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An HBCU alumna saw herself competing against the best in the track & field circuit, even beating out Olympian Sha'Carri Richardson. North Carolina A&T alumna Kayla White set a personal best of 10.89 to win her heat, surpassing Sha'Carri Richardson's time of 11.07. Richardson delivered her strongest performance of the season, but White ultimately emerged as the faster competitor in their latest race.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden claimed victory in the race, setting a world-leading time of 10.65 seconds. But, the fact that White wasn't far off from Wooden and bested Richardson's time further proves her immense talent and her unique place in the sport with her HBCU background. White competed in track & field for the Aggies from 2015-2019. A former dancer, she made a definitive impact in her college career that etched her in the history of both the institution and the MEAC.
White had a stellar career, securing 17 MEAC indoor and outdoor sprint and hurdle titles. She dominated the 60-meter and 100-meter hurdles, winning both events all four years with the Aggies. White also claimed multiple 4×100 relay titles and swept the 100 and 200-meter titles in her junior and senior seasons. She earned second place in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships and also secured a runner-up finish in the NCAA Outdoor 100-meter final.
In a post-race interview with Citius Mag, White shared her thoughts on both her performance and how the event unfolded.
“I knew it was a long time coming. My coach wanted me to come out here and drop a bomb and just, you know, run fast [because] I've been stuck in the same cycle since the season started running 11.1, 11.0. So, you know, for this first round, he wanted me to get my body ready for tomorrow, you know, to go those two rounds and make the team.
“I was happy to see that 10.8 baby because I ain't PR since 2019. So you know I'm still developing still becoming a great athlete. So that's just exciting for me to see.”
