OSAKA, Japan -- LSU track and field sophomore Nickiesha Wilson made history Tuesday at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Athletics as she shattered the 20-year-old school record in the 400-meter hurdles and advanced to Thursday’s final in the event.
The Jamaican advanced to the semifinal round after crossing the finish line in 55.15 seconds in the first round of qualifying on Sunday and eclipsed the previous school record by nearly one full second with a blistering time of 53.97 on Tuesday.
Wilson, who will line up in Lane 4 in the final on Thursday at 6:25 a.m. CDT, shattered the previous school record of 54.82 set by Lady Tiger great Schowanda Williams in 1987 and has earned a spot in the final in her first career appearance at the World Championships.
The Kingston native was arguably the top newcomer to the Lady Tiger program in 2007 as she earned a total of five All-America honors, including a NCAA runner-up finish in the 400 hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June.
In addition, Wilson ran the leadoff leg on LSU’s back-to-back national champion 4x400-meter relay team while also placing third in the final of the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA meet.
Former Lady Tiger national champion Lolo Jones of the United States has also put herself in a position to win a medal at the World Championships as she automatically qualified for the final of the 100 hurdles with a time of 12.68 in her semifinal heat. She is set to line up in Lane 2 in the event final on Wednesday at 7:05 a.m. CDT.