By Paul Hof-Mahoney
December 10, 2024
Nickisha Pryce, 2024 NCAA champion and Jamaican record holder in the 400m, has signed with Grand Slam Track for the league’s inaugural season in 2025.
Here’s what you need to know:
– Pryce and Oblique Seville are the fourth and fifth Jamaican athletes to sign with the league. Roshawn Clarke, Ackera Nugent, and Rushell Clayton are also members of the talented group of Jamaican sprinters that will be competing in Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
– Pryce is the fourth and final athlete signed to the “long sprints” group, who will compete in the 200m and 400m at each three-day Slam. Olympic medalists Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser were announced as the first two Racers in the category in the fall, as well as World Indoor bronze medalist Alexis Holmes.
– Racers will accrue points for their finishes in both races. The athlete with the highest point total will win the Slam and a $100,000 prize for first place.
– After a breakout 2023 where she won the Jamaican national title in 50.21, Pryce exploded in 2024. She became the first collegian to dip under the 49-second barrier when she won the NCAA title in June, and then ran 48.57 at the London Diamond League in July, moving up to 8th on world the all-time list.
– Pryce has strong credentials at 200m as well. She ran an indoor PB of 22.62 and an outdoor PB of 22.67 while competing for Arkansas this past season. For comparison, Paulino and Eid Naser have 200m PBs of 22.36 and 22.51, respectively.
Kevin Morris / @KevMoFoto
What They Had To Say:
Pryce (via press release): "Joining Grand Slam Track is a dream come true for me. I've spent years working toward competing at the highest level, and this is the perfect opportunity to push myself even further. I'm excited for the challenge and ready to bring my best to every race. The road ahead will be tough, but I believe I have the strength to rise to it and accomplish even more, both on and off the track."
What her signing means for the league:
– The women’s long sprints is the seventh group to fill all four racers. The only spots left available are: men’s long hurdles, men’s short hurdles, men’s short sprints, women’s short sprints, women’s short distance.
– This group in particular has one interesting caveat, and that’s that we could see two high-profile Racers signed to other groups drop into this one for a Slam. The addition of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (long hurdles) or Gabby Thomas (long sprints), who we’ve dubbed “unicorns,” to this race would be fascinating.
Pryce’s head-to-head record against Paulino, Eid Naser and Holmes
- 0-1 vs. Paulino (Only race was Olympic semifinal, where Paulino finished 1st to Pryce’s 4th)
- Pryce has never raced Eid Naser
- 0-2 vs. Holmes
Who Else Has Signed With Grand Slam Track So Far:
– Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (June 18th)
– Josh Kerr (June 27th)
– Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse (Sept. 4th)
– Fred Kerley and Kenny Bednarek (Sept. 12th)
– Melissa Jefferson (Sept. 19th)
– Masai Russell, Cyrena Samba Mayela and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Sept. 25th)
– Alison Dos Santos and Clément Ducos (Sept. 26th)
– Muzala Samukonga (Sept. 26th)
– Quincy Hall and Matthew Hudson-Smith (Oct. 10th)
– Nikki Hiltz (Oct. 15th)
– Grant Fisher and Ronald Kwemoi (Oct. 15th)
– Roshawn Clarke and Ackera Nugent (Oct. 17th)
– Luis Grijalva (Oct. 22nd)
– Shamier Little, Jasmine Jones and Rushell Clayton (Oct. 22nd)
– Jessica Hull (Oct. 22nd)
– Devon Allen and Daniel Roberts (Oct. 22nd)
– Marileidy Paulino (Oct. 22nd)
– Jereem Richards (Oct. 22nd)
– Marco Arop (Oct. 22nd)
– Tsigie Gebreselama and Agnes Ngetich (Oct. 22nd)
– Salwa Eid Naser (Nov. 21st)
– Elise Cranny and Nozomi Tanaka (Nov. 21st)
– Mary Moraa (Nov. 21st)
– Daryll Neita (Nov. 21st)
– Gabby Thomas (Nov. 26th)
– Alexis Holmes (Dec. 10th)
– Oblique Seville (Dec. 10th)
– Sasha Zhoya (Dec. 10th)
– Hagos Gebrhiwet (Dec. 10th)
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Paul Hof-Mahoney
Paul is currently a student at the University of Florida (Go Gators) and is incredibly excited to be making his way into the track and field scene. He loves getting the opportunity to showcase the fascinating storylines that build up year-over-year across all events (but especially the throws).
