Tashina Alase keeps Southern’s NCAA dream moving in Lexington
i woke up came in NCAA East Regionals with one of the fastest 100m hurdles times in the country and a season that already had people taking notice of Southern University.
In Lexington, Kentucky, he took the next step.
Running in the first round of the women’s 100m hurdles, Alase advanced in 13.00 seconds and kept her hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championships alive. For a first-timer on this stage, the race meant a lot, and he handled it with the composure of someone who had learned to stay focused on the task at hand.
Coming into the match, Alase was already one of the biggest stories of the event. To him 12.64 seconds at the SWAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships placed him at the top of the NCAA list this season and among the best hurdlers in the world. That performance also made him the fastest HBCU hurdler in history and gave South one of its strongest national racing moments in years.
For Alas, the thinking in Lexington was simple.
“Coming into this race, I really tried to think of it as just another meet,” Alas said. “Just because it might seem like a bigger stage, it doesn’t necessarily change anything. So just staying consistent was the plan going in here.”
That approach was demonstrated by the way he conducted the first round. The women’s 100m hurdles is a race that leaves very little room for adjustment once the gun goes off, so the key in the opening round was to stay clear over the hurdles, maintain her rhythm and make sure she progressed. Alase did it, and now she has another chance to get closer to Eugene.
His presence here is more meaningful because of the path that brought him back to this point. Last outdoor season, Alasse was sidelined from competition after a car accident left her with a crushed toe. A setback like this can be difficult for any athlete. For a blocker, it affects rhythm, power, confidence and the ability to trust each step over an obstacle.
This year, he has returned in a way that has changed his profile in the NCAA. Earlier in the season, he ran a 12.71 at the LSU Alumni Gold, which established him as one of the top hurdlers in the country. He then dropped a 12.64 at the SWAC Championships, a performance that moved him from conference standout to national title contender.
Travel has also gained more attention HBCU track and field. Alase does it Southern UniversityBringing the SWAC into the national sprint hurdle conversation and showing young athletes that their school or conference does not limit what they can pursue.
“It doesn’t really matter where you are,” Alas said. “If you have a goal, there’s no goal you can’t reach as long as you believe in yourself.”
That belief has become a key part of his season. Alas has had to recover from injury, regain his racing rhythm, return to the highest level and manage the attention that comes with being one of the fastest hurdlers in the NCAA. Through it all, she’s focused on competing and letting each race take her closer to where she wants to be.
#inhemixedzoneSouthern University’s Tashina Beyoku Alase is a star 100m hurdler interviewed by Deji Ogeyingbo on Day 2 of NCAA Regionals on May 29, 2026.
Check out our story later tonight. #tashinaalase, #southern university , #ncaaregionals, pic.twitter.com/aRONaJ2Yn2
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) May 30, 2026
Her story is also a reminder that success doesn’t always come in the most visible way. Many athletes at this stage come with programs with deeper resources, bigger budgets and national visibility. Alasse built his season from the south, and each performance helped show that elite hurdlers can come from any environment when an athlete is talented, disciplined and dedicated to the job.
He didn’t need to run another 12.64 at Lexington to make a statement. The first round was all about progress and he did just enough to earn another race. Now the next problem is clear. Alas will need another clean run in the quarter-finals to secure a place in Eugene. For Alas, the plan remains simple.
“The plan is to just keep competing and see where it takes me,” he said.
That mindset has carried him from there injury recovery to: At the top of the NCAA list, from SWAC Championships to: NCAA East Regionals, and now to the edge a possible trip to Eugene.
