ALTHOUGH HER MOM and grandma ran track, Samirah Moody didn’t take up the sport until eighth grade and wasn’t a serious runner until midway through high school.
“Surprising, huh?” the winner said. “Some people tell me, ‘Oh, I’ve been doing track since I was so little.’ That was not my experience.”
Being a latecomer has its perks.
“I just feel really fresh,” Moody said. “I feel like I’m just learning every day.”
Going into the NCAAs, the USC senior knew she should work on leaning in practice.
“You’ve got to prepare for the fire,” she said. “You know everyone’s fast.”
With an extra burst in the final 10m and, yes, a lean, Moody won by 0.003, edging fiery-haired South Carolina soph JaMeesia Ford.
Both clocked 11.14 against a 1.4 wind — with Moody’s time 11.136. Tima Godbless of LSU was 3rd followed by Florida’s Anthaya Charlton, the 5th-place finisher in the long jump and younger sister of Devyn, the WR holder in the indoor 60H. Both posted 11.19, with Godbless ahead by 0.006.
A year ago, Moody was undergoing knee surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus. “It’s been a bumpy road,” she said, noting her comeback revolved around “keeping the faith and showing up when it counts.”
Moody was 5th in the 60 at the Indoor and said she felt like herself again at the beginning of the outdoor season. “I had gone through the adversity prior to today, so this was a walk in the park.”
Just 50 minutes after the Women of Troy dominated the 4×1, Moody, who ran leadoff leg, was back on the starting line alongside teammates Dajaz DeFrand and Brianna Selby.
Moody said the relay was about tradition, but “the 100 was really for me.”
In the heats, Moody posted a PR of 10.93 — well under her previous best of 11.02 — behind Charlton, who grabbed all of the attention with a PR of 10.87, the collegiate lead and No. 8 all-time collegiate mark. Ford, who dropped down this season from the 200/400 to the 100/200, also clocked 10.87 in the third heat. Godbless, who came in as the list leader at 10.91, equaled that time in her heat while placing 2nd behind Leah Bertrand of Ohio State, who also ran 10.91.
The final began with a false start, although no one was disqualified. The field ran 10–15m before they were called back.
After the restart, Moody was out well in lane 3 although Victoria Cameron of Tarleton State moved into the early lead from lane 1. Moody overtook Cameron, then held off Ford, whose 200 strength — she would go on to win that event later in the day — propelled her in the later stages.
Moody was confident the race was hers. “I kind of took a peek at like 60,” she said. “I was like ‘Alright, I’m in the clear; I’ve just got to keep pushing.’ I crossed the line screaming, so I knew.”
WOMEN’S 100 RESULTS
FINAL (June 14; wind –1.4)
1. Samirah Moody (USC) 11.14 (11.136);
2. **JaMeesia Ford (SC) 11.14 (11.139);
3. **Tima Godbless’ (LSU-Ngr) 11.19;
4. *Anthaya Charlton’ (Fl-Bah) 11.19;
5. Leah Bertrand’ (OhSt-Tri) 11.21;
6. *Shenese Walker’ (FlSt-Jam) 11.23;
7. *Dajaz DeFrand (USC) 11.23;
8. ***Brianna Selby (USC) 11.25;
9. **Victoria Cameron (Tarl) 11.30.
SEMIS (June 12)
I(1.4)–1. Charlton’ 10.87 PR (6, 8 C);
2. Moody 10.93 PR; 3. Walker’ 11.06; 4. *Jassani Carter (USC) 11.22; 5. ***Indya Mayberry (TCU) 11.24; 6. ***Reign Redmond (Ga) 11.30; 7. ***Kelly Ufodiama (ECar) 11.41; 8. **Jade Brown (Az) 11.43.
II(2.2)–1. Bertrand’ 10.91w; 2. Godbless’ 10.91w; 3. Cameron 11.06w; 4. *Jasmine Montgomery (TxAM) 11.07w; 5. Iyana Gray (TCU) 11.20w; 6. *Camryn Dickson (TxAM) 11.20w; 7. Kailei Collins (How) 11.28w; 8. **Cynteria James (SC) 11.39w.
III(1.6)–1. Ford 10.87 PR (=6, =8 C);
2. DeFrand 10.93 PR;
3. Selby 11.01 PR (=7, x AJ);
4. Alicia Burnett (Mo) 11.11; 5. *Kaila Jackson (Ga) 11.15; 6. ***London Tucker (TCU) 11.26; 7. ***Aniyah Kitt (Clem) 11.31; 8. Joella Lloyd’ (FlSt-Ant) 11.43.
