Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Extends Unbeaten 100 Meter Streak With U.S. Title

Forbes

02-08-2025

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden never looked in doubt.
On Friday night in the women's 100 meter final at the USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the 24-year-old continued her torrid streak at the distance, claiming her first U.S. title with a time of 10.65 seconds.
The performance was a new personal best, a new world lead, and best yet, the fifth-best time in U.S. history, tying her Star Athletics teammate, Sha'Carri Richardson, and former U.S. star Marion Jones.
What's better than all of that is the fact that Jefferson-Wooden hasn't lost a 100 meter race since August of last year, when she finished third in the 100 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics in 10.92. That moment may have been the start of something special for the former Coastal Carolina star.
For years, she's been a vital piece of the U.S. sprint corps, racking up an Olympic win in the 4x100 and two more golds in the 4x100 at previous World Championships.
But now, on the heels of a massive victory, is it officially Jefferson-Wooden's time to shine?
This South Carolina Native Is Rolling On The Track
In 2025 alone, Jefferson-Wooden has won five finals over the 100 meter distance, including a momentum-swinging win at the Prefontaine Classic in May (10.75). Previous fixtures included a trio of victories at Grand Slam Track across events in Kingston, Miami and Philadelphia.
Of course, Jefferson-Wooden's position on Friday didn't look guaranteed at first. Her effort out of the blocks left her slightly behind Kayla White over the first 20 meters.
But once she stood up, Jefferson-Wooden stepped past White and shut the door on any challenger. The South Carolina native eventually gapped the field by nearly two-tenths.
White was second in 10.84, while Aleia Hobbs was third in 10.92. The trio booked their tickets to the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September.
The final saw five women break 11 seconds, including Twanisha Terry (10.94) and Tamari Davis (10.97), though the field was without Richardson, who scratched from semifinal and reportedly was dealing with an arrest earlier in the week.
Outlining The Men's 100 Meter Final At USAs
In the men's final, Kenny Bednarek earned his keep with his first race under 9.8, winning in 9.79 seconds. In many ways, his season has mirrored that of Jefferson-Wooden – 'Kung Fu' Kenny is also undefeated over 100 meters in 2025. For that matter, he's also unbeaten over 200 meters.
Alongside Bednarek, Courtney Lindsay and surprise third-place finisher T'Mars McCallum solidified their bids to the World Championships in Tokyo for Team USA. In McCallum's case, he's also a South Carolina native like Jefferson-Wooden.
In an incredibly loaded men's final, seven athletes broke 10 seconds. High schooler Maurice Gleaton, in fact, tied the high school national record with his season- and career-best time of 9.92 seconds.
A Career-Defining Year For Melissa Jefferson-Wooden
It's been a career-year for Jefferson-Wooden – in more ways than one. She married her college sweetheart, Rolan Wooden II, in January.
Since then, plenty of good things have followed.
On Friday, she moved up on an illustrious 100 meter U.S. list. While Florence Griffith-Joyner's 37-year-old U.S. record of 10.61 remains, it may not be there for long.
Jefferson-Wooden, a Florida resident who trains with Star Athletics – alongside Richardson and Terry -- has now logged four times under 10.8 this season, including her second-best outing of 10.73 seconds at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, a notoriously difficult track for sprinters.
Since 2003, Jefferson-Wooden has carved out a slow-but-steady rise up the U.S. sprint ranks, going from fifth in the women's final in 2023 to second at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2024.
The 24-year-old wasn't a highly-sought out recruit out of high school in South Carolina. By the time she graduated from Coastal Carolina, she had claimed an indoor 60 meter title and run a best of 10.88 seconds.
By 2025, however, few are doubting Jefferson-Wooden's potential.
She'll arrive in Tokyo with much to prove, and perhaps the athlete to beat in the women's 100 meters.