COