SOME ATHLETES LEARN FAST. Just 45 minutes after a shocking defeat in the 100 for the woman who set a Collegiate Record 10.63 in the heats, Adaejah Hodge had it figured out. “I definitely was tensed up in the 100,” she admitted afterward, “and I think that’s just because of lack of experience. I’m still a freshman. This is my first time on the NCAA stage, so it will all come with experience and more racing.”
In the 200 final, the Georgia star came out with an entirely different mindset. She had impressed with her 21.96 heat two days earlier, which netted her lane 6.
She seemed supremely confident as she raced out of the blocks and powered through the turn, emerging with a modest lead over LSU’s Shawnti Jackson in 2nd.
That’s when Hodge shifted into overdrive. Never losing form, she pulled inexorably away from her pursuers. By 150 it had the makings of a rout. She snuck a glance at the clock in her final strides. She had a nearly 5-meter margin over Jackson and Texas A&M’s Camryn Dickson.
Looking to the clock, the fans gasped. The 20-year-old from the British Virgin Islands had covered the distance in 21.68, obliterating Abby Steiner’s Collegiate Record of 21.80 from ’22. The wind checked out: -0.4mps.
Behind her, Jackson PRed in 22.12, with Dickson (22.18), Florida’s Gabrielle Matthews (22.29) and Howard’s Yahnari Lyons (22.31 PR) taking the next 3 places.
Hodge saw her time and didn’t even crack a smile, as if she had expected exactly that.
That such a momentous change in an athlete’s performance could happen in less than an hour amazed many. To Hodge, the transformation seemed simple: “Definitely just going back, you know, and be like, ‘Hey, it is what it is. It was all part of God’s plan, like, move forward to the next, move forward to the next,’ and that just shows my maturity in the sport.”
She told the trackside interviewer, “You’ve just got to learn to compartmentalize. Track & field is so weird; one day you’re hot, the next day you’re not. But all of those are learning experiences.”
She added, “I’ve been working for this all my life… I really wanted this one, so I went out there and I got it… That was one of my goals.”
WOMEN’S 200 RESULTS
FINAL (June 13; wind –0.4)
1. ***Adaejah Hodge’ (Ga-BVI) 21.68 CR (old CR 21.80 Abby Steiner [Ky] ’22) (WL) (=8, x W);
2. **Shawnti Jackson (LSU) 22.12 PR (=8, x AmC);
3. Camryn Dickson (TxAM) 22.18;
4. Gabrielle Matthews’ (Fl-Jam) 22.29;
5. **Yahnari Lyons (How) 22.31 PR;
6. Dajaz Defrand (USC) 22.44;
7. Alexis Brown (SC) 22.49;
8. Tiriah Kelley (Bay) 22.54;
9. Christine Mallard (USC) 22.58.
SEMIS (June 11)
I(1.0)–1. Lyons 22.36 PR; 2. Kelley 22.51; 3. Mallard 22.55; 4. *Taniya Looney (NM) 22.99; 5. **Laila Campbell (OhSt) 22.99; 6. Lauren Roy’ (Tarl-Ire) 22.99; 7. *Mia Edim (Duke) 23.13;… dnf—*JaMeesia Ford (SC).
II(1.1)–1. Dickson 22.22; 2. Jackson 22.45; 3. Brown 22.58; 4. Kaila Jackson (Ga) 22.64; 5. **Anya Jackson (TxAM) 22.89; 6. *Paje Rasmussen (BYU) 23.13; 7. Jassani Carter (Ga) 23.40; 8. *Taylor Snaer (UCLA) 23.51.
III(1.7)–1. Hodge’ 21.96 (x, =6 C);
2. Matthews’ 22.22 PR; 3. Defrand 22.36; 4. Kya Epps (Cinc) 22.82; 5. **Rachael Uvieghara (USC) 22.89; 6. Jasmine Montgomery (TxAM) 22.92; 7. ***Judith Mokobe’ (Al-Ger) 23.13; 8. **Chelsea Amoah (Ut) 23.26.
