For most families, sending one athlete to the NCAA Track and Field Championships would be a remarkable accomplishment.
For the Taylor family, it might just be the next chapter in a legacy that already includes Olympic gold medals.
North Carolina A&T twins Isaiah Taylor and Xzaviah Taylor advanced to the NCAA East Regional quarterfinals in the men’s 400-meter hurdles this week, each running an identical time of 49.76 seconds despite competing in separate heats.
The odds of twin brothers advancing in the same event are already slim. The fact that both clocked the same time down to the hundredth of a second made the moment even more remarkable.
Isaiah finished third in Heat 6 with a personal-best time of 49.76 seconds (49.753), while Xzaviah finished second in Heat 5 in 49.76 (49.756). Both performances were good enough to secure automatic qualifying spots for the quarterfinal round.
A family legacy built on the 400-meter hurdles
The Taylor brothers are no strangers to elite expectations.
Their father is Angelo Taylor, one of the most accomplished American hurdlers of his generation.
Angelo Taylor competed in four Olympic Games and won four Olympic medals, including three gold medals. He captured Olympic gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and again at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also earned gold and silver medals as part of Team USA’s 4×400-meter relay squads.
Beyond the Olympics, Taylor was a multiple-time World Championship medalist and one of the premier quarter-milers and hurdlers in the world for more than a decade.
Now, two decades after Angelo Taylor stood atop the Olympic podium, his sons are building their own resumes in the same event.
Brothers pushing each other toward greatness
The NCAA regional performance was not the first time the Taylor twins have finished near each other.
Earlier this month at the Coastal Athletic Association Championships, Isaiah and Xzaviah finished first and second in the men’s 400-meter hurdles.
Isaiah claimed the conference title in 50.33 seconds while Xzaviah finished runner-up in 51.65. The one-two finish helped North Carolina A&T score valuable points on its way through the championship meet.
The brothers have spent years training together, racing together and pushing each other in practices and competitions.
That sibling rivalry appears to be paying dividends at the highest levels of collegiate track and field.
Road to Eugene continues
The NCAA East Regional quarterfinals will determine which athletes advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Both Taylor brothers enter the next round with momentum after producing season-best performances when it mattered most.
Whether they ultimately reach Eugene or not, their regional performance already delivered one of the most unique stories of the NCAA Championships.
Twin brothers.
The same event.
The same day.
And essentially the same time.
For a family that has already experienced Olympic success, the next generation of Taylors is proving the family tradition is still running strong.