Jamaican sprint hurdler Habiba Harris is off to a sensational start to her collegiate career at the University of Florida. Just one week after claiming her first NCAA victory at the FSU Relays, the 2024 Carifta Games Under-20 champion followed up with an even more impressive showing at the Florida Relays in Gainesville on Saturday.
The 18-year-old freshman, competing in her second official meet for the Gators, won both her heat and the final of the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking 12.85 seconds (-1.0 m/s) in the prelims before returning with a wind-aided 12.69 (+2.1 m/s) in the final to dominate a quality field that included Texas A&M’s Jaiya Covington (12.82) and UCF’s Adaobi Tabugbo (12.93).
Reflecting on the two rounds, Harris said:
“The first one was definitely more controlled than my second one but nonetheless the goal in my mind was just to execute.”
And execute she did.
Saturday’s victories come just a week after Harris marked her collegiate debut with a 13.05-second win at the FSU Relays in Tallahassee—impressive not only for a freshman but especially for one who didn’t compete indoors this season.
Having joined the Florida Gators in January 2025, Harris admitted her early form has come as a pleasant surprise.
“No, but I have been listening to coach, I’ve been putting in the work. I knew we’d get there, I guess I got there a little bit faster than I anticipated. However, Coach (Mike Holloway) is not surprised.”
Working under the guidance of legendary Florida coach Mike Holloway, Harris says the environment has played a big role in her smooth transition from junior to collegiate athletics.
“Working with Coach Holloway has been amazing. He is a wonderful individual—he is even a better coach. If you’re messing up, he sits you down, he talks to you: ‘You need to fix this, we need to work on this.’ He’s just awesome.”
As for what lies ahead this outdoor season, Harris is keeping things open-ended.
“I try not to put limits or numbers on how far I can go because anything can happen this season. So the goal for me is just to get better and better each time.”
If her performances over the past two weekends are anything to go by, she’s already well ahead of schedule. And with the NCAA Championships and Olympic Trials looming in the months ahead, Habiba Harris has quickly become one of the most exciting sprint hurdlers to watch on the collegiate circuit.