Howard leads HBCU women headed to NCAA Championships

Howard University leads a group of nine HBCU women’s entries that secured spots at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships after a strong showing at the NCAA East Regional in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Bison qualified four entries for Eugene, Oregon, while North Carolina A&T advanced two field-event athletes. Southern, Alabama State and Florida A&M will also be represented at the national championship meet after producing qualifying performances during Saturday’s final day of competition.

Howard sends four entries to Eugene

Howard emerged as the top-performing HBCU women’s program during the regional meet.

Sophomore Yahnari Lyons advanced to Eugene in the women’s 200 meters after running 22.72 seconds to finish second in her heat.

The Bison also qualified two athletes in the 400-meter hurdles. Cenaiya Billups won her quarterfinal heat in a personal-best 55.09 seconds, while teammate Aniya Woodruff captured her heat in a personal-best 55.43.

Howard’s women’s 4×100 relay team completed the historic day by qualifying with a season-best 43.23 seconds.

North Carolina A&T shines in field events

North Carolina A&T continued its strong regional showing by advancing two field-event athletes.

Senior Spirit Morgan cleared 1.82 meters (5 feet, 11½ inches) in the high jump to secure a place at the NCAA Championships.

Junior Olivia Dowd advanced in the triple jump after recording a personal-best leap of 13.23 meters (43 feet, 5 inches).

Southern’s Alase among nation’s best hurdlers

Southern junior Tashina Alase delivered one of the top HBCU performances of the weekend.

Alase ran 12.74 seconds in the women’s 100-meter hurdles quarterfinals, finishing second overall among all competitors and comfortably earning a berth to Eugene.

Alabama State and Florida A&M add national qualifiers

Alabama State freshman Daedrian Beville secured a spot in Eugene with a leap of 13.21 meters (43 feet, 4¼ inches) in the triple jump.

Florida A&M’s women’s 4×100 relay team also advanced after running a season-best 43.31 seconds in the quarterfinals.

HBCU women competing in Eugene

The NCAA Outdoor Championships begin June 11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, where HBCU athletes will compete for national titles across the sprint, hurdle, relay and field-event disciplines.

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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 7:18 PM.