Kyra Jefferson celebrates her record-setting 200 meters Saturday night at Eugene, Ore.
Jefferson Trusted Process En Route to History-making dash
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 | Women's Track and Field, Chris Harry
UF coach Mike Holloway was not surprised when Kyra Jefferson's potential was realized.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Moments after Kyra Jefferson torched the track at Historic Hayward Field and broke a nearly (and hallowed) three-decade-old collegiate record, the Florida sprinter extraordinaire had an emotional moment with her coach, Mike Holloway, who teased her about avoiding what he called "ugly crying."
The cameras, after all, were pointed her direction.
A few hours later, though, Jefferson had another moment. This one with herself. The Gators were aboard the team's charter red-eye flight back from Eugene, Ore., site of the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. And, yes, there was crying, but not the "ugly" kind.
Jefferson's ear buds were streaming some Smokie Norful gospel into a head filled with all kinds of emotions that hours after the fact finally were sinking in. She glanced across the aisle at teammate and fellow sprinter Shayla Sanders, who cooed a smile her way that pretty much put Jefferson over the top.
"I put a blanket over my head and just let it go," she said. "It all just hit me and I was thanking God for this crazy journey of mine the last five years."
Capping that journey was the run of her life. Jefferson, the fifth-year senior from Detroit, clocked a time of 22.02 in the women's 200 meters finals, a time that broke the previous mark set at the 1989 NCAA Championships — 28 years ago — by LSU's Dawn Sowell.
The cameras, after all, were pointed her direction.
A few hours later, though, Jefferson had another moment. This one with herself. The Gators were aboard the team's charter red-eye flight back from Eugene, Ore., site of the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. And, yes, there was crying, but not the "ugly" kind.
Jefferson's ear buds were streaming some Smokie Norful gospel into a head filled with all kinds of emotions that hours after the fact finally were sinking in. She glanced across the aisle at teammate and fellow sprinter Shayla Sanders, who cooed a smile her way that pretty much put Jefferson over the top.
"I put a blanket over my head and just let it go," she said. "It all just hit me and I was thanking God for this crazy journey of mine the last five years."
Capping that journey was the run of her life. Jefferson, the fifth-year senior from Detroit, clocked a time of 22.02 in the women's 200 meters finals, a time that broke the previous mark set at the 1989 NCAA Championships — 28 years ago — by LSU's Dawn Sowell.
Before Saturday, there were three American women in the sport's history who had run 22.02 or better before their 23rd birthday. Those three, Evelyn Ashford, Marion Jones and Allyson Felix, totaled 15 Olympic gold medals between them.
Now there's a fourth.
"I never had expectations that I would be one of the top runners in the country, much less one of the top in the world. I just wanted to be better than I was the race before," Jefferson said Tuesday. "It's kind of shocking, but also an honor. I'm so blessed to be in the situation I'm in, but it also feels so good because it took a lot to get me here. Nothing was handed to me. But I also don't feel like I achieved it, as much as it was something of a gift from God. It was part of a bigger plan and it's an amazing feeling."
How much divine intervention played a part in Jefferson's historic sprint is a matter left to what one believes. But what one very important factor in all this — Holloway — knows for certain is that Jefferson achieved this remarkable feat because, ultimately, she gave herself the best chance to do so.
"I'll be honest, there was a lot of excitement around that race, but nothing that happened surprised us because I've seen the way she's trained the last two and a half years," Holloway said. "I really believed she could get it done, but it was a matter of her trusting the process. She finally did. And that's why it happened."
It's a phrase that's thrown around a lot in athletics, but what exactly does "trusting the process" mean?
In Jefferson's case, it was about adhering to the words and wisdom of Holloway, who the night before her history-making dash captured his seventh national championship (the 2017 men's team crown) since 2010. Jefferson and Holloway have a special relationship. You don't call your coach "Grandpa" (a term of endearment, to be sure) if that's not so.
Jefferson was not a highly decorated recruit. Actually, she was just another name in an otherwise stellar 2012-13 freshman class. That was her starting point. Forget about the hamstring injuries (both the left and right) that dogged Jefferson throughout her career. Because not only did she persevere, she excelled to become a multi-time Southeastern Conference champion, the 2015 indoor national champion in the 200 and two-time NCAA outdoor champ on UF's 4x100 and 4x400 relays the same year.
And yet, there were many, many practices at Percy Beard Track, under the hot sun, Jefferson would run a great time, only to mark a 22.6 or a 22.4 in meet action. It was frustrating, but Holloway always had the right take. She had a great start to this race. A better turn or finish to that one. It was matter of putting them all together and, obviously, if she was capable of doing one then she was capable of doing it all from gun to finish.
"It was about trusting the process that everything would build up to what you wanted," she said.
And it happened.
At the NCAA Championships (along with some "ugly crying").
"Because of all she's gone through and dealing with all the injuiries, Kyra had some self-doubt. And because of all that, it made this all the more special," Holloway said. "To watch her put it all together on that one day and in the best and biggest meet was just phenomenal."
On Monday, Jefferson, who graduated last month, was back at work, with an eye toward to the World Championships, set for Aug. 4-13 in London. With that gaudy 22.02 on her resume, Jefferson will be on track and field's global radar.
As far as her coach is concerned, though, there are better times ahead. Literally.
Or as Holloway called it, "the 21-second club."
Jefferson, though, wasn't playing.
"I don't worry about times anymore," she said. "I just run."
And cry. When warranted.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Track and Field
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Up Next presented by UF Health 10-10-25
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