Kayla White

Kayla White
Personal information
Born (1996-09-24) September 24, 1996 (age 30)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
EducationNorth Carolina A&T State University
Miami Southridge Senior High School
Sport
Country United States
SportAthletics
Event
Sprint
College teamNorth Carolina A&T Aggies
TeamNike
Turned pro
2019
Coached byDuane Ross
2014–23
Dennis Mitchell
July 2023–present
Achievements and titles
Personal bests100 m: 10.84 (Eugene, 2025)
200 m: 21.92 (Budapest, 2026)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  United States
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2025 Tokyo4 × 100 m relay
World Ultimate Championship
First place2026 Budapest4 × 100 m mixed
Third place2026 Budapest200 m
Diamond League
Second place2026200 m

Kayla White (born September 24, 1996) is an American track and field athlete who competes as a sprinter.

Professional career

In April 2023, White beat Sha'Carri Richardson in the 200 meters at the inaugural Botswana Golden Grand Prix with a time of 22.38 seconds. Competing at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Eugene, Oregon, she reached the semi-finals of the 100 m competition. In the 200 metres, White ran a new personal best time of 22.01s to finish third overall. She was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023, and qualified for the semi-finals in the 200 metres.

After 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, White moved back to Florida to be coached by Dennis Mitchell.

She ran as part of the American 4 × 100 m relay team at the 2025 World Athletics Relays as they won their heat and qualified a team for the World Championships. She ran 10.89 seconds (+1.3 m/s) to win her preliminary heat of the 100 metres at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. After winning her semi-final in 10.92 seconds, she then ran to a second place finish behind Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, with a new personal best time of 10.82 seconds (+0.4).

In September 2025, she was a semi-finalist in the 100 metres at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. She also ran in the women's 4 × 100 metres relay at the championships as part of the team which won the gold medal in the final for the American team.

On 26 April 2026, White ran 22.68 seconds to win over 200 metres at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone. On 31 May, she ran the 200 metres in 22.28 seconds to place second to compatriot Cambrea Sturgis at the 2026 Diamond League in Rabat and 22.07 seconds on 6 June to finish runner-up to Gabby Thomas at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas. The following month, she ran 22.04 for the 200 m at the 2026 Herculis event in Monaco before setting a new 200 m personal best of 21.92 seconds at the István Gyulai Memorial, in Budapest. On 24 July, White finished runner-up at the USA Championships over 100 metres for the second consecutive year, finishing in 10.90 seconds behind only Sha'Carri Richardson. White won the first Diamond League victory of her career at the 2026 Athletissima in Lausanne on 21 August, running 22.18 seconds (+0.3m/s) to win the 200 metres ahead of world silver medallist Amy Hunt. At the 2026 Diamond League Final in Brussels on 4 September, White ran 22.00 seconds for second place in the 200 metres behind Julien Alfred. On 11 September, she was part of the winning American mixed 4 × 100 metres relay team at the inaugural 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, alongside Anavia Battle, Courtney Lindsey and Ronnie Baker. Two days later, she returned to compete in the 200 metres final, and finished as part of an American one-two-three with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Gabby Thomas, placing third in 21.93 seconds. On 18 September, she finished as runner-up to Gabby Thomas in the 200 m at Athlos in London.

NCAA

In 2019 she became the NCAA indoor champion over 200 metres, running in 22.66 seconds in Birmingham, Alabama. She also finished second in the 60 m hurdles at the same event.

In 2019, White earned 5 NCAA Division I All-American awards and won 5 individual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles at conference championships.

In 2018, White earned 1 NCAA Division I All-American award and won 6 individual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles.

In 2017, White earned 2 NCAA Division I All-American awards and won 3 individual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles.

In 2016, White won 3 individual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles in the 60 m hurdles, 100 m hurdles and 4 × 100 m relay.

At North Carolina A&T, White earned All-MEAC academic awards.

Early life

From Miami, Florida, White was a dancer before trying athletics in High School. She went to Miami Southridge Senior High School before attending North Carolina A&T State University between 2015 and 2019. White won 2014 FHSAA 4A District 14 Championships and placed 5th in FHSAA Region 4 championships in 100 meters in 12.13w. White won 2013 FHSAA 4A District 14 Championships 100 meters in 12.83.

