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Louisiana track athlete ends collegiate career with hopes of qualifying for nationals
The 2024 NCAA East Regional Championships start on May 22 in Lexington, Kentucky. That's where London hopes to be one of 12 women to qualify for nationals in the hurdles.
(KLFY)-- Fifth year senior Kennedy London is in her final season with the Ragin Cajun Track and Field team. London said year one was really challenging for her because of COVID; this led to her gaining an extra year of college eligibility.
"My freshman year, I feel like I was kind of trying to get adjusted to like the college life and then COVID happened and we got sent home," London said.
After training for many months, COVID abruptly ended London's outdoor season two days before her first collegiate outdoor track meet. The student athlete said she was especially shocked.
"I felt like I wanted to use outdoor to kind of break out of my nervousness and then being that the season got canceled, I feel like the next season I kind of started over because we had a long time to just sit at home without being able to compete," London said.
Going into year two with a full season ahead, London got out of that freshman spurt.
"My sophomore year, my track freshman year, we had to start over," London said. "That first year was pretty good, we had a pretty good season."
During that season London reached her first NCAA East Regional in the 4 by 100 meter relay, punching her ticket to the NCAA championships, but even before this accomplishment London said she still had to work on one thing: her confidence.
"Just took a couple of years to just get comfortable in my training and comfortable in my position here in track," London said.
London's events include: the 4x1, the 100 meter hurdles and the 100 meter dash. London saved her best season for last.
"It's just every year I feel like I just continue to work hard trying to stay patient," London said.
Her patience paid off as London won the sun belt conference indoor championship in the 60 meter hurdles. Despite her nerves, London rose to the occasion.
"I just wanted to make sure that I just execute it properly so it kind of just felt good to be able to get on the podium and just go out there and execute like I knew I could, because sometimes I was nervous and I didn't run to the best of my abilities because that nervousness was crippling me," London said.
London has not only won many races, but also broke personal records in her collegiate career. London said she has a message for any athlete that has to face any obstacle while trying to take their game to the next level.
"Everybody gets there in different ways so whether it takes five years or five months, everybody's journey is different so just to make sure you are staying patient and just focusing on you and being patient and trusting that your process is going to work," London said.
The 2024 NCAA East Regional Championships start on May 22 in Lexington, Kentucky. That's where London hopes to be one of 12 women to qualify for nationals in the hurdles.