0.02 seconds – that is how close Jacious Sears was to equaling Sha’Carri Richardson’s collegiate record in the women’s 100m. The Tom Jones Invitational witnessed Sears clock a world-leading effort in the 100m with a personal best of 10.77s just behind Richardson’s 10.75s, recorded in 2019. This does hint that Richardson will have a rival to look over her shoulder as she prepares for the Olympics, but history suggests that she will be more than up for the challenge.

A closer look would reveal that their rivalry dates back to 2023 when the duo faced off at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships. Back then results, Sha’Carri Richardson hardly broke a sweat to thwart the Sears scare. 

Sha’Carri Richardson left Sears way behind during their last encounter

Back in 2023, Sha’Carri Richardson was at her prime during the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships. Registering a personal best, Richardson ran the 100m within 10.71s. Keeping up the good work, the 24-year-old won the semifinal heat of the tournament as well with a time of 10.75s. However, also running alongside her was Jacious Sears. She was the SEC champion then and was much hyped to win the race. 

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Although she did manage to break into the finals, her time of 11.08s was nowhere near Richardson’s. But since then, Sears, a University of Tennessee senior, has bridged the gap. Earlier this year, Sears showcased how far she had come at the Ted Nelson Invitational.

Sears recorded a time of 7.10 seconds in the finals of the 60-meter dash, securing the top spot in the NCAA rankings for the season. Interestingly, this also meant that she surpassed Richardson’s best time of 10.72 seconds in the 60m in April 2022, by a substantial margin.

In February this year, Sears won the 60-meter dash title with a time of 7.11s and was placed third in the 200-meter final clocking 22.96s at the SEC Indoor Championships. Both these times were her personal best as she continued to impress further. At the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in Boston, Massachusetts, she finished fourth in the 60m (7.13s) and secured a fifth-place spot in the 200m with a time of 22.69s.

Competing at the 2024 Tom Jones Memorial, Jacious Sears looked determined right from the beginning. After going past her competitors with a fair amount of ease, a look at the clock almost made everyone’s heart skip a beat. Although she fell short of breaking the record, she said she is focused on the Olympic year and has the world’s fastest woman’s record on her mind.

Sears wishes to run her next few races “beautifully”

In the post-race interview with Citius Mag, Sears was asked if Richardson’s collegiate record was something she was thinking about. Sears answered, “Yeah, of course. She ran that race beautifully & I pray to God that I can run my next few races beautifully and PR even more.”

Following her world-leading performance at the Tom Jones Invitational, she was asked if it resets some of her goals for the Olympic year. To this, she replied, “No, no. My coaches have always encouraged me and told me the goals they have for me. They’ve made me believe more in myself. Goals haven’t changed.”

Sears has been performing well in the all-important Olympic year and could make more history before the season draws to a close. The way she has been securing consecutive victories, it seems obvious that she will soon emerge as the new track star and a rival to Richardson.