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Trackshark.com is reporting that Bianca Knight turned professional, joining a growing number of track athletes leaving the college ranks early. She will forgo her remaining eligibility in collegiate track and field.
The world of elite track and field was introduced to Bianca Knight last Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field championship meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The freshman from the University of Texas broke the NCAA meet record at 200-meters in a stunning time of 22.40. The second fastest time ever by an American runner puts Bianca on the level of the world’s elite sprinter.
If Bianca can deliver similar times at the professional level, she’ll be competitive among the world’s best sprinters. To put her indoor time of 22.40 into proper context, just take a look at the results from the outdoor 200-meter finals at the 2007 World Championships: Allyson Felix won in 21.82, Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell took second in 22.34, followed by Susanthika Jayasinghe in 22.63. Runners typically put up much faster times outdoors.
Given the typically short career span of the average professional sprinter, I think Knight is wise to turn pro if she competes with the world’s best at this age.
Good luck Bianca!
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.
