Sprinting star Sha’Carri Richardson made her eagerly awaited season debut in the 100-meter race with a fantastic show. Richardson, the reigning world champion, secured her title at the Prefontaine Classic, clocking a time of 10.83 seconds. This puts her in an excellent position going into the Olympic Trials and the Paris Games later this summer. Amid the cheer of her fresh success, it seems that the rich legacy Sha’Carri has carved in the history of LSU is in safe hands.

Thelma Davies and Brianna Lyston’s recent performances in the recent NCAA 100m carry forward the reigning World Champion’s footprints in the event. “Brianna Lyston (@brianna_lyss) and Thelma Davies (@thelmadavies) punch their second tickets of the day with the 1-2 100m SWEEP! 🧹” posted LSU Track & Field on X during an NCAA meet, informing about the duo’s achievements. Lyston finished in 10.99 seconds, with Davies coming in second at 11.02 seconds.

An athlete from Jamaica, Brianna Lyston, has been well-known for her dazzling runs from a tender age. At the SEC Championship in Gainesville, Florida, she just posted a time of 10.91 seconds for the 100 meters, setting a new world record in the 200 meters under 13 category. Her reliable running solidifies her status as a powerful sprinter. On the other hand, Thelma Davies, a fifth-year senior, has consistently shown her skill on the track, winning SEC Championships and many USTFCCCA All-American honors.

Furthermore, during the NCAA Division I Championships in 2019, Sha’Carri Richardson shot to fame as a freshman at Louisiana State University when she set World Junior and NCAA records. With her 10.75-second run in 100 meters, she smashed the previous NCAA record of 10.78s, set 30 years ago in 1989 by another LSU Tiger, Dawn Sowell. At the age of 19, she was among the ten fastest women in history because of her victorious performance. With the fresh achievement at the Prefontaine Classic, she seems to be once again roaring, “I am not back…I am better.” Interestingly, this time also, it was the saga of coming back after debacles.

Will Hayward Field once again witness the rise of Sha’Carri Richardson?

Sha’Carri Richardson’s previous 200m outings in the season were nowhere close to her fiery talent. That understandably worried the enthusiasts. But track legend Justin Gatlin had a clear explanation. According to him, for Sha’Carri, those races were just warm-ups for her signature event, which is the 100m. Gatlin’s prediction stands more than true at the Hayward Field in Eugene.

Alongside it seems that from this iconic venue, Sha’Carri Richardson set the course of her Parisian journey. Richardson stated after the race, “I feel like I’m continuing to grow and develop into a mature young lady, a mature athlete, as well as a vessel that I am put on Earth to continue to grow.” Indeed, she has seen a lot, especially since her disqualification from the 2021 Olympic team for smoking marijuana. That has made her wise, as she had asserted once.

“I’m not worried about the world anymore. I’ve seen the world be my friend, I’ve seen the world turn on me. At the end of the day, I’ve always been with me. It’s always been my time, but now it’s my time to actually do it for myself, and the people that felt like me, and the people that look like me, and the people that know the truth about themselves as well. I represent those people,” she had stated after qualifying for the 100-meter semifinals at the World Athletics Championships. With this newfound wisdom, she will start her quest to being an Olympian. Ironically, the venue has a strange connection to Sha’Carri Richardson.

The Hayward Field has seen the rise and fall of Sha’Carri. It has seen her roaring, “They’re not done seeing me yet, period,” after losing at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic. That same venue saw her living up to that warning, at the USA Championships 2023, taking the 100m title. Ironically, this very ground will host the US Olympic trials from June 21-30. Does that point to something? Well, we keep our fingers crossed!