“I prayed for a healthy race, and I got a healthy race,” Sha’Carri Richardson said after lining up for the women’s 100m at the Prefontaine Classic. “When I am 100 percent, there’s nothing that can really stop me but me.” Now, even though she has a bye for the Tokyo World Championships, Sha’Carri’s not sitting back. She’s signed up for both the 100m and 200m at the US Nationals—and it’s all going down in just four days. Last time she hit the Nationals in 2023, Sha’Carri owned the 100m with a 10.82 finish and grabbed second in the 200m at 21.94. She breezed past Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the 100m like it was nothing—Melissa ended up fifth, no real threat. But 2025? Totally different story.

This year, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is on a whole different level. She’s got the world-leading time in the women’s 100m—10.73 seconds—and guess what? She’s undefeated in the 100m so far this season. Yeah, you read that right. And it’s not like she’s been dodging big names either. She’s already taken down Olympic champ Julien Alfred and silver medalist Sha’Carri Richardson. That happened at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic, where all three medalists from the Paris Olympics showed up—and Melissa smoked them. Julien took second, and Sha’Carri? Dead last. But Melissa didn’t stop there. She also knocked off Gabby Thomas, the reigning Olympic 200m champ, during a Grand Slam Track meet. So yeah, she’s been wrecking some serious star power this year. Here’s the kicker: unlike in 2023, Melissa’s entered both the 100m and 200m at the US Nationals this year. So Sha’Carri and Gabby are gonna have to deal with her twice. So…who’s the favorite now?

In the latest episode of Coach Rob’s YouTube podcast, the SCA Recruiting founder broke it down straight. According to him, Melissa’s been flying on the track this season—no matter who lines up next to her. Whether Julien Alfred’s in the race or not, Melissa’s been consistent, sharp, and flat-out dominant. Rob didn’t sugarcoat it either. “At this point, picking against her [Melissa] is because you don’t like her,” he said. And then he hit the point home: “You might have a vendetta or something. You’re not watching the races if you’re picking against her. So that’s why I’m like, you start the conversation there and the real question is, who else is coming with her? But she’s driving the bus; it’s like, who’s in the back?” Safe to say—Coach Rob’s riding the Melissa train all the way.

No doubt, Coach Rob’s dropping some big statements about Melissa Jefferson-Wooden heading into the USATF Nationals—but it’s not just about her times this season. It’s about the journey, too. Back in 2022, at the NCAA Division 1 Indoors in Birmingham, Melissa lined up for the women’s 60m against none other than Julien Alfred. And guess what? She won it, clocking 7.09 seconds. Julien? She finished fifth. It wasn’t just a win—it was a statement. A rare one, especially at a time when the track world wasn’t exactly putting Melissa in the spotlight. But she didn’t let that stop her. She kept grinding, kept building, and now she’s here—smashing times, taking down Olympic medalists, and forcing everyone to pay attention. That’s the part Coach Rob sees. She didn’t just arrive—she built her way here.

Melissa’s rise has seriously blown Coach Rob’s mind. On his podcast, he put it like this: “We got to deal with the rest of the field. It’s just that the rest of the field got to deal with her [Melissa] because, like, it didn’t feel like she was this good. But she was, though.” He went on to say it’s all about that next-level gear she’s tapped into lately. “It’s just that it didn’t feel like it because she had that next level that happened.”  And that’s exactly what makes Melissa so dangerous right now—she’s smooth, confident, and locked in. That kind of fluency? It’s gonna be a problem for Sha’Carri, Gabby, and anyone else trying to stand in her way at Nationals. And let’s be real—this isn’t Coach Rob’s first time backing Melissa when she’s going up against the big names. He’s been riding with her for a while now, and with the way she’s running, he’s got every reason to.

Melissa Jefferson has been favored against Sha’Carri Richardson for a long 

With world-leading marks, a sub-22 in the 200m, and all the momentum in her lane, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden isn’t just dreaming about greatness—she’s charging straight at it. Every race feels like a new chapter, every finish line a twist in the plot. And Coach Rob summed it up with a grin that said it all: “I’m not saying that she [Melissa Jefferson-Wooden] will at the USA’s, but if she did, you’re gonna have to go pretty fast now, if you want to keep her off that team in that event. Because normally speaking, if you can break 22, and specifically do it on that day, you’re probably gonna make the team.”  Meanwhile, the energy around Sha’Carri Richardson isn’t quite as electric. 

A recent training video circulating on Reddit has fans raising eyebrows—and questions. In the clip, Sha’Carri’s start out of the blocks looks off. Not just a minor glitch, but a noticeably delayed reaction. She rises awkwardly, missing that signature explosive drive phase, while her training partners burst ahead. Sure, training lapses happen—but this one didn’t sit right with many viewers. Her posture looked stiff, her reaction sluggish, and the urgency that usually defines her opening steps? Missing. Now, fans are wondering: Is that February injury still hanging around in the background? Or is there something deeper going on—maybe a technical flaw that’s resurfacing at the worst time possible? With the USATF Nationals just days away, one thing’s clear: Melissa is surging, Sha’Carri is under the microscope, and the stage is set for a showdown that could shake up everything.