Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent Wins First NCAA 100m Hurdles Title
Ackera Nugent, a former standout athlete from Excelsior High School, claimed the gold medal in the women’s 100m hurdles on the last day of the NCAA Championships held at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas on Saturday.
Representing the University of Arkansas, Nugent showcased her prowess by crossing the finish line in a wind-assisted time of 12.25 seconds, which stands as the fastest all-conditions collegiate time ever.
She established an early lead and demonstrated incredible speed, aided by a wind of 3.8 meters per second. Masia Russell from Kentucky finished second with a time of 12.32 seconds, while Alia Armstrong from Louisiana State University secured third place in 12.49 seconds.
Nugent’s remarkable performance not only earned her the NCAA hurdle title for the outdoor season but also completed her sweep of hurdle titles, having previously won the 60m hurdles indoors. Her time of 12.25 seconds also places her at number 10 on the world all-conditions list.
Prior to her hurdle race, Nugent also contributed to the Razorback 4x100m relay team. Although they finished fourth in a time of 42.83 seconds, it marked the second-fastest time in Arkansas history, coming close to the school record of 42.65 seconds set in 2019.
Another Jamaican athlete, Ackelia Smith, who had already secured victory in the long jump two days prior, achieved second place in the triple jump while representing the University of Texas. Smith achieved a personal best with a jump of 14.54m.
Jasmine Moore, the double NCAA indoor jumps champion who finished behind Smith in the long jump, won the triple jump event with a collegiate record and outdoor personal best of 14.78m. Ruta Lasmane from Texas Tech claimed third place with a jump of 14.21m.
On the penultimate day of the championships, three Jamaican athletes stood out with victories in their respective events. Jaydon Hibbert, the world U20 champion from Jamaica, emerged victorious in the triple jump for Arkansas with leaps of 17.56m and 17.38m, surpassing the facility record previously held by TCU’s Du Mapaya.
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