North Carolina A&T duo to compete at NCAA championships

The 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Historic Hayward Field will witness the dynamic duo of North Carolina A&T’s redshirt freshman Jason Holmes and A&T sophomore Thomas Smith IV. These two long-time friends, with their unique blend of talent and camaraderie, will be competing in the men’s 110-meter hurdles at 8:32 p.m. EST. 

The two North Carolina A&T men’s outdoor track and field hurdlers/sprinters appeared on A&T’s Aggie Pridecast Tuesday night to discuss their similar and somewhat different journeys to this year’s outdoor championships. Both men attended Calvert Hall College High School in Baltimore, Md.  Holmes, who will also compete in the men’s 4×100-meter relay at NCAA nationals on Friday, entered high school wanting to join the Calvert sprints group. The competition proved competitive, with more than 30 athletes trying out for the group. When making the sprints group did not initially work out for Holmes, he took a chance at being a hurdler.

That group included one person – Thomas Smith IV. Smith, who had some experience in the hurdles event, began to show Holmes the ropes as much as he could, understanding he did not have any coaching experience. Despite that, Holmes quickly learned the techniques, becoming friends with Smith and his chief rival in the hurdles.

Holmes won the New Balance High Outdoor National Championship in the 110H in 2022 with a then personal-record 13.61. He also won the Maryland Private School state title in the 110H and finished second in the state at the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) meet. He won the MIAA state title in the 200 meters. 

In 2022, Smith claimed the MIAA state title in the 300H with a PR of 36.85, and he finished second to Holmes for the Maryland Private School title in the 110H. Conversely, he finished ahead of Holmes in the 110H MIAA final, running a 13.72, which was ahead of Holmes’s 13.80. 

The talented duo received many offers, including from A&T. Smith became aware that A&T approached Holmes about attending the university. Therefore, Smith became excited about the possibility of remaining teammates with Holmes when his high school coach made him aware that A&T was also interested in him. Both athletes eventually committed to A&T.

Despite a coaching change at A&T, both athletes remained steadfast in their commitment. Their mutual respect, friendship, and shared belief in the school’s potential were the driving forces that kept them on track.

They understood that having a familiar face on the team would ease the transition, and they were ready to face the challenges together. Two years later, the stage is set. After competing for state and high school national championships, the two Marylanders are after a national championship in the 110H, proving that the hurdles “group” at Calvert Hall wasn’t too bad.