The youth in the Black Lightning track club continue to dominate at the biggest stages. Mila Woolforde is ranked second in the nation in the girls 9-10 400m. Jasmine Wilson has added hurdling to her events and has found success.
Wilson has won the National Championship in the 80m hurdles and the 100m. She shared how hurdling was challenging to work on during practice.
“I would have my off days and my on days,” Wilson said. “As soon as it was the track meets, I knew I had to do it and I knew to just put all our training together.”
Woolforde won the USATF Junior Olympics national championship in the 9-10 200m and 400m. When practicing the 400m, she ran the distance a myriad of ways before finding her personal strategy for the race. She noted how it can be easier than the 200m in some ways.
“It feels different because you get a part to relax,” Woolforde said. “In the 200m, you have to sprint all out.”
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Watching film on other hurdlers, especially Olympians, helped Wilson craft her skills. Perfecting her technique did not come without challenges.
“Between each hurdle, you need to have three steps and I have a shorter stride, especially since I’m a sprinter,” Wilson said. “It’s hard to get between each hurdle in just three steps.”
Woolforde has the fourth fastest 200m time in the United States. She also plays soccer.
“Soccer helps me with track because it helps me with my speed,” Woolforde said. “It also helps me with coordination while I’m running.”
Competing in hurdles gave Wilson a new approach on how she runs sprints.
“In hurdles, you really have to get a good start. It’s in the sprints too but especially in hurdles because everybody is worried about who’s going to get to the hurdle first,” Wilson said. “That helps me with my start in the open 100m.”
For next year, Woolforde hopes to run the 400m in 58 seconds, run the 100m in 13 seconds or less and get a 25-second record in the 200m.
Wilson also became the national champion in the 60m and the 60m hurdles in the AAU Indoor Championships this year.
