Garrett Crowned NCAA 400-Meter Hurdle Champion
EUGENE, Ore. (June 13, 2026) – South Carolina Women’s Track & Field put a bow on the 2026 outdoor season, but not before Akala Garrett was able to claim what belonged to her.
The junior 400-meter hurdler returned to Hayward Field as the reigning silver medalist in the NCAA Outdoor Championship. This time, Garrett would not be denied her crown. Garrett crossed the finish line with a new program record and new personal best, running 53.32 as she claimed the 2026 400mH National Championship. The North Carolina native becomes just the second Gamecock to ever win the women’s 400mH title, joining LaShinda Demus who achieved the feat in 2002. Garrett was able to take down Demus’ previous program record of 53.43 set in 2004. In addition, the former Texas Longhorn landed on the First Team All-American squad for the fourth time in her outdoor career.
South Carolina also saw two more student-athletes earn spots on the First Team All-American squad. Salma Elbadra finished as the national runner-up in the 1500m, running 4:12.89. Elbadra has re-written the South Carolina distance records all season long and is now the first Gamecock female to score in the 1500m at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Alexis Brown capped off her season with South Carolina with a seventh-place finish in the 200m, crossing the line in 22.49 for her first NCAA Division I Outdoor First Team All-American nod.
Overall, the Gamecocks scored 20 points and earned a tie for 15th on the national leaderboard. It was an all-SEC leaderboard with Georgia defending its title with 50 points, followed by Florida in second with 41 and Arkansas in third with 38.
Women’s Team Standings
1. Georgia – 50
2. Florida – 41
3. Arkansas – 38
—
T15. South Carolina – 20
Women’s Individual Results
200 Meters (Finals)
7. Alexis Brown – 22.49
1500 Meters (Finals)
2. Salma Elbadra – 4:12.89
4×100 Meter Relay (Finals)
— Brown, James, Williams, Hamilton – DNF
400-Meter Hurdles (Finals)
1. Akala Garrett – 53.32*
* – denotes outdoor personal best
