Zaya Akins
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 August 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Sprint | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best | 400m: 51.33 (2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Zaya Akins (born 30 August 2005) is an American sprinter.[1]
Career
She won a gold medal as part of the USA 4 × 400 m relay team at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.[2]
She missed the 2023 season through injury, but bounced back to win the USATF U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon with a time of 51.81 seconds in June 2024,[3]
She reached the final of the 400 metres at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.[4] In the final she ran 52.00 seconds flat to win the bronze medal.[5] She also won gold in the 4 × 400 m relay at the Championships.[6]
NCAA
Zaya Akins is an NCAA Champion, 3-time SEC Champion, 5-time All-SEC honoree as a student-athlete at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
| representing South Carolina Gamecocks | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.40 |  2nd
| |
| 4 × 400 m relay | DNS | 9th | |||
| 400 m | 51.40 | 10th | |||
| Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.75 |  1st
| ||
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:24.26 | 1st
| |||
| 400 m | 52.33 | 6th | |||
| NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:47.74 | 10th | ||
| 400 m | 51.39 | 5th | |||
| Southeastern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships | 200 m | 23.12 | 7th | ||
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:27.95 | 2nd
| |||
| 400 m | 51.39 | 5th | |||
| 2024 | NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.63 |  3rd
| |
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:24.86 | 6th | |||
| 400 m | 52.36 | 20th | |||
| Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships | 4 × 100 m relay | DQ | 10th | ||
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:25.02 | 2nd
| |||
| 400 m | 51.98 | 12th | |||
| NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:26.20 | 1st
| ||
| Southeastern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:26.05 | 1st
| ||
| 400 m | 52.78 | 13th | |||
Early life
She attended Raytown South High School in Missouri, before attending University of South Carolina.[9] She won eight state high school championships, breaking the Missouri state record in both the 200 and 400 metres.[10]
Personal life
Her father Eli was a high school sprinter. She has two screws in her left knee after breaking her leg playing volleyball. She has been trained by Olympic runner Muna Lee.[11]
References
- ^ "Zaya Akins". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "World Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "YOUNG AMERICAN STANDOUTS EARN PLACES ON USATF U20 TEAM". Runnerspace. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Reid and Walaza win world U20 100m titles in Lima". World Athletics. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Almayew sets steeplechase championship record to win world U20 title in Lima". World Athletics. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Reid anchors Jamaica to 4x100m title to secure golden double in Lima". World Athletics. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Zaya Akins results TFRRS
- ^ Zaya Akins profile South Carolina Gamecocks
- ^ "Sprinter Zaya Akins, other locals make USA's roster for U-20 world championships". Kansascity.com. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Young, Mason (5 July 2023). "She's the fastest girls sprinter in Missouri history. Where will she compete in college?". Kansascitystar. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Han, Nathan (14 June 2022). "Record-setting sprinter Zaya Akins takes her talents to the national level this summer". Kansascitystar. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
