Reheem Hayles made his name on the collegiate track scene as a sprinter for North Carolina A&T, a public HBCU in Greensboro, North Carolina. After transferring to the University of Florida last season, the Jamacian-born sprinter is now a national champion, helping the Gators 4×400 relay team lock up the third straight national championship.
Hayles had only been running track for five years before emerging as one of the top HBCU competitors in the nation. Playing a pivotal role in elevating the North Carolina A&T 4×400 relay squad to second-team All-American status, behind a CAA-record time of 3:02.62 in 2023.
Hayles was named the CAA Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2023, after earning two All-America distinctions during the 2023 outdoor season. He earned his first career individual All-American honor when he finished sixth nationally in the 400 meters to earn a spot on the first team.
In an interview with North Carolina A&T Athletics before his departure, Hayles attributed his track skill to playing various sports back in his home country of Jamacia.
“I’ve just always been an athletic person. In Jamacia, where I grew up, we always do a lot of sports, whether it’s cricket. football or soccer. We have this thing called Sports Day, and we go out and compete in different sports. You learn a lot of different sports as you’re growing up.”
Since transferring to the University of Florida in 2023, Reheem Hayles has helped the Gators to a bronze medal finish in the 4x400m relay at the SEC Outdoor Championships, crossing the finish line in 2:59.48 which stands at No. 3 on the UF All-Time Top 10 List.
The 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championship, ended up coming down to one event, the 4x400m relay. Coming into the event the Gators were in second place in the overall standings, trailing the Auburn Tigers by five points (35 to 40).
The quartet of Reheem Hayles, Jevaughn Powell, Rios Prude Jr., and Jenoah McKiver managed to finish third with a time of 2:58.98 securing the six points necessary to clinch the third national championship in a row for the University of Florida track program.