North Carolina A&T State University’s track star, Kayla White just broke a world record. According to NCA&T Athletics; the senior out of Miami ran against some of the best athletes in the country in the 200m fastest race at the prestigious Tyson Invitational hosted by the University of Arkansas at the Randal Tyson Track Center on Saturday during the second day of competition.
“She’s special,” Duane Ross, N.C. A&T’s director of track and field programs shared with media. “She was due to drop something fast. Her training has been going well and she’s hungry to be the best. I knew the race was won once she stepped into the blocks. Her focus and preparation were great this weekend.”
White blew away the field with the fastest time in the world this year, a 22.82 sprint to finish ahead of Alabama’s Tamara Clark who finished her race in 23.07.
The rest of the top-5 included LSU’s Sha’Carri Richardson in third (23.074), LSU’s Kortnei Johnson in fourth (23.077) and Arkansas’ Payton Chadwick in fifth (23.15). White is now No. 1 in the world, the nation and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) while also ranking nationally in the top-10 in two other events – the 60-meter hurdles and the 60m.
On Friday, White ran a personal-best 8.04 in the 60mh moving her into fourth place nationally in the event. White’s accomplishments at N.C. A&T are numerous. She earned NCAA indoor All-American honors last season in the 60mh. She earned second-team All-American honors in the 4×100-meter relay and the 100mh during the outdoor season in 2017.
Last season at the MEAC outdoor championships, she won gold in the 100m, 200m, 100mh and the 4×100. At least season’s MEAC indoor championships, White finished first in the 60m and 60mh.
White’s teammate and freshman Cambrea Sturgis finished ninth in 23.53.
The men’s 200m fastest race was led by junior Akeem Sirleaf for the Aggies. Sirleaf finished second in 20.76 to break his personal record. He is now ranked 11thin the nation in the 200. Senior All-American Rodney Rowe placed eighth in 21.13. Rowe ranked eighth in the nation thanks to the 20.70 he ran last week at the Carolina Challenge.
N.C. A&T has one more meet before both the men and the women both go after their respective third straight MEAC indoor titles. The Aggies will head to Virginia Tech for the third time this season as they will compete in the Virginia Tech Challenge, Feb. 15-16. The following week, Feb. 21-23, the Aggies will head back to Landover, Md., in search of making more history.
