Ackera Nugent, the NCAA 100m hurdles champion, has made a significant decision in her athletic career. Despite still pursuing her degree, Nugent has chosen to go professional and embark on a new chapter in her journey as a track and field athlete.
Balancing her athletic aspirations with her commitment to education, Nugent remains determined to excel both on the track and in the classroom.
"I'm staying in school because I feel like getting my degree is very important. But I felt like me going back to college was not needed anymore because I've accomplished everything that I wanted to accomplish," Nugent said after confirming her four-year deal with the German sports apparel manufacturer.
"So the decision between me and my coaches was to take the next step to fulfill my purpose in sports. So we made the decision of going professional."
While completing her degree in Advanced Communication, Nugent will also dedicate herself to professional athletics. She recognizes the significance of continuing her education while pursuing her dreams on the track.
Nugent's decision to go professional signifies a new and exciting phase in her career. Guided by her trusted coach, Chris Johnson, Nugent has honed her skills and experienced remarkable growth as an athlete. Johnson's expertise and support have been instrumental in Nugent's development, allowing her to reach new heights in her discipline.
"I have had a huge growth, not only as an athlete but also as a person, and I think that played a major factor in making the transition from Baylor University to Arkansas, where Coach (Chris) Johnson has a lot of experience in getting athletes to where they need to go and knowing how to fix the little things," Nugent shared.
Her journey under Coach Johnson's guidance has been fulfilling, despite the challenges that come with pushing one's limits.
Following the collegiate indoor season, Coach Johnson revealed that Nugent also possesses great potential as a 100m sprinter but as she embraces the professional realm, she maintains a clear focus on the 100m hurdles.
While her versatility allows her to excel in other events, Nugent and Coach Johnson agree that channeling her energy into the hurdles will yield the best results.
“Coach Johnson wants me to trust my speed between the hurdles and I haven’t really reached my maximum potential with that yet,” explaining that running the flat race helps her with her speed.
“He’s trying to make me get comfortable with my flat speed and stuff like that. And, he’s like when you finally hit 10 (seconds) you’ll understand what it feels like to be faster between the hurdles, but it’s a learning experience. I am going into the professional world and I am a rookie.”
The 21-year-old made her first Jamaican senior team to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August after finishing second in a time of 12.67 behind Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper, who crossed the finish line in 12.64.
Danielle Williams, the 2015 World Champion qualified for her sixth World Championships appearance when she finished third in 12.82.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Reggae Girls fall short of Gold Cup prelims after 1-1 draw against Guatemala
Jamaica's Reggae Girls fell short of their goal to qualify for the preliminary round of the Concacaf Women Gold Cup following their 1-1 draw against Guatemala in the final match of Group B of League A of the Road to W Gold Cup on Sunday night at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The result also means that Panama have finished in first-place in the group and have qualified for the W Gold Cup group stage. Guatemala will progress to the Prelims, while Jamaica finish in third.
Jamaica came out strong early and almost snuck in a goal through Davia Richards, but instead it was Guatemala breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute. Ana Martinez was taken down in the Jamaica penalty area and it was Martinez who converted from the spot to hand the home side a 1-0 lead.
That was followed later in the half by a buzzing chance from Andrea Alvarez from 40 yards out that forced Jamaica’s goalkeeper Serena Mensah to make a leaping save with her fingertipping the ball to safety.
Jamaica were keen to get back on even footing and a long ball played up to the Guatemalan half led to a mix-up between a pair of defenders, allowing Davia Richards to swoop in and score to level things at 1-1 in minute 66.
But the Guatemalan defense would hold firm the rest of the way to secure the necessary result to earn their prelims place.
USA Rugby League team edges out Jamaica's Reggae Warriors in hard-fought battle at Mona
In a thrilling men's senior international rugby league clash at the Mona Bowl, University of West Indies in Kingston, the USA Rugby League team managed to hold on for a hard-fought victory against Jamaica's Reggae Warriors, securing a 30-26 win.
Despite challenging conditions with the temperature soaring to 85 degrees, the Reggae Warriors took an early lead of 10-0, showcasing resilience despite having less possession. However, the USA Hawks responded strongly, turning the tide to lead 14-10 by halftime. Kyle Granby, the Brooklyn Kings centre, played a pivotal role, scoring two of his three tries in the lead-up to halftime.
Granby's exceptional performance continued after the restart as he completed a genuine five-minute hat trick. Veteran loose forward Joe Eichhner crossed the try line on the hour mark, contributing to the Hawks' lead. Granby, who also kicked two goals, showcased his versatility and skill throughout the match.
USA's skipper, Peter Lupton, reflected on the challenging contest, stating, "It was back and forth, and we had to deal with some big players. It was tough from start to finish." He acknowledged the efforts of both teams, emphasizing the significance of the game for the growth of rugby league.
Despite two late tries from Jamaica's Tahj-Jay Lynch and Kenneth Walker, the Reggae Warriors fell just short of a comeback, concluding the match with a 30-26 scoreline. The USA team, having only one training session before the game, demonstrated resilience and adaptability.
Jamaica faced setbacks with injuries, losing Andrew Simpson in the first half and Kevin Thomas in the second, limiting their bench options. Head coach Roy Calvert expressed gratitude to the USA Hawks for their visit, acknowledging the support from the local fans. Calvert said, "It was a fantastic occasion despite the narrow loss. We're 1-1 now for games between the nations played here in Jamaica and are looking forward to the next one."
Dominican Republic’s Luguelin Santos stripped of world junior title for age-manipulation violations
Dominican sprinter Luguelin Santos has been stripped of his World Junior Championships gold medal from 2012 and handed a three-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for age-manipulation violations. The AIU revealed this decision on Friday, uncovering Santos's admission to competing with a falsified date of birth during the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona.
Luguelin Santos, now 31 years old, had clinched the 400-metre gold at the 2012 World Junior Championships when he was just 18. However, the AIU's investigation exposed that Santos had utilized a passport with a manipulated birthdate, claiming to be born on November 12, 1993, when, in reality, his birthdate is November 12, 1992. Consequently, Santos was ineligible to participate in the 2012 World Juniors, as per the competition rules requiring junior athletes to be either 18 or 19 years old on December 31 of the competition year.
The AIU, in a statement, clarified the gravity of the violation, stating, "Thus, he was ineligible to participate in the World Juniors 2012." The age-manipulation incident tarnished Santos's victory at the championship, leading to the unprecedented decision to strip him of the gold medal.
Santos, a two-time Youth Olympic champion, had furthered his career by claiming a silver medal in the 400m event at the 2012 London Olympics. However, Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, emphasized that unlike doping violations, age-manipulation sanctions do not warrant the annulment of Olympic results. Clothier explained, "There is no basis on which to annul his Olympic result as that was not an age-group event and no violation was committed there."
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