Rene Medley, NCAA Division II Female Track Athlete of the Year, eyes Olympic spot
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the award on Wednesday.
According to the USTFCCCA, Medley, who is studying Business Administration, was the only female track athlete to lead the USA in two individual events.
She held down the number-one spot in the 60m with her 7.37s and she also topped the nation in the 200m in 23.57, which was the fastest mark ever recorded on an oversized track in NCAA DII history.
Medley scored 20 points at the MIAA Indoor Championships.
“It’s a very proud feeling. It gives me validation and boosts my confidence,” she told Sportsmax.TV Wednesday.
“I was the only Division II female athlete to lead the nation in two track events and clocked the fastest 200m over recorded at NCAA D2 level. I was the MIAA conference champion in both the 60 and 200m and I did all that with a not-so-good knee.”
Nevertheless, it has been a bittersweet 48 hours for the standout Jamaican as her award came a day after the International Olympic Committee postponed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until 2021.
Medley revealed that she harboured ambitions of being in Tokyo this summer.
“Yes, I definitely had plans. I feel a bit disappointed because I was confident that I would make the team in either the 200 or 4X100 or even in both,” she said.
However, she was quick to point out the positives of the postponement.
“I will have more time for rehabilitation and more time to train harder and come back stronger,” she said.