Akala Garrett
American athlete (born 2005)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Akala Garrett (born May 10, 2005) is an American track and field athlete. She won gold medals at the 2022 World Junior Championships in the 400 metres hurdles and the 4 × 400 m relay.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 10, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | Hurdling, Sprinting | |||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best | 400 mH: 56.16 (Cali 2022) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
Garrett attended Harding University High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is coached by her mother, former track athlete LaSonja Collins.[1]
Career
Garrett was the Gatorade's North Carolina Girls Track & Field Player of the Year in 2021,[2] and 2022.[3] She won the 100m hurdles and the 400m hurdles at the 2022 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, running 10.91 for the 100 m hurdles and 57.47 for the 400 m hurdles. She had won the 400 m hurdles the year previously also.[4]
She won the 2022 World Junior Championships in the 400 m hurdles and dedicated the win to her former high school principal, Eric Ward.[5] Her time of 56.16 was a world leading U20 time.[6] She finished half a second ahead of nearest rival, Hanna Karlsson of Sweden.[7] She doubled up and also won gold in the 4x400 m relay at the event in Cali, Colombia.[8]
She won the 400 metres hurdles at the SEC Championships in Lexington, Kentucky in May 2025, in a time of 54.84 seconds.[9] She finished runner-up to Savannah Sutherland at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships in June 2025 in Eugene, Oregon.[10]
She qualified for the final of the 400 metres hurdles at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, placing fourth in 55.66 seconds.[11]