Four members of North Carolina A&T's men’s track & field team are running their way into history.
During Thursday’s annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at the University of Texas, four men on the team logged a 3:00.23 run, becoming the fastest in the world and ranking 11th-best for a college record according to News & Record.
The foursome consists of sophomore Randolph Ross Jr., junior Daniel Stokes, and seniors Trevor Stewart and Elijah Young, who are continuing to break records and win national championships.
A Twitter account associated with the school's athletic department celebrated the victory.
"The National Champs are at again!! And this time they're doing it on the outdoor scene," N.C. A&T Athletic wrote in a tweet. "This foursome just ran the fastest 4×400 time in the WORLD (3:00.23) at the @texaslonghorns Texas Relays. @NCATAGGIES T&F @USTFCCCA
@NCAATrackField
#AggiePride
#ncat
@ncatsuaggies."
The National Champs are at again!! And this time they're doing it on the outdoor scene. This foursome just ran the fastest 4×400 time in the WORLD (3:00.23) at the @texaslonghorns Texas Relays. @NCATAGGIES T&F @USTFCCCA
@NCAATrackField
#AggiePride
#ncat
@ncatsuaggies
pic.twitter.com/QE9DHWO4wv— N.C. A&T Athletics (@NCATAGGIES) March 28, 2021
A&T's director of track and field programs, Duane Ross, expressed his enthusiasm for the team’s accomplishments.
"I'm happy for our 4×4 team," Ross said, according to North Carolina A&T’s website. "This is what we are supposed to do. We feel that we're the best in the world at it, so this time and even faster times in the future are expected."
The unit also ran almost a full second faster than their competitors, LSU, who came in second place at 3:01.00.
Weeks prior to the record-breaking performance, the team was ranked best in the nation after claiming the victorious title at the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships. During the championship, the group’s extraordinary win was documented as an anomaly.
“People are always going to discredit us no matter what we do,” Stewart tells HBCU Gameday. “It boils down to we’re an HBCU. We’re not supposed to be doing this. It almost forces us to do it bigger and better. But we’re fine with that. It makes us better people, and it prepares us for life after college. Bigger and better is what the world is going to expect from us too.”
According to the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) rating index, NCAT was ranked No. 2 team in the nation before moving to No. 1 following the NCAA championships.
After leading at the NCAA tournament, the Aggies became the first HBCU to win an NCAA indoor title in the 4×400 since Morgan State’s successive wins in 1965 and 1966.
While the team is shattering records, Duane Ross is eager to show the world what the Aggies are capable of.
“We want to keep proving that it can be done right here at North Carolina A&T,” Ross said.
At the Texas relays, the women’s team also added to the Aggies’ groundbreaking credits after sophomore sprinter Cambrea Sturgis won first place in the women’s 200 meters.
On April 2, a portion of the track team is heading to the University of Florida to participate in the Florida Pepsi Relays at James G. Pressly Stadium. That same day, other team members will compete at High Point University in the High Point VertKlasse Meeting.