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Nugent makes switch to University of Arkansas

Published:Friday | January 6, 2023 | 1:31 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent wins the Women’s 100m hurdles final in 12.95 seconds at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya in 2021.
© Dan Vernon for World Athletics
Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent wins the Women’s 100m hurdles final in 12.95 seconds at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya in 2021.

Ackera Nugent, the 2021 World Under-20 100 metres hurdles champion, will be in new surroundings for the upcoming 2023 season, as she has successfully completed a transfer to the University of Arkansas.

Nugent, who won the hurdles title in Nairobi, Kenya, ended her stint with Baylor University where she spent the past two seasons. Nugent posted a photo on Instagram on Wednesday while training wearing a University of Arkansas shirt.

Nugent is coming off a 2022 campaign where she copped silver at the Big 12 Championships, setting a personal best in the 100m hurdles clocking 12.45 seconds, putting her sixth on the all-time collegiate list, and the fifth fastest time in Jamaican history. Her indoor record last year was highlighted by clocking 7.89 seconds in the 60m hurdles, a personal best and also the 11th fastest time collegiately as well as becoming the sixth-fastest Jamaican at that distance.

Her freshman season in 2021 saw her set a World Under-20 indoor record clocking of 7.92 in March, a record that was recently ratified by World Athletics. During her time at Baylor, she was named a first-team NCAA All-American for both indoor and outdoor campaigns and, in 2021, was named the Big 12 conference freshman of the year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. She captured bronze at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100m hurdles during her first season at Baylor.

Nugent will be in strong Jamaican company at Arkansas, joining World championship long jump finalist Wayne Pinnock and Olympian Carey McLeod, both transfers from the University of Tennessee, Ralford Mullings, who joined from Arizona State, and Roje Stona, who transferred from Clemson University. She will also be in the company of World Under-20 triple jump champion Jaydon Hibbert, who is in his first season at the university.

Vere Technical alum Nickesha Pryce, as well as St Jago alum Joanne Reid and Daszay Freeman, are Jamaican nationals who are currently on the women’s roster.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com