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UT Austin sprinter becomes first to run 60M in under 7 seconds
The now 11-time All-American and the National Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year won the 200 and 60 meters at the 2023 NCAA Division I women's indoor track and field championships in March.
AUSTIN, Texas - Getting over hurdles early in life pushed University of Texas at Austin sprinter Julien Alfred to strive to be the best.
"I think I grew tougher like each time. My dad passed when I was 11. I grew up in a small community, a small country, st. Lucia," said Alfred, who is also a graduate student. "I also grew up in a single parent home. And I think I seen my mom work so hard to get us what we want."
"There's a little bit of a maturation process that needs to take place," said UT track & field head coach Edrick Floreal. "You know, losing the dad. She had some injuries, setback."
Alfred came to UT Austin at 17 and is going to be 22 in June. "The final day of NCAA's, and I just think I grew a lot over the past few years here at Texas," she said.
Growing up and blowing up on the track, the now 11-time All-American and the National Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year won the 200 and 60 meters at the 2023 NCAA Division I women's indoor track and field championships in March. She also became the first collegian to ever run the 60 in under seven seconds.
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"I think it's amazing. It's a blessing. And I'm just really happy that I was able to do that," Alfred said.
"When you have somebody that's accomplished things that nobody in the NCAA has ever accomplished," Coach Floreal said. "And she's actually went over some benchmarks that nobody's done before. So, it's not just being the best. But she's also crossed barriers that only world-class professional athletes have crossed."
During her historical final year here at Texas, Alfred has not only set collegiate and school records, but in her first outdoor meet of the season for individual events, she ran a world-leading 21.9 in the 200.
"It's a full out sprint which I don't really enjoy. It's just hard," Alfred said about the race. "So I don't think I'll ever fully like it. But I think that based on where I see my potential in it. I think I'll just continue to have a love hate relationship with it. But we're working on that though."
"I want to be the fastest woman alive," she said, adding "I think I have a long way to go. I still have to improve a lot of stuff. But I think that it's gonna come. As long as I keep working towards it."