“Back in February I wrote on the whiteboard in my room, ‘52.70’” a track and field athlete recalled. “And so every morning I woke up and looked at it. I knew that was what it was going to take to break the collegiate record.” And when the moment came, she didn’t just meet her target—she obliterated it. On June 13, 2025, at just 21 years old, the University of Michigan standout stormed through the women’s 400m hurdles in 52.46 seconds, shattering Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s iconic NCAA record of 52.75, set in 2018. The athlete didn’t just win; she crossed the line 2.2 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor—a gulf that, in the world of elite sprinting, may as well be a canyon. But this performance wasn’t just about rewriting NCAA history.

It’s now the Canadian national record. It’s the third-fastest time in the world this year. And perhaps most impressively, it places Savannah Sutherland ahead of some of the sport’s fiercest names: Dalilah Muhammad (52.91), Anna Cockrell (53.84), and Shamier Little. Only two women in 2025 have gone faster—Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (52.07) and Femke Bol (52.11). That’s the level Sutherland has ascended to—and she’s just getting started. Track and field coach Anderson Emerole explained a few more points. 

Track and field analyst and coach Anderson Emerole was quick to highlight Sutherland’s emergence. On a recent episode of his podcast, he remarked, “She [Savannah Sutherland] is in some great form, and I think she is a threat to challenge for a podium spot at the World Championships this year.” But can she truly rise to the occasion against the likes of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol? Emerole reminded listeners just how competitive the women’s 400m hurdles field is right now. The top 10 rankings remain fluid, with constant shifts as the season unfolds. While Sydney and Femke seem firmly locked into the top two spots, the rest of the leaderboard is far from settled, leaving plenty of room for someone like Sutherland to make a move.

That’s where Savannah Sutherland enters the conversation. “Savannah Sutherland is in some excellent form and really rising as a strong talent,” Emerole noted. “She got seventh place at the world, at the Olympic Games last year in the final. Do not sleep on what she’s capable of. Yes, she’s going to have a good amount of time between now and then, also the World Championships, but it would not surprise me to see her improve.” And for Sutherland, shaking up the rankings is nothing new.

In 2023, Savannah Sutherland clocked 54.45 seconds to claim victory in the women’s 400m hurdles final at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, outperforming top contenders like Masai Russell and Britton Wilson. Reflecting on her rise, Emerole summed it up by saying, “Huge shout-out to Savannah Sutherland and what she’s doing. Canada is going to be making some real noise, I know.” But what does Sutherland herself have to say about this incredible journey?

Breaking Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s record, the athlete explains her emotions 

On June 13, just moments after shattering Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s long-standing NCAA record, Savannah Sutherland stood trackside in Eugene, still trying to process what she’d just done. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” she told FloTrack with a breathless smile. “But definitely very excited for sure.” She added, “I don’t think it’s going to settle in until I’m back in the hotel and have like five minutes to think it through, but yeah.” It was a raw, real reaction from a rising star who just made history and she wasn’t alone in the moment. Her entire family was in the stands, watching her surge down the final stretch, crossing the line in 52.46 seconds, rewriting the record books and setting off a wave of Canadian pride.

But with the NCAA record now behind her and momentum at her back, the bigger question looms: Is Savannah Sutherland ready for Tokyo? If you ask the track and field community, the answer is a growing, resounding yes. She’s proven she can perform on the biggest stages—seventh in the Olympic final in 2024, now among the world’s top three this season. She’s fearless, focused, and rising fast. So, as the countdown to the World Championships in Tokyo begins, according to Anderson Emerole, don’t be surprised if Savannah Sutherland becomes more than just a promising name. She may very well become a podium threat, and the next great force in women’s 400m hurdles. Because if 52.70 on her whiteboard became 52.46 on the clock, what might come next?