A&T and Olympic Gold: Ross and Stewart bring it home

By Kurtis Alston

Randolph Ross Jr. and Trevor Stewart became North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s first gold medalist Olympians as part of the USA men’s 4×400 meter relay in Tokyo. 

In round 1 of heat 1, Stewart was the first leg followed by Ross at the second leg, Bryce Deadmon as the third leg, and anchor Vernon Norwood. Posting a smoking time of 2:57:77,  team USA ran the fastest time in both preliminary heats and also the fastest preliminary Olympic history. Also, going down in the history books again this is the first time that two Aggies competed on the same team for an Olympic event.

Trevor Stewart made history twice for the Aggies by capturing a bronze medal in the mixed 4×400 meter relay team, being the first HBCU student or graduate to medal in the 2020 Olympics. Stewart again was the first leg in the mixed relay that included Kendall Ellis, Vernon Norwood, and Kaylin Whitney. The group recorded a 3:10.22, where they finished behind Poland and the Dominican Republic giving the group bronze.

Both Ross and Stewart came into Tokyo NCAA Champions, both having stellar careers. Ross won the 400 meter NCAA Championships where he ran the world’s fastest time- 43.85 and the second-fastest ever for the NCAA race to win the Aggies’ first national championship in an outdoor event. 

Back in 1992, Troy Douglas and Ruth Morris competed in the Olympic Games in Barcelona. Ross and Stewart weren’t the first pair of Aggies to compete in the Olympics and they will not be the last.