story as well. She revealed during the Olympic Trials that she nearly quit track before finding out she was pregnant with her son in 2018. She couldn’t run while pregnant with Demetrius because he was too low. And even after she had him that October, the transition was rough.

“I would do one run in practice and I would just stop – because it would just hurt. And I was discouraged because I wasn’t hitting my times,” she said. So it was a long road and I thought about giving up after that as well. But when you have a family to take care of, you have more meaning.” 

She eventually got back on track and as she prepped for the 2020 US National Championships, she sent Demetrius to visit his family in the Bahamas. It was during that time that the COVID-19 pandemic hit, separating the two for months. 

“There would be times when I would call him on FaceTime and the minute we got off of FaceTime I would go and I would cry because that’s the most I’ve ever been away from my son,” Hayes said.

The two were eventually re-united, and Hayes had both her son and track again.

“I will never let that happen again,” She said on Sunday. “So if I can’t drive to him, in a situation like that, he can’t go without me.”

However, Quanera Hayes will have to leave for Tokyo soon, and Demetrius will have to stay behind. She doesn’t like it, but she understands it.

“I’m a little sad he won’t be there. My first Olympic team – being a mom – you want your kid there,” she said. “But I understand that his health, and my health, and everybody else’s health is important, and that comes first.”

Hopefully she’ll return with some gold for Demetrius. 

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“Tokyo is going to be just like home. Practice is going to be just like it is at home,” Ross said when asked about the quartet making the Olympics. ‘I’m looking forward to having those guys there.”

Sirleaf was the first to make an Olympic team. The Minnesota native qualified back in August 2019, nearly a year before the Olympics were set to happen in 2020.

The pair teamed up with Ross and Stewart to run a 3:00.92 time in Eugune at the NCAAs a week prior to the Olympic trials. Several times this year, the quartet has run the fastest 4×400 time in the world. 

But when they meet up in Tokyo, they won’t be all wearing the same uniform.

“Excited for them. Excited for their families and everyone around them, and I expect great things out of them,” Ross said. “Unfortunately, they won’t be running on the same relay. I’ve told them – beating this US team, that’s going to be a hard feat. That relay is going to be tough. But those two guys, for their corresponding countries, they are going to compete well.”

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The NCAA 400m champion ran a 44.74, finishing third behind a pair of pros in Michael Norman and Michael Cherry. It was a surreal moment for the young man from Raleigh, NC. 

“Me being so young, and seeing all these people like Michael Cherry, Michael Norman…I used to see them on TV back in high school running 43 and I thought it was just amazing,” Ross said after the race. “So coming and being right next to them in completion – it was a little overwhelming in the beginning but I just had to calm down, run my race and do what I do.”

Ross started the final 100m near the middle of the pack, but managed to accelerate to clinch his spot. 

“My race didn’t go as planned, but I can’t really complain being able to make the team and having an opportunity to make the Olympics,” he said of his start. “So it’s just fine-tuning everything and get ready to go faster at the Olympics.”

He will have some familiar company in Tokyo. Ross’ teammate Trevor Stewart finished fourth with a 44.90, qualifying for the 4x400m pool. 

“That’s amazing. Coming in, we knew what we could do. And we knew if we ran our right way, we’d both be able to make it to the Olympics,” Ross said. “And it’s just a dream having somebody that I’ve been training with since high school, have the same dream as me and make it. It’s just crazy.”

Trevor Stewart and Randolph Ross making the USA squad means the entire 4x400m national championship team from A&T will be running in the Olympics. Daniel Stubbs will be representing Mexico while Akeem Sirleaf will represent Libera at Tokyo. 

Not bad for an HBCU, right?

“We’re going to do nothing but get better. Hopefully, this actually shows that this school is ranked higher than most people might see. Having two people, and not just one, make it to the top level of runners…You know people are going to talk the way they want, they’re going to do things the way they see – but when the proof is there – it’s there.”

It most certainly is. And now it is heading to Tokyo to show the world.

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But the race was only part of the story. 

Allyson Felix was the big story of the 400m Olympic Trials. Her story is well-documented, and she finished just behind Hayes at 50.02, securing a spot in her fifth Olympic Games. After giving it their all in the race, the two mothers met on the track to share a moment with their young children. Allyson Felix brought her three-year-old daughter Camryn and Hayes brought her son in a made-for-TV moment.

It was a sweet moment as both women proved to be on top of their game just a few years after giving birth. The 29-year-old Hayes spoke on Saturday night about what it meant having her son to keep her calm during the trials.

‘He’s my everything. It’s something that you can’t explain, because, it’s just like, you know you’ve given somebody life. And he’s my reason,” Hayes said. “So having him here is – like I cannot explain it. I have so much pride and so much joy knowing that I bounced back from giving birth to him and having him see me and not give up and continue to fight for what God has blessed me to do.”

In addition to motherhood, Hayes made it clear she was running for not only her family, but so much more. She became a Division II champion at Livingstone College, a small, private, historically black college located in Salisbury, NC. She said she wasn’t just running for her alma mater, or even just HBCUs.

“For me, it would be representing the CIAA and all Division II schools. A lot of people out here – they’re from HBCUs – but I’m literally the only one from a Division II school. So it’s much bigger than me representing HBCUs, it’s me representing Division II as well,” she said. “And letting them know ‘hey, just because we’re in Division II, people don’t look at us as being one of the best or top-tier athletes. But, look where I am. Look how far I’ve gotten, coming from a Division II school. So it’s much bigger than the HBCU thing. That’s just a bonus. 

And now Quanera Hayes will be representing all of that in Tokyo. With her son.  

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Belcher ran a season-best 10.01 to finish second in his heat. He will run in the semifinals on Sunday at 9:19 EST. The finals will be held at 10:52.

“This is just survive and advance, baby,” he said after the race. ‘You just gotta relax and keep it moving.”

He’s coached by Duane Ross, Sr., who coached him during his star-studded career at A&T. Belcher said Ross didn’t say much to him before the race as he was already locked in.

“He just says ‘aye, be aggressive. Relax. Calm down and take your time. It’s easy money, it’s not like we’ve never been here before.” Belcher said. “I’ve seen this completion all year. Nobody’s new to me racing-wise so, you know, I just want to stay relaxed and run my race.”

Ross isn’t Quanera Hayes’ coach, but she seemed to follow the same advice. For the second night in a row, she won her heat, running a 50.07, the top time in the event overall. The former Division II star enters Sunday’s final as the favorite as she looks to punch her ticket to Tokyo. The women’s 400m final starts at 10:06 EST on Sunday.

Stewart and Ross are both one more race away from Tokyo as well. Ross and Stewart both ran in the second heat, with Ross qualifying for Sunday’s final automatically with a second place finish (44.85). Stewart finished fourth in the heat but his 45.05 time was the fifth-fastest in the field. The men’s 400m final will take place at 10:15 EST on Sunday night.

It wasn’t a happy ending for all of the HBCU reps on Saturday night, though. A&T sophomore Cambrea Sturgis ran an 11.05, but finished sixth in her heat, failing to qualify for the 100m finals. A&T alumna Kayla White did qualify for the finals by running a 10.98, but her 11.22 in the final put her in eighth place, leaving her on the outside-looking-in. 

The US Olympic Trials will be broadcast on NBC starting at 9 PM EST.

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The former Livingstone College speedster won her 400m heat, advancing to the semifinals with relative ease.

“My main thing was to stay out of my head and to make sure that I advance – get a placement in the next round,” she said.

In fact, it was almost too easy. The bronze medalist in the 2016 world indoor championships, Hayes got off to a big lead and started to cruise in the last 60 or so meters before picking it up to finish first in her heat. She clocked in a 52.34.

Hayes said she trained hard early in the season, but her coach had her back off as the Olympic trials got closer. She said she was able to focus on staying fluid and not over-running. 

“Us backing off and doing the tempo work allowed me to get back to my regular running pace, my regular running stride,” the Hope Mills, NC native said. “And I was able to be a lot more comfortable with where I was in my training.”

Hampton University’s Francena McCorory, the other HBCU alumna in the second women’s 400m heat, fell short of qualifying. The two-time gold medalist in the 4×400 (2012, 2016) finished fifth in the same heat. 

Quanera Hayes will compete in the 400m Olympic Trials semifinals on Saturday night. The event starts at 10:30 EST.

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HBCU Olympic Trials Participants for Friday

Women’s 400 Meters (7:30 EST)
Top 3 in each heat and next 4 fastest advance to semis
Top 3 in each semi and next 2 fastest advance to final

Heat 2
L3 Quanera Hayes – Livingstone Alumna (Nike Athlete)
L5 Francena McCorory – Hampton Alumna 

Men’s 400 Meters  (7:58 EST)
Top 3 in each heat and next 4 fastest advance to semis
Top 3 in each semi and next 2 fastest advance to final

Heat 1

L2 Trevor Stewart – NC A&T

Heat 4

L7 Randolph Ross – NC A&T 

Women’s 100 Meters (9:30 PM EST)
Top 3 in each heat and next 4 fastest advance to semis
Top 3 in each semi and next 2 fastest advance to final

Heat 2

L2 Cambrea Sturgis – NC A&T

Heat 3

L1 Kayla White – NC A&T Alumna (Nike athlete)

Broadcast Schedule

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In impressive fashions, Sturgis, a sophomore, won both the women’s 100 and 200 meter races at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships last week. Equally impressive, Ross Jr., also a sophomore, won the men’s 400 meters and ran a leg on the Aggies championship-winning 4×400 relay team.

Both are now busy getting ready for a chance to make the U. S. Olympic Team as the 2021 USA Track & Field Olympic Trials get under way this Friday, June 18 through Sunday, June 27. The trials are being held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, the same venue that hosted last week’s NCAA championships.

Sturgis and Ross Jr. stayed in Eugene to train while other teammates flew home to Greensboro after finishing third (men) and tied for fourth (women) in NCAA team competition. The duo, other teammates and head coach Duane Ross will be there throughout the trials. In fact, Ross’s current and former A&T pupils will be in the trials as well.

Quick turnaround

The quick turnaround is a departure from in previous years where two or three weeks were between the NCAAs and the Olympic Trials or U. S. National Team trials.

“There’s some good and some bad with it,” said Ross, on a Zoom call with HBCU Gameday Wednesday. “The positive is that these student/athletes, coming off the NCAAs, they’re race-ready, so you know, they’re sharp. What could possibly be a downside is if you don’t manage your recovery well enough to get ready for this championship. So it’s all about preparation, and I think we do a great job with that. So I think our kids are ready to roll.”  

Faster, better competition at Olympic Trials

The Olympic Trials represent a step up in competition that Ross is quite familiar with. The Clemson product is a former NCAA champion in the 110-meter hurdles who earned a spot on the 2004 Olympic team. He is a four-time member of the U. S. World Championship team where he earned two U. S. titles and two silver medals in the 60 and 110 hurdles.

“Yes, the competition this past weekend was extremely competitive, but hey, the Olympic Trials man, that’s a different beast,” said Ross who was named Monday as the co-national men’s coach of the year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). “Now you’re running against athletes who do this for a living. They’re doing this to pay their mortgage, to take care of their children.”

“So, there’s no mistakes allowed. You’ve got to be prepared each and every round. There’s no do-overs. So I think the mental aspect is hugely underestimated. I would say, at most, it’s the mental aspect, getting mentally prepared.”

Both Sturgis and Ross are in great position to make the team. The top three finishers in each event make the Olympic Team which will compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan being held from July 23 to August 8.

Sturgis’s competition at Trials

Sturgis took NCAA titles in the women’s 100 meters (10.74) and the 200 meters in (22.12) in world-class times. Her 100 meters time set a meet and collegiate record and would have put her in second place among Americans behind dynamic former LSU sprinter She’Carri Richardson’s 10.72. The time however was not official because of a 2.2 meter tail wind. Sturgis’s previous best of 10.92 still places her third entering the 100 competition, eighth in the world rankings.

Richardson is in the 100 field as is Southern Cal’s Twanisha Terry, who finished second behind Sturgis in the 100 at the NCAAs. Terry has the second-best American time in 10.89. Alabama’s Tamara Clark, who finished third last week, has the sixth best time at 10.96.

Sturgis’s equally impressive 200 time (22.12) places her just one-hundredth of a second behind Richardson’s national-best 22.11. Sturgis’s time is the fourth best in the world this year behind Shaunie Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas 22.03, Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith’s 22.06 and Richardson.

“The 100 was very shocking because throughout the season I knew I had a couple of things, here and there, that I had to work on,” said Sturgis, who marks the 200 as her favorite race. “Sometimes I’d have a good race., sometimes I’d had a bad race. It surprised me, especially, with me not having them (the competition) beside me and them (the announcers) not announcing me.”

TV announcer Jill Montgomery said before the women’s 100 that the race would be between lanes five and six (USC’s Terry and Oregon’s Kemba Nelson). “So I had to go up there and execute my race,” Sturgis said.

Familiar surroundings

The women’s 100 meters is one of the earliest events in the Trials. The first round of three heats is set for Friday beginning at 6:37 PST. The 100 meter final is set for Saturday night at 7:51 p.m. The top two finishers in each heat and the three other fastest times will make the finals.

Sturgis will be joined in the 100 and 200 fields by former Aggie, Kayla White, the 2018 NCAA indoor 200 meter champion. White, who is also trained by Ross, is just behind Sturgis in the 100 (10.95) and has the 14^th-best clocking in the 200 (22.52).

“Cambrea and I took a walk last night just to get away, get out the hotel, not talk about competition for a second,” said Ross, of how he was helping Sturgis prepare mentally for the competition.

Ross Jr.’s competition at Trials

Ross Jr., the son of the A&T coach, blazed the track in 43.85 in winning the 400 meters, the third fastest time in NCAA history. The time makes him just one of three Americans to run a sub-44 time this season. Only Fred Kerley (43.64) and Michael Norman (43.79) have better times. He also ran a sub-44 second leg of the Aggies 4×400 relay team that took that championship.

Despite his top time in the 400, Kerley, who also has qualifying times in the 100 (9.91) and 200 (20.54) has decided to compete in only those events, and will not run the 400. Norman will. Aggie senior Trevor Stewart, who finished fourth in the 400 at the nationals, ran 44.25 earlier this spring that is the fifth best time entering the trials.

The potential competition is not Ross Jr.’s focus.

“It actually doesn’t affect it (my strategy) at all,” said Ross Jr. “Going in, every person has to run the same exact amount of meters. Everybody’s in their own lane. Having people that went 43 (seconds) in heat can help you push, and the competition can make you run faster. But, I still have to focus on me. If my mind is somewhere else when I get on the line, the race is not going to go well. So as long as I focus on me, run my race, do the same things I’ve been doing the whole year, I’ll be alright.”

Ross and Stewart begin their quest in heats of the 400 semifinals on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. (PST). The final is on Sunday at 7:15 p.m.

The rest of Ross’s troops

Former Aggie standout Christopher Belcher, who now runs for Nike but is trained by Ross, has a 10.01 time in the mens 100 meters field. Rodney Rowe, another former Aggie still coached by Ross, made the 100 field based on his 10.05 time. Rowe is also in the 200 field with a time of 20.12.

A&T freshman Javonte Harding had a qualifying time of 20.21 in the 200 meters but was scratched after pulling up in the NCAA 200 with a hamstring injury.  

The other current Aggies competing at the trials are Madeline Akobundu (12.81) and TeJyrica Robinson (12.83). Both came in just under the women’s 100 meters hurdles qualifying time of 12.84 seconds.

The women’s 100 hurdles first round goes off at 5:04 p.m. Saturday with the final scheduled for 6:03 p.m. Sunday.

“The guys are ready to run. They’ve rested and they’ve recovered,” said Ross. “(Randolph Ross) Junior looked great in practice yesterday. Physically, he’s ready to do exactly what he did this past weekend, or even go faster! But it’s going to be that mental aspect, being able to be in the moment but not get caught up in the moment — the crowd, the fact that it’s the Olympic trials, you know, the step-up in competition. If these guys can stay disciplined, stay focused on their lane and what they’re supposed to do, I think they’re going to come out of this on the (Olympic) team.”

More HBCU products at Trials, Olympics

Another HBCU product to keep your eye on at the Trials is former Livingstone sprint star Quanera Hayes. Her time of 49.91 is the fourth fastest in the women’s 400 meters field. Her 22.68 clocking in the 200 meters also has her in that field.

Ross already has athletes on the current Aggies teams that will be in the Olympics. Daniel Stokes, who ran the first leg of the 4×400 relay, will compete for Mexico. Akeem Sirleaf, who ran the third leg of the 4×4, will represent Liberia.

NBC Sports Network and NBC will air live coverage every day of the event. NBC’s television coverage will be streamed on NBCOlympics.com.

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