Russell ascends to No. 6 all-time U.S. female competitor, runs best time by an American since 2018; LSU’s Rose posts second-fastest NCAA 600-yard mark on banked track, clocking 1:17.58

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Kentucky senior Masai Russell set the women’s 60-meter hurdles collegiate record Friday at the Texas Tech Red Raider Open at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock.

Russell clocked 7.75 seconds to eclipse the shared mark of 7.78 produced by Clemson graduate Brianna McNeal in 2013 and Florida’s Grace Stark at last year’s NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Alabama.

Russell, who finished second to Stark in last season’s Division 1 indoor final, opened her season Jan. 14 at the Rod McCravy Memorial Track and Field Invitational in Lexington by running 7.88. Keni Harrison had boasted the Kentucky program record of 7.87 since 2015, until Russell’s performance. 

Russell, a nine-time All-American, elevated to the No. 6 all-time American indoor competitor, achieving the fastest time by a U.S. female athlete since 2018.

Russell, a graduate of Bullis School in Maryland, matched the No. 12 performer in global indoor history.

She also ran 7.40 in the 60-meter dash and contributed to a 3:38.37 effort for the Wildcats in the 4x400 relay.

LSU sophomore Michaela Rose ran the second-fastest time in NCAA history in the women’s 600-yard event by clocking 1:17.58 on a 200-meter banked track.

Tennessee’s Delisa Walton still holds the collegiate record of 1:17.38 from 1982.

Texas’ Suziann Reid ran 1:17.52 in 1998 on an oversized track at Iowa State.