Tahesia Harrigan
Encyclopedia
Tahesia Harrigan is a sprinter
from the British Virgin Islands
.
Harrigan was born in the British Virgin Islands to Doris Harrigan. Harrigan's illustrious track and field career began in Tallahassee, Florida. As a 14 year old 9th grader, she carried Florida A&M University
's Developmental and Research High School female track team to its first Class 1-A Florida High School Athletic Association
state track and field championship win in over ten years by sweeping the 100 metres
, 200 metres
, the long jump
and triple jump
.
Some other highlights of her PREP
career include 13 FHSAA State Championship Track and Field victories as an individual or part of a relay team in high school ( 8 of those victories being going undefeated all four years in the 100 and 200 metres, 3 in the Long Jump
, 2 in the Triple Jump
,).
After graduating from high school as salutatorian
in the spring of 2000, she was approached by several reputable Florida collegiate track and field programs, but chose the University of Minnesota
for its medical program. She red shirted her freshman year due to a fractured tibia
, Harrigan exploded on to the university’s conference scene setting school and conference records in the women’s 60 m, 100 m, 200 m, and the long jump in 2002. She went on that year to compete as a representative of her country (BVI) in the Central American and Caribbean Games where she had a very good first showing.
In 2004, Harrigan transferred to the University of Alabama
where she honed her athletic prowess even further becoming a SEC
powerhouse and a NCAA finalist. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Psychology in 2005 and a Masters in Speech Pathology in 2007 from Alabama. She was an All American at the University of Alabama and the University of Minnesota. She won the 100 metres
race at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games
, and finished fifth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
. The OECS sports desk named her most outstanding female athlete in 2006 for her top performances in international meets.
Harrigan began her career as a professional sprinter in the spring of 2007. She has competed in several professional track meets in the U.S. and abroad. Of the many sprint-oriented events she competes in, the crown jewel would have to be her current personal record in the 100 metres of 11.13 seconds.
At the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
in Valencia, Spain
, Harrigan finished third in the final of the Women's 60m posting a new BVI national record of 7.09 sec. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
she competed at the 100 metres
sprint. In her first round heat she placed third behind Christine Arron and Lauryn Williams
in a time of 11.46 to advance to the second round. There she failed to qualify for the semi finals as her time of 11.36 was only the fifth time of her heat, causing elimination.
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
from the British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
.
Harrigan was born in the British Virgin Islands to Doris Harrigan. Harrigan's illustrious track and field career began in Tallahassee, Florida. As a 14 year old 9th grader, she carried Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, the state capital, and is one of eleven member institutions of the State University System of Florida...
's Developmental and Research High School female track team to its first Class 1-A Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
state track and field championship win in over ten years by sweeping the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
, 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
, the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
and triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
.
Some other highlights of her PREP
Prep
Prep may refer to:* A nickname for anything associated with a University-preparatory school, such as:** A member of the Preppy social group, stemming from the word "preparatory"** Another name for someone who attends a preparatory school in the US...
career include 13 FHSAA State Championship Track and Field victories as an individual or part of a relay team in high school ( 8 of those victories being going undefeated all four years in the 100 and 200 metres, 3 in the Long Jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, 2 in the Triple Jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
,).
After graduating from high school as salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
in the spring of 2000, she was approached by several reputable Florida collegiate track and field programs, but chose the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
for its medical program. She red shirted her freshman year due to a fractured tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
, Harrigan exploded on to the university’s conference scene setting school and conference records in the women’s 60 m, 100 m, 200 m, and the long jump in 2002. She went on that year to compete as a representative of her country (BVI) in the Central American and Caribbean Games where she had a very good first showing.
In 2004, Harrigan transferred to the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
where she honed her athletic prowess even further becoming a SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
powerhouse and a NCAA finalist. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Psychology in 2005 and a Masters in Speech Pathology in 2007 from Alabama. She was an All American at the University of Alabama and the University of Minnesota. She won the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
race at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games
Athletics at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games
The athletics competition at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games took place at the Estadio Pedro de Heredia in Cartagena, Colombia and lasted from July 25 to July 29. There were 23 events for men and 21 for women...
, and finished fifth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
. The OECS sports desk named her most outstanding female athlete in 2006 for her top performances in international meets.
Harrigan began her career as a professional sprinter in the spring of 2007. She has competed in several professional track meets in the U.S. and abroad. Of the many sprint-oriented events she competes in, the crown jewel would have to be her current personal record in the 100 metres of 11.13 seconds.
At the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Luis Puig Palace in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9, 2008.-Bid:Valencia was announced the winning bidder by the IAAF on November 13, 2005 at an IAAF Council meeting in Moscow, Russia.-Men:...
in Valencia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Harrigan finished third in the final of the Women's 60m posting a new BVI national record of 7.09 sec. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
she competed at the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
sprint. In her first round heat she placed third behind Christine Arron and Lauryn Williams
Lauryn Williams
Lauryn Williams is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for the United States...
in a time of 11.46 to advance to the second round. There she failed to qualify for the semi finals as her time of 11.36 was only the fifth time of her heat, causing elimination.