Courtesy of NC A&T Athletics
GREENSBORO — Jason Holmes stepped into the consciousness of North Carolina A&T (NC A&T) Aggie nation in the winter of 2023 when he ranked as high as 17th nationally in the 60-meter hurdles, leading him to win Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) men’s rookie athlete of the year.
He did not participate during the 2023 outdoor season, only to return for his sophomore indoor season and earn second-team All-American honors in the 60m, capturing the Coastal Athletic Association title after finishing third as a freshman. Now that his first official outdoor season is complete, Holmes got another rookie award from the conference. On Thursday, the CAA announced him as its male rookie of the year, completing his long-awaited acceptance of the league’s indoor and outdoor rookie honors.
“Hurdles are really exciting, especially when you are in a groove,” said Holmes. “When you’re in the groove and when you’re in the front, it feels like no other. It feels like nobody can touch me. I love being in those moments.”
Holmes took over the A&T record book in the 110H during the 2024 season. Holmes’s first hurdle into A&T history was on April 27, when he finished second at Penn Relays by running a program record of 13.43. Two weeks later, he recorded the second-fastest 110H time in program history by winning the CAA outdoor title in 13.48 at Elon University.
He then toppled the school record again by running a 13.40 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA East Regional at the University of Kentucky on May 24. This propelled him to his first NCAA outdoor championship meet, but he was eliminated in the national semifinals. Holmes also had an outstanding outdoor season running sprints.
A&T’s 4×100-meter relay team, for which Holmes usually ran the second leg, qualified for the NCAA East Regional, running a 39.24 in the quarterfinal to qualify for NCAA nationals, where Holmes, along with teammates Caleb Jackson, Aveon Reid, and Isaiah Thomas, garnered second-team All-American honors in the 4×100.
In addition, Jason Holmes ran a personal record 20.89 in the men’s 200 meters at the CAA outdoor championships to earn third-team All-CAA honors in the event. At the 2024 North Carolina A&T Aggie ESPY’s, Holmes was named the Tarik Cohen Male Athlete of the Year.