TAMPA, Fla. (March 21, 2026) – Howard University women's track & field team began the 2026 outdoor season in Tampa, Fla., for the annual USF Alumni Invitational, hosted by the South Florida Bulls.
 
Over the two-day (March 20-21) event, HU saw several Top 3 finishes, including a pair of wins on the track.
 
Second-year Bison Cenaiya Billups (Denver) won the 400-meter hurdles, clocking in at 58.18. Fellow classmate Lindsay Johnson (Detroit) also competed, taking fifth overall (59.00).
 
Junior Yahnari Lyons (Hampton, Ga.) took home gold in the 200-meter dash, recording a 23.11 mark. The Georgia native and rookie Nilijah Darden (Greensboro, N.C.) ran in the 100-meter dash, earning second (11.48) and seventh (11.64), respectively.
 
Lyons, graduate Marcia Sey (London, United Kingdom) and juniors Aiyana Gray-Williams (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Mackenzie Robinson (Ypsilanti, Mich.) finished runner-up in the 4x100 relay, registering a 43.95 time.
 
Sey, Johnson and senior Lauren Thompson (Frisco, Texas) took part in the 100-meter hurdles where they placed second (13.12), sixth (13.60) and eighth (14.37), respectively.
 
Billups, Johnson, senior Zoe Turner (Mableton, Ga.) and sophomore Tiffany Mugubi (Houston) claimed third place in the 4x400 relay, posting a 3:39.54 mark.
 
Individually, Mugubi earned silver in the 800-meter run (2:05.51) while Turner secured eighth in the 400-meter dash (54.46).
 
Other notable performance on the track included freshman standout Alexis Jones (New Windsor, N.Y.) grabbing sixth place in the 1500-meter run (4:36.42).
 
In the field, seniors Kelis Armstrong (Plano, Texas) and Temi Banwo (Allen, Texas) led the way with 16-place finishes in the triple jump (11.79 meters) and shot put (13.03 meters), respectively.
 
HU gears up for a pair of meets: Raleigh Relays (March 26-28) and UCF Knights Invite (March 27-28).
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.