For some special athletes, the first time's the charm.
Teahna Daniels ran just two indoor meets this season, recording US #1 times at both on her first attempt. Her 6.93 55m is still tied for US #1, with Medgar Evers star Brenessa Thompson. No one has topped her 7.39 nation leader in the 60m.
The most remarkable part is that the First Academy of Orlando (FL) senior has already moved on to the outdoor season, in which - of course - she owns the nation's top mark of 11.60 for 100m.
"The 100 will always be my baby race, that's like my race, but the 60 is just something to do," she said. "It's the short event to do before I really start my season."
The state of Florida does not have an official indoor track season, so most Sunshine State sprinters never hit a 200-meter track.
"I've always tried to get some indoor meets in because I'm a power runner," Daniels said. "My first 60 meters [of a 100m] is my race, so I actually do enjoy indoors. Most sprinters from Florida don't do it, but I'm kinda different."
Daniels has not competed at the national championship since her freshman year, when she earned All-American honors with an eighth-place, 12.05 finish in the Championship 100m. She also won the Emerging Elite 200m in 24.28. The two-time Florida State Champion is looking forward to contending for her first national title at New Balance Nationals Indoor on Saturday.
Despite her early transition to the outdoor season, the University of Texas signee feels ready to take on her more indoor-savvy competitors.
"I feel good, I mean the 60 is pretty much the same as the 100," she said. "I love New York and just to run with some of the top sprinters in the country is always a good experience so I can test my limits.
"I'm just trying to go in like I go into every race. Everyone goes in to win and that's the main goal, just basically go in like it's any other meet, just try and run as fast as I can. Work on my transitions, make sure my form is correct, make sure I push out of my drive phase."
Daniels and coach Ricky Argro completed a hard workout on Monday and plan to spend the remainder of the week prepping for her 60m dash prelim, set for 9:00 a.m. this Saturday.
She ran 180m at 21.32, 150m at 17.4, 120m at 14.28 and two sets of 100m, both at 11.97, in the heat of the Orlando sun.
"It was a good day of work, but it was real hot today," she said via text after the workout.
Argro, who has coached Daniels for the past two years, said the workout was one of her better ones.
"Last week was the first week of us really getting on a lot more speed, more than just basic speed endurance and conditioning," he said. "It was a great day. We haven't really done a lot of stuff that involves a whole lot of turnover before these past couple weeks. I'm really excited about what she's been doing."
Argro has worked with several other national-level talents, including Marvin Bracy, Trayvon Bromell and Trentavis Friday.
"Teahna has as much natural talent as any one of them," he said. "Now that she's finally starting to put the work ethic with the natural talent, she's becoming a great track and field athlete... The sky's the limit."
