Rochelle Stevens celebrates meet’s 25th year with W45 WR in 200
Rochelle in elite days.
Here’s the rest of the USATF release for posterity:
No stranger to success, Stevens won her two Olympic medals in the 4×400-meter relay, earning Olympic gold at the Atlanta 1996 Games and silver in Barcelona in 1992.
The 25-year-anniversary of the Rochelle Stevens Invitational was complete with athletes ages 2-75 from seven states as they competed in running jumping and throwing events with current elite athletes providing inspiration as well. Olympian Wallace Spearmon, Jr. ran the 200m, while Olympic silver medalist and IAAF World Indoor Champion Trell Kimmons ran the 100 and 200m.
Stevens started running with Memphis Parks & Recreations at age 12. She earned 20 full track scholarships, an opportunity to travel the world and bachelor of science degree in telecommunications from Morgan State University.
Upon graduating from Morgan State University and returning to Memphis, she was saddened by the discontinuance of the summer track programs and started the Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet in 1990. The event has since provided more than 10,000 athletes with shoes, bags, transportation, scholarships and equipment. The meet also provides athletes the opportunity to compete in front of college coaches and recruiters with hopes of earning a track & field scholarship.
9 Responses
With Merlene Ottey holding the world 200 marks for W35, W40, W45, and W50, it goes without saying that beating any of her records, as Rochelle has done, is amazing.
On the US scene, I often compare sprint performances to what has been accomplished by Renee “The Jet” Henderson (now Shepherd). Renee has the American W45 mark of 25.28, and that has held up since 2011. Rochelle beat that time by a huge margin, 1.47 seconds.
All of this being said, it seems unlikely that Rochelle’s record will be accepted. For example, a report of the zero control test (ZCT) is absolutely mandatory; can that be obtained?
Also, although the line for “surveyor” on the record form is ignored for some meets (such as Penn Relays), did anyone survey the Collierville track? It’s hard to imagine that requirement not being enforced here. Further, did Rochelle walk around the facility to get all the signatures required? What about a sanction?
We have a meet in Jacksonville on July 23-26 called the USATF Masters Nationals. Most of the marks set at our masters nationals in the last few years have been accepted; it would be nice to see Rochelle go to Florida.
Hey she set the American record a few years ago,at the same meet,what we need is Rochelle and Renne on a relay in Frace WOW
She invites us every year all of us
Tracey has tried to get Rochelle to run Masters for years now,she’s not interested,she wanted to get the record that’s all
I attended her first meet 25 years ago as well as the 25th and it is great to see Rochelle get recognition for her many contributions to track and to the community. She is a wonderful person who works hard to help others.
She could take a couple seconds off the 400 record in that age group, if she attempts to
56.15
All I have is, wow!
Great to see an Olympian give back to her community. Rochelle is obviously a class act as well as great athlete.
I was on the field that day when Rochelle was running,,,let me tell ya, the way she ran the 100 m curve,i was questioning myself : who was that NCAA runner? A fast and smoove body was driving so beautifully in the curve, and that was amazing to be seen.. wow ! what -a- race?
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