HURDLER SADÉ-MARIAH GREENIDGE will be competing in new colours for the next athletics season.
After representing perennial champions Springer Memorial for the past six years, she has received an athletics scholarship to the University of Houston to train with head coach Leroy Burrell, the former 100 metres record holder.
Carl Lewis, multiple Olympic champion in the 100 metres, long jump and 4×100 metres relay, is also a volunteer coach at the American institution.
Greenidge told the SUNDAY SUN she was very pleased with the decision they made and a lot of pressure was taken off her shoulders with the signing.
“I am very pleased. I feel comfortable. At first, I put a lot of pressure on myself trying to bring down my times. I wasn’t comfortable. Now I have signed, I know they will work with me and I don’t feel as much pressure,” the 18-year-old said.
It was the willingness to work with her that tipped the University of Houston in her favour. There was also interest from University of Nebraska, the University of Arkansas, University of Miami, UCLA, Kent State, St Augustine and the University of Tennessee.
“A lot of them showed an interest at first, but were waiting until Pan Am Juniors to see if my time would drop in the 400 hurdles as well because they were keener on points at the NCAA championships.
“I was not so eager on someone waiting on Pan Am to see where I am, but someone who was willing to work with me. Houston said they would work with me. They liked the time in the 100m hurdles and would work to bring down the time in the 400m hurdles,” Greenidge said.
Her best time in the 100m hurdles at the Under-18 level (76cm) is 13.83 seconds, while at the Olympic height of 84cm it is 14 seconds flat. She has some work to do with 61 seconds in the 400m hurdles.
