Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
Howard University women’s track & field program concluded its outdoor campaign at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., hosted by the University of Oregon, with outstanding Bison earning All-American status. Howard was the dominant HBCU program for the women’s NCAA Championships.
Graduates Kailei Collins (Houston) and Marcia Sey (London, United Kingdom), senior Tiffani-Rae Pittman (Bowie, Md.) and sophomore Aiyana Gray-Williams (Winston-Salem, N.C.) began Day Four with a sixth-place finish in the 4×100 relay, clocking in at 43.23. The four Bison earned All-American First Team honors, becoming the first All-American 4×100 relay squad in program history.
USC won the 4×100 relay race with a 42.22 mark.
Individually, Sey had her best performance in a Bison uniform, winning bronze in the 100-meter hurdles with a 12.93 time. Her third-place finish is the highest in program history. Additionally, the British native received All-American First Team honors.
Oregon’s Aaliyah McCormick won the short hurdles, producing a 12.81 mark.
Men earn All-American status as well
Graduate student Noah Langford of Virginia Beach, Virginia, led the Bison with a standout performance in the 400-meter hurdles semifinals. Langford posted a time of 50.50 seconds, falling short of qualifying for the final round but earning Second Team All-America honors. He became the first Howard men’s long hurdler to earn All-America recognition since John Branch accomplished it for the Washington, D.C. HBCU in 1989.
Baylor’s Nathaniel Ezekiel recorded the top 400-meter hurdles time in the semifinals with an impressive 47.86 seconds.
Howard also competed in the 4×400-meter relay, featuring Langford, sophomore Emerson McKindra of Linden, New Jersey, and freshmen Cameron Brazell of Houston and Elijah Grant of Fort Mill, South Carolina. The team clocked in at 3:08.92, missing advancement but receiving honorable mention from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Howard Director of Track & Field David Oliver and the Bison wrapped up another success season, winning a pair of MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) crowns during the indoor and outdoor campaigns.
HU looks to defend both crowns for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.
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