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The top two finishers of the women's 100-meter hurdles at the 97th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays were separated by millimeters. When Texas sprinter Akala Garrett crossed the line Saturday afternoon, she had no clue if she had beaten Howard's Marcia Sey for first place.
The crowd held its breath as the screen flashed. Suddenly, Garrett's scream punched through the silence, her name appearing first beside a time of 12.76 seconds, a new personal best. She ran toward the crowd, pumping her fist, the jewels in her hair gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Garrett is unapologetic about being herself. She respects her fellow competitors and values humility in track and field. But she loves to express her personality, donning new hairstyles for every race, wearing sunglasses and dancing in celebration after each win.
More: After 'hell,' Texas star Kendrick Smallwood rediscovered his form at Texas Relays
"I've never been the type to brag. I've always been humble. But you got to have personality in this sport; that's what makes it fun," Garrett said.
Despite her confidence, Garrett went into the event at a disadvantage. While the Longhorn excels at the 400-meter hurdles, she is a slow starter, by her admission. She's terrific in the second half of races, but short sprints exacerbate her weakness.
Texas coach Edrick Floréal pushed Garrett toward the 100-meter hurdles to force his athlete's evolution. Being a so-so sprinter will not cut it in the future, Floréal says. If she improves, Garrett can combine her fantastic long speed with a sprinter's acceleration, leading the UT athlete toward the world stage.
"It doesn't matter how good you are at what you are good at. It is how much better you improve that stuff you are bad at ... If you're behind, you use everything you got to catch up," Floréal said. "She'll be able to run the first half of 200 faster, more comfortable, and her strength in the end is not going to change."
Even so, change doesn't happen overnight. Garrett's flaw reared its head Saturday as she fell behind the pack early. She picked it up in the last 50 meters of the race, leading to the photo finish.
"Everybody knows me for the 400 hurdles, but I came here to be the best dual hurdler in NCAA this year, and I just proved I can do it," Garrett said.
When asked about Garrett's behavior, Floréal smiled wryly and chuckled. The Texas coach appears calm, soft-spoken and low-key, seemingly antithetical to his runner's character. But he recognizes the importance of allowing Garrett the space to exhibit the joy and exuberance that brought smiles to Saturday's crowd.
Floréal believes that if he tried to stop any of his athletes from being themselves, it would negatively impact their performance. He has no problems so long as Garrett doesn't taunt others or disturb the Longhorns brand.
"It's not disrespectful. She's just being herself," Floréal said. "If you're acting in a way that you feel uncomfortable, right away, you feel like things are wobbly or unsteady. It's important to compete the way you compete, in your personality."
And that's exactly what Garrett does.
"That's just what I like to do. That's what gives me the joy," she said.
Texas sophomore Nina Ndubuisi won the women's shot put with an 18.03-meter throw, the sixth-best in program history. Senior Chrystal Herpin finished third with a 17.52-meter throw. The Longhorns team of Mackenize Browne, Grace Kowalski, Amity Ebarb and Kyra Pretre finished third in the 4x800-meter relay with a time of 8:47.13.
See more of Caleb Yum's work here and follow him on X. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Relays: Longhorn Akala Garrett narrowly wins 100-meter hurdles
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The crowd held its breath as the screen flashed. Suddenly, Garrett's scream punched through the silence, her name appearing first beside a time of 12.76 seconds, a new personal best. She ran toward the crowd, pumping her fist, the jewels in her hair gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Garrett is unapologetic about being herself. She respects her fellow competitors and values humility in track and field. But she loves to express her personality, donning new hairstyles for every race, wearing sunglasses and dancing in celebration after each win.
More: After 'hell,' Texas star Kendrick Smallwood rediscovered his form at Texas Relays
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"I've never been the type to brag. I've always been humble. But you got to have personality in this sport; that's what makes it fun," Garrett said.
Despite her confidence, Garrett went into the event at a disadvantage. While the Longhorn excels at the 400-meter hurdles, she is a slow starter, by her admission. She's terrific in the second half of races, but short sprints exacerbate her weakness.
Texas coach Edrick Floréal pushed Garrett toward the 100-meter hurdles to force his athlete's evolution. Being a so-so sprinter will not cut it in the future, Floréal says. If she improves, Garrett can combine her fantastic long speed with a sprinter's acceleration, leading the UT athlete toward the world stage.
"It doesn't matter how good you are at what you are good at. It is how much better you improve that stuff you are bad at ... If you're behind, you use everything you got to catch up," Floréal said. "She'll be able to run the first half of 200 faster, more comfortable, and her strength in the end is not going to change."
You must be registered for see images attach
Even so, change doesn't happen overnight. Garrett's flaw reared its head Saturday as she fell behind the pack early. She picked it up in the last 50 meters of the race, leading to the photo finish.
"Everybody knows me for the 400 hurdles, but I came here to be the best dual hurdler in NCAA this year, and I just proved I can do it," Garrett said.
When asked about Garrett's behavior, Floréal smiled wryly and chuckled. The Texas coach appears calm, soft-spoken and low-key, seemingly antithetical to his runner's character. But he recognizes the importance of allowing Garrett the space to exhibit the joy and exuberance that brought smiles to Saturday's crowd.
Floréal believes that if he tried to stop any of his athletes from being themselves, it would negatively impact their performance. He has no problems so long as Garrett doesn't taunt others or disturb the Longhorns brand.
"It's not disrespectful. She's just being herself," Floréal said. "If you're acting in a way that you feel uncomfortable, right away, you feel like things are wobbly or unsteady. It's important to compete the way you compete, in your personality."
And that's exactly what Garrett does.
"That's just what I like to do. That's what gives me the joy," she said.
Texas women's track and field results from Texas Relays
Texas sophomore Nina Ndubuisi won the women's shot put with an 18.03-meter throw, the sixth-best in program history. Senior Chrystal Herpin finished third with a 17.52-meter throw. The Longhorns team of Mackenize Browne, Grace Kowalski, Amity Ebarb and Kyra Pretre finished third in the 4x800-meter relay with a time of 8:47.13.
See more of Caleb Yum's work here and follow him on X. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Relays: Longhorn Akala Garrett narrowly wins 100-meter hurdles
Continue reading...
