Sharika Nelvis, one of the greatest athletes – in any sport – in Arkansas State athletics history joined the A-State Track and Field staff as a volunteer assistant prior to the 2020-21 season.
Owning an astounding 24 Sun Belt Conference individual championships (13 indoor, 11 outdoor), Nelvis stole the show with the Red Wolves from 2011 to 2014 in the sprint hurdles as well as the long jump. In 2014, a season in which she won both the NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles and Outdoor 100m hurdles crowns, the Memphis, Tennessee, native became the first A-State athlete to be named a finalist for The Bowerman, known as the highest honor for a collegiate track and field athlete.
Nelvis made four NCAA Championship appearances (two indoor, two outdoor) in her illustrious career. She also is all over the A-State record books, owning nine school records – six indoor in the 55 meters, 55m hurdles, 60 meters (tied), 60m hurdles, 200 meters and long jump, and three outdoors in the 100 meters, 100m hurdles and long jump.
As a Red Wolf, Nelvis immediately provided a great impact for Jim Patchell’s track and field program, being named the Sun Belt Conference’s top freshman both indoors and outdoors. Over her next three years, she won titles in the sprints, hurdles and long jump and was named the league’s top track and field athlete indoors and outdoors in 2012 and 2013.
In 2013, Nelvis made her first national meet appearances, first in the indoor long jump where she earned Second Team All-American honors. In her first NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance, breaking 13 seconds in the 100m hurdles by winning her semifinal in 12.84. In the final, she ran 12.92, placing sixth to earn her first points finish in an NCAA meet.
As a senior in 2014, Nelvis developed into America’s top collegiate hurdler, winning the NCAA 60m hurdles crown indoors (7.93) and the 100m hurdles outdoors (12.52w), both times defeating a strong field that included Jasmin Stowers. Her incredible season earned her Sun Belt Female Athlete of the Year honors, while she also won the Honda Sports Award for the best collegiate female track and field athlete in the nation before being a Bowerman finalist.
Nelvis currently competes professionally and topped the indoor world list in 2015. She represented the United States at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in the 100m hurdles as well as the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 60m hurdles.
In 2018, Nelvis won the women’s 60m hurdles with a NACAC and American record time of 7.70 at the 2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships and repeated as champion in 2019.
