White wins national 200 meters

Cierra White said she was a bit nervous Sunday when she heard the crowd cheering as she stepped to the starter block at the National Indoor Track and Field Championships at the historic New York Armory.

In order to calm herself, the Engineering and Science senior reminded herself that she had participated in national events before, had won state titles and simply told herself she could do it.

Her preparation helped, and White became the school's first national champion with a first place time of 23.95 seconds in the 200 meters, nipping Detroit's Kyra Jefferson, who was second at 23.97.

"Pound-for-pound, she's the best athlete to ever come through here," said track and field coach Raymond Womack. "And she has great grades. It's hard to find someone who does great in both athletics and schoolwork."

After winning Sunday's race, White said she became emotional as she never expected to be in this position when she went to Engineering and Science as a freshman just looking for an alternative to the neighborhood schools the city offered.

"I wanted to do something different then what my friends were doing. I wanted the chance to meet new people," White said.

White travels more than an hour each day on public transportation from her home in Mayfair to the North Philadelphia high school. Womack said she's always on time for school, but the long commute combined with after-school practices often causes White to be exhausted once she reaches home at night.

"There's time when I just want to go to sleep, but I make sure to get my homework done," White said.

When Womack first met White during White's eighth-grade year at the Penn Relays, he thought what he often did about sprinters: You can't run. Womack said that he too often met young runners who were just sprinters, and they rarely panned out at the high school level.

But White showed great commitment during her freshman year, and Womack told her she could become a "monster."

"She's a coaches dream. Everyone loves her. She's extremely pleasant and not big-headed," said Womack.

White is receiving heavy interest from Division 1 track programs, including Illinois, Miami and Texas Tech. After the conclusion of the spring outdoor season, in which she aspires to win state titles in multiple events, including the 200 and 400 meters, White said she hopes to win an NCAA national championship and become a U.S. Olympian.

"That would be the best thing to ever happen to me," White said.