WASHINGTON (June 11, 2025) — Howard University’s Track & Field program is looking to sprint into the history books with an impressive 12 student athletes representing both the men’s and women’s teams on the national stage at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The championships begin tonight and run through June 14 at the famed Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The track, which has hosted numerous U.S. Olympic trials and NCAA championships is known as one of the fastest tracks in the world, and is also where former University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman co-founded Nike.  

The combined 12 Bison qualifying for six entries is the most for any HBCU. Head Coach David Oliver (B.B.A. ‘04) is excited to see his young men and women excel in the following events:  

• Men’s & Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles
• Women’s 100-Meter Dash
• Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles
• Women’s 4x100 Relay
• Men’s 4x400 Relay 

The competition is the exclamation point to another successful season for Howard’s program and will provide several student athletes with the opportunity to bring home honors not accomplished by Howard students since the mid-1980s. 

“This is a defining moment not just for our athletes, but for Howard University,” said Oliver, a former standout student athlete here who earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games in the 100-meter hurdles.  

“These young people are carrying the legacy of those who paved the way, and they’re doing it with excellence, unity, and undeniable talent,” said Oliver, who returned to his alma mater in 2018. “Howard University is a national brand as a leader in academics, and we should be that way in everything we do, so this is just what we’re here to do.” 

The Bison will hit the track tonight when Day 1 of the men’s championship begins at 7 p.m. EST (airing on ESPN). All eyes will be on graduate student Noah Langford, who will compete in the 400-meter hurdles. If successful, Langford will be the first Bison All-American since 1989. Langford has also shined as a member of the Bison’s 4x400 relay team and aims to win it all along with sophomore Emerson McKindra, freshman Cameron Brazell and freshman Elijah Grant. The quartet would be the first Howard men’s relay team to become All-Americans since 1984. 

Day 1 for the women will be Thursday, when seven members of the Bison women’s team, which won its fourth consecutive MEAC Outdoor Championship last month, will compete.  The 4x100 relay team of graduate students Kailei Collins and Marcia Sey, senior Tiffani-Rae Pittman and sophomore Aiyana Gray-Williams will seek to become the first women’s relay team in Howard’s history to earn All-American honors. Collins, who will also compete in the 100-meter dash, is looking to become Howard’s first-ever All-American in the event, while Sey (100-meter hurdles) and Woodruff (400-meter hurdles) hope to repeat the 2023 All-American performances of former Bison standouts Darci Khan and Jessica Wright, respectively.  

Regardless of how the student athletes finish, Oliver remains proud of the dominance that both teams have shown during the program’s reemergence as a track and field powerhouse.  

“For me, as an alum, just knowing where we were when I got here compared to where things are now is just such a rewarding experience,” Oliver said. “This is not just a coaching job at Howard; it’s a passion project to make sure we get to the level I know we should be. 

“Every single coach and student athlete out here is hoping to win,” Oliver continued. “But my hope is that, after the dust settles and our players can look in the mirror and say they did their best, we’re good. But right now, we’re playing with house money and looking to put our best foot forward. So, we hope everyone tunes in and cheers us on with a big ‘H.U.’!” 

How to watch: ESPN (June 11–12), ESPN2 (June 13–14). Updates:  www.HUBison.com.