Pleasantville’s Nia Ali, one of the fastest hurdlers in world history, continues to focus on the sprints this spring heading into the Olympic Trials and she ran one of the fastest 100-meter dashes ever by a New Jersey high school alum this weekend in Gainesville.
Competing in the Olympic Development 100 at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational at the University of Florida’s Percy Beard Track, Ali ran a lifetime-best 11.21 with a legal 1.2 meters-per-second tailwind. Earlier, she ran the fastest 100-meter hurdles time in the world this year at 12.44 into a 0.8 meters-per-second headwind.
Ali’s 11.21 is 2nd-fastest ever by a South Jersey woman, behind only Olympic gold medalist English Gardcner’s 10.74 in Eugene in 2016. It’s also No. 5 on the all-time New Jersey list.
Her previous 100 PR was an 11.41 last month at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational at Cobb Stadium at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. That was her first open 100-meter dash on record going back to her days at Pleasantville High School.
Ali’s 11.21 is No. 25 in the world this year and No. 14 among U.S. women. She only placed 9th racing against some of the fastest women in history. Tamari Davis and Melissa Jefferson both ran 10.94, Davis winning in 10.932 over Jefferson’s 10.935. Those are the No. 2 and 3 times in the world this year.
World No. 1 is Tennessee’s Jacious Sears, who ran 10.77 in the college 100 at the same meet. Her teammate, Woodrow Wilson graduate Dennisha Page, ran 11.27 earlier this month in a meet in Knoxville, which Ali bumped from 2nd on the all-time South Jersey list to 3rd.
Ali is now only the 5th woman in world history to run as fast as 11.21 in the 100 and 12.30 in the high hurdles. The only other U.S. woman to achieve that speedy double is Briana McNeal, the 2016 Olympic hurdles champ.
Tobi Amusan, Nigeria [11.10 (2023), 12.12 (2022)]
Ludmila Narozhilenko, Russia [11.04 (1992), 12.26 (1992)]
Briana McNeal, U.S. [11.20 (2019), 12.26 (2013)]
Sally Pearson, Australia [11.14 (2007), 12.28 (2011)]
Nia Ali, U.S. [11.21 (2024), 12.30 (2023)]
10.74 … English Gardner [Eastern], July 3, 2016, Eugene, Ore.
10.95 … Me’Lisa Barber [Montclair], May 20, 2007, Carson, Calif.
11.02 … Mikele Barber [Montclair], July 24, 2007, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
11.18 … Wenda Vereen [Trenton], July 3, 1983, Colorado Springs
11.21 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], April 13, 2024, Gainesville, Fla.
11.27 … Dennisha Page [Wilson], May 13, 2023, Bloomington, Ind.
11.29 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], April 17, 2005, Walnut, Calif.
11.31 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], May 14, 2017, Atlanta
11.32 … Gabrielle Farquharson [Williamstown], May 14, 2016, Lincoln, Neb.
11.36 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], May 6, 1984, Houston
11.38 … Sydney Hawkins [Phillipsburg], April 6, 2024, Tampa
11.52 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], May 12, 2018, Knoxville, Tenn. [+0.5]
11.65 … Shardae Anderson [Paulsboro], April 14, 2007, Chapel Hill, N.C. [+1.1]
11.66 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], June 19, 2021, South Plainfield, N.J. [+1.0]
10.74 … English Gardner [Eastern], July 3, 2016, Eugene, Ore.
10.95 … Me’Lisa Barber [Montclair], May 20, 2007, Carson, Calif.
11.02 … Mikele Barber [Montclair], July 24, 2007, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
11.18 … Wenda Vereen [Trenton], July 3, 1983, Colorado Springs
11.21 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], April 13, 2024, Gainesville, Fla.
11.29 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], April 17, 2005, Walnut, Calif.
11.30 … Dennisha Page [Wilson], May 13, 2023, Bloomington, Ind.
11.31 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], May 14, 2017, Atlanta
11.32 … Gabrielle Farquharson [Williamstown], May 14, 2016, Lincoln, Neb.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 