Howard, Southern advance, FAMU falls short at NCAA Track Championship
Several HBCU athletes delivered standout performances Thursday night at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, with Howard University and Southern University advancing athletes to Saturday’s national finals while Florida A&M narrowly missed a berth in the women’s 4×100-meter relay championship race.
The biggest story of the night came from Howard’s Yahnari Lyons and Southern’s Tashina Alase, who each won their semifinal heats to secure spots in Saturday’s championship finals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Yahnari Lyons Runs Her Way Into NCAA 200-Meter Final
Howard junior Yahnari Lyons continued her remarkable season by winning her semifinal heat in the women’s 200 meters.
Lyons crossed the finish line in 22.36 seconds to earn an automatic qualifying spot in Saturday night’s national championship race.
The Howard sprinter enters the final as one of the top contenders in the field after posting the fourth-fastest semifinal time overall. Georgia’s Adaejah Hodge led all qualifiers with a 21.96, followed by Florida’s Gabrielle Matthews and Texas A&M’s Camryn Dickson at 22.22.
Lyons will compete for a national title Saturday at 9:37 p.m. ET.
Cenaiya Billups Advances in 400-Meter Hurdles
Howard sophomore Cenaiya Billups added another milestone to her breakout season by advancing to the NCAA final in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
Billups posted a time of 55.44 seconds, earning the fastest non-automatic qualifying mark and the fourth-fastest time overall among finalists.
South Carolina’s Akala Garrett recorded the top semifinal performance at 54.49, while Arkansas’ Saira Prince (55.13) and Kentucky’s Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera (55.41) also finished ahead of Billups.
Billups will return to the track Saturday at 9:27 p.m. ET with a chance to earn first-team All-America honors.
Aniya Woodruff Closes Career as All-American
Howard senior Aniya Woodruff narrowly missed advancing to the 400-meter hurdles final after clocking a time of 56.30 seconds.
Although her season ended one round short of the championship race, Woodruff concluded her collegiate career with back-to-back Second Team All-America honors, cementing her place among the top hurdlers in Howard program history.
Howard Relay Team Earns All-America Honors
Howard’s women’s 4×100-meter relay team also competed Thursday night.
The quartet of Lyons, Marcia Sey, Mackenzie Robinson and Nilijah Darden ran 43.66 seconds but came up just short of advancing to Saturday’s final.
Despite missing qualification, the Bison relay squad earned Second Team All-America honors for its performance at the NCAA Championships.
Southern’s Tashina Alase Wins Semifinal Heat
Southern University hurdler Tashina Alase continued her historic season with one of the most dramatic performances of the evening.
Competing in the third and final semifinal heat of the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Alase knew she needed either a top-two finish or a qualifying time fast enough to advance.
The senior delivered under pressure.
After a slow start, Alase surged over the final hurdles and edged Texas A&M’s Jaiya Covington at the finish line, winning the heat in 12.894 seconds.
The margin between first and fourth place was only 0.036 seconds.
Covington finished second in 12.899, Clemson’s Oneka Wilson ran 12.926, and Oregon’s Micaela DeMello crossed in 12.930.
Alase will compete for a national championship Saturday at 8:42 p.m. ET.
Florida A&M Misses 4×100 Final by Fractions
Florida A&M came agonizingly close to advancing to the women’s 4×100-meter relay final.
The Rattlers posted a time of 43.455 seconds, finishing 11th overall and less than three-tenths of a second away from qualifying for the championship race.
Nine teams advanced, with Florida State claiming the final qualifying spot at 43.23 seconds.
Despite falling short of the final, Florida A&M capped a strong season by reaching the NCAA Outdoor Championships and competing against the nation’s elite sprint programs.
HBCUs Still Chasing National Titles
HBCU athletes will have multiple opportunities to bring home NCAA championships on Saturday night.
HBCU Championship Finalists
Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles Final
- Tashina Alase, Southern
- 8:42 p.m. ET
Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles Final
- Cenaiya Billups, Howard
- 9:27 p.m. ET
Women’s 200-Meter Final
- Yahnari Lyons, Howard
- 9:37 p.m. ET
With three individual finalists still alive, HBCUs remain firmly in the hunt for national titles as the NCAA Outdoor Championships head into their final day in Eugene.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 2:00 PM.