QUARTERMILER (HURDLER) U?

QUARTERMILER (HURDLER) U?

6/10/2025 5:48:00 PM | Track & Field

Baylor boasts one of the top 400 hurdles crews in the nation with Ezekiel, Taylor

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

EUGENE, Ore. – Long considered "Quartermiler U," because of the reputation established by legendary coach Clyde Hart, Baylor is still one of the top programs in the country at going around the track once.

Now, the trip just includes barriers.

Baylor senior Nathaniel Ezekiel is ranked No. 1 in the country in the 400-meter hurdles with a school-record time of 47.89 seconds, while redshirt junior Calisha Taylor was the runner-up at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships and recorded the second-fastest time at the NCAA West Prelims with a program-record 55.94 clocking.

Ezekiel and Taylor are two of Baylor's hopefuls among a group of 14 total entrants at the NCAA Outdoor Championships that begin Wednesday at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

"It's been a long time coming," said Taylor, a four-time national champion at New Mexico Junior College who redshirted last year because of an injury to her left shin. "I just want to go out there and have fun, do whatever I've been doing all season. . . . Everyone knew that last year was a very rough and emotional year for me. Everyone has been so supportive, and I just wanted to show for my team, show for myself, show for my coaches. I'm just very grateful."

A native of Jamaica, Taylor said there were times last year, "I wanted to give up so bad."

"I was rehabbing and in treatment for the entire year," she said. "It was very emotional. At one point, I was like, 'let me just not think about this anymore.' I wanted to give up so bad. It was like, 'Why am I even trying?'

"When I came back last fall, I just changed my mindset. I was ready to do whatever it takes to be here today (at the NCAA Championships). However far I can go in the season, I'm going to do it. I just want to say thank you to my coaches and my teammates and the trainers, because everyone has been so patient with me, and they've encouraged me every single day."

Coming off the redshirt year, Taylor had a promising indoor season that saw her finish fifth in the 400 at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in 53.25 and run third leg on the 4x400 relay that had a runner-up finish in 3:33.39.

"She had a great career at her junior college and an awesome indoor season, so nothing surprises me with her," Baylor coach Michael Ford said. "We just have to figure out, to push her when she needs to be pushed and then back off when we need to. And just like Nate, both of them lay it on the line all the time. Our job is just to make sure we get her through Thursday and then get her through Saturday."

Taylor, who won a gold medal in the U17 400-meter hurdles at the 2018 CARIFTA Games, said she is motivated by Ezekiel. A seven-time All-American who represented Nigeria in reaching the semifinals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Ezekiel has won back-to-back bronze medals in the 400 hurdles and was the runner-up in the 400 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

"Even the way he practices, he practices very hard. He practices how he competes," Taylor said of Ezekiel. "That really motivates me a lot. I'm always saying, 'Yeah, that's what I should be doing. That's what I want to do.' It's just a great feeling to know that he's my team teammate. He's doing so good, and we practice together. It's very motivating."

Because of the recurring injury, Taylor has been limited to running one race per day during the outdoor season and held out of the 4x400 relay. That helped her break the school record twice, running 56.10 at the Big 12 meet and then 55.94 at the NCAA West Prelims. Among the 24 NCAA qualifiers, she has the 10^th-fastest time going into Thursday's semifinals.

"Ever since I came to Baylor, I always wanted to break that hurdles record. And that's what I did," Taylor said. "I'm looking forward to breaking my own record over and over again."

While Taylor is making her debut at an NCAA Championship, Ezekiel is still chasing one of the few things that has eluded him in a decorated four-year career. A qualifier in in eight-consecutive NCAA Championships (indoor and outdoor), he is trying to become Baylor's first national champion in the 400-meter hurdles since Bayano Kamani (a two-time winner in 1999 and 2001).

"I wouldn't say I have any pressure on me," Ezekiel said. "The minute I start thinking about pressure is the minute I start losing it. I'm going to go out there and do the best that I can do, just like the indoor season, and just have fun with it, instead of thinking, 'I have to win. I have to do this. I have to do that.' . . . I don't have to do anything different. I just have to keep doing the same thing I've been doing the whole year and hope for the best result."

One of his only losses in an individual race came at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The national leader going in, Ezekiel was the runner-up behind Georgia's Will Floyd by one-hundredth of a second, running 45.44.

And while he has the fifth-fastest 400 time outdoors (44.75) as well, there was never really much of a decision on which event he would run at the NCAA Championships. The 400 hurdles is his event.

"We always knew that when we got to outdoors, it was going to be the 400 hurdles," he said. "Each time you see me trying to compete in the 400, I'm just going out there to have fun. I don't take it too personal. But the 400 hurdles is something I take personal. Like, this is my event, this is what I want to do, and this is what I have a passion for. So, I always knew, it's the 400 hurdles."

Ezekiel's amazing 43.7 anchor leg at the NCAA West Prelims in College Station is also why Baylor's 4x400 relay made it to the NCAA Championships. He took the baton from Aren Spencer in sixth place and moved up three spots for an automatic qualifying spot out of their heat with a time of 3:05.33.

"Everyone on the team actually made a good impact," Ezekiel said of Spencer, Tyler Honeyman and Abbas Ali. "If the boys didn't do their jobs, I wouldn't be trying to chase down someone."

Not surprised by his split on the anchor leg, Ezekiel said he "could have actually done better, because the minute I ran past that guy (and moved into third), I was like, 'Okay, this is it. We have qualified already.' I was just trying to maintain the pace."

With strength in numbers, the fourth-ranked Baylor women are looking for their highest-ever finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. They have finished 10^th three times, the last one coming in 2009.

In addition to Taylor, the Bears have strong medal contenders with NCAA indoor champion Alexis Brown and freshman Janae de Gannes in the long jump, All-Americans Molly Haywood and Tenly Kuhn in the pole vault, the 4x100 relay and Tiriah Kelley in the 200, along with the 4x400 relay and Ruth Kimeli in the 10,000 meters.

"I think the big thing for me is they've been so consistent. So, nothing will surprise me on Thursday," Ford said. "We will have two finals completed on Thursday, so that'll kind of give me an indication of how the team is going to do, with the pole vault and long jump going. And then, of course, you have Calisha running her semifinal and then Tiriah and the 4x1 and 4x4. Based off what we can do in the long jump and the pole vault, that'll set us up for Saturday."

The meet begins on Wednesday, with freshman Igor Olaru competing in the men's hammer throw. Also on tap for that day will be Demario Prince in the 110 hurdles, De'montray Callis in the 200 meters, Ezekiel in the 400 hurdles and the 4x400 relay.

Live results are available at 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships.