
Charisma Taylor, of the Bahamas, in action in this file photo. She’s looking forward to taking the next step and completing the year with a possible trip to the World Championships. Taylor was sixth in the women’s 100 metre hurdles at the Atlanta Open in Atlanta, Georgia, over the weekend.
#By BRENT STUBBS
#Senior Sports Reporter
#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
#ALTHOUGH she had a long and hectic collegiate season, versatile Charisma Taylor said she’s looking forward to taking the next step and completing the year with a possible trip to the World Championships.
#After wrapping up her final season for the University of Tennessee at the NCAA Championships over the weekend of June 7-10 in Austin, Texas, Taylor competed at the Atlanta Open in Atlanta, Georgia, over the weekend.
#She was sixth in the women’s 100 metre hurdles in a time of 13.18 seconds. The event, featuring a cross section of international athletes, was won by Danielle Williams of Jamaica in a season’s best of 12.62.
#Cindy Sember of England finished just ahead of Taylor in 13.15. “The meet was okay. It was my first meet for the year, not competing for Tennessee, so it was different,” said Taylor, who had the second fastest qualifying time of 13.13 behind American Kaylor Harris out of the University of Central Florida, who led the field in 12.88.
#“I didn’t have my coaches around. I basically had to do everything for myself, which is something I guess I have to start to get accustomed to doing.”
#As for the competition, Taylor said she felt right in her element.
#“I think my legs were a little bit fatigued because I just came from Nationals where I just competed in four events the week before,” she said. “I just wanted to see what I could run because I’m doing a new technique for my start.
#“The competition was really good. There were many high ranked competitors, so it was definitely good to run against them. I ran against some of them before, so it was good to get that opportunity again.”
#Taylor, 23, had just completed the NCAA Championships where she was fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 45-feet, 8 1/2-inches or 13.93 metres; sixth in the long jump with 21-1/2 (6.41m) and 10th in the 100m hurdles in 12.94.
#“Coming out of the NCAA Championships, I was not happy with my result,” she said. “I definitely had bigger and higher goals set out for myself, mainly because it was my last nationals and I wanted to make an impact,” she reflected. “But everything happened for a reason and God’s timing is perfect. It just wasn’t his timing for me.
#“So I had to stand on that and trust and believe in his plan. I know I will be back bigger and better. I was really disappointed with my performances at NCAA, but as an athlete, you have to take things as they come and move and grow from it.”
#Now that her collegiate season is over, Taylor has her sights set on the global stage where she hopes to continue as a professional athlete. The Atlanta Open was a good indicator of what to expect.
#She will no doubt get her big test at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she has to achieve the qualifying standards or be given an invite based on her ranking. The standard for the 100m hurdles is 12.78 and she has a season’s best of 12.80; th3e long jump standard is 6.85 and her SB is 6.51m and in the triple jump, the standard is 14.52m and she has a SB of 13.99m.
#“I’m just training right now, keeping my body in shape so that I can compete at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary,” said Taylor, who is also a pretty good sprinter and to be a part of the relay pool if a team is selected. “I’m really looking forward to that.”
#But before the World Championships, Taylor said she will be home to participate in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships, scheduled for July 5-7 at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.
#“I’ve decided to come back home and compete for the home crowd,” Taylor said. “I’m very excited about this new chapter in my life that will follow now that I’m done with college.”