Personal life

From 2021 to 2023, White coached track and field at University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Statistics

Representing the  United States
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 9th 200 m 22.34
2025 World Relays Guangzhou, China 4th 4 × 100 m relay 42.38
Grand Slam Track results
SlamRace groupEventPl.TimePrize money
2025 Miami SlamShort sprints 100 m7th11.08US$12,500
200 m6th22.85

References

  1. ↑ "Kayla White". World Athletics. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  2. ↑ Williams, Lut (1 May 2023). "Former NC A&T athlete upsets Sha'Carri Richardson". hbcugameday.com. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Women's 100m Results: USATF Outdoor Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Gabby Thomas sets best 200m time of year in US". au.sports.yahoo.com. July 10, 2023. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Women's 200m". usatf. July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Women's 200m Results: World Athletics Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. 23 August 2023.
  7. ↑ Gault, Jonathan (7 August 2023). "USATF Announces 2023 World Championship Roster". letsrun.com. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  8. ↑ Can She Be the Next Olympic Medalist in the 200m Dash? – Athlete Spotlight The Final Leg – Anderson Emerole
  9. ↑ Foster, Anthony (10 May 2025). "Jamaica Qualifies Two of Six Teams for Finals at World Relays Guangzhou 25". Track Alerts. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "Men's 100m Results - USATF Outdoor Championships 2025". Watch Athletics. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  11. ↑ Zaccardi, Nick (August 1, 2025). "Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Kenny Bednarek win U.S. 100m titles in personal best times". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  12. ↑ "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 18 Sep 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 18 Sep 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "USA TRACK & FIELD NAMES TEAM FOR 2025 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS". Dyestat. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  15. ↑ "World Athletics Continental Tour 2026: Andre de Grasse claims statement win in 200m season opener, Kayla White wins women's event". Olympics.com. 26 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "El Bakkali and Kovacs win rematches in Rabat". World Athletics. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "Thomas scorches to 21.70 at Lone Star Grand Prix". World Athletics. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Tharp backs up world record form with 12.85 in Budapest". World Athletics. 14 July 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Results - Monaco Diamond League 2026". Watch Athletics. 10 July 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Gault, Jonathan (25 July 2026). "Noah Lyles (9.79 PB) & Sha'Carri Richardson (10.77 SB) light up New York with World and US-leading 100m times". Lets Run. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Duplantis clears 6.21m, Karalis 6.16m in historic pole vault contest in Lausanne". World Athletics. 21 August 2026. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Hunt second in Diamond League 200m as White wins". BBC Sport. 21 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "MYERS WINS DRAMATIC BRUSSELS 1500M AS INGEBRIGTSEN CALLS RIVALS "COWARDS"". Athletics Weekly. 4 September 2026. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  24. ↑ "USA TRIUMPHS IN MIXED 4X100M IN BUDAPEST". World Athletics. 11 September 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  25. ↑ "JEFFERSON-WOODEN DASHES TO 21.47 ULTIMATE 200M VICTORY IN BUDAPEST". World Athletics. 13 September 2026. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  26. ↑ "Paulino pips Jaeger in 400m thriller as meeting records fall at Athlos in London". World Athletics. 18 September 2026. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "Kayla White: I still can't describe the feeling of being a national champion". wralsportsfan.com. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  28. ↑ "Aggie Kayla White Brings NCAT It's [sic] First Track & Field NCAA Championship". hbcubuzz.com. March 10, 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  29. ↑ NCAT's Kayla White Records World's Fastest 200 Time of Year Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
  30. ↑ Kayla White NCAT results TFRRS
  31. ↑ MEAC Announces 2019 Commissioner's All-Academic Team MEACsports.com
  32. ↑ Mills, Jeff (May 18, 2019). "A&T's Kayla White uses dancer's precision to create art of speed". Greensboro.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Kayla White". ncataggies. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  34. ↑ Kayla White Miami Southridge HS 2015 Athletic.net
  35. ↑ Kayla White – Assistant track and field coach at University of Tennessee University of Tennessee
  36. ↑ "Grand Slam Track Results". Grand Slam Track. Retrieved April 5, 2025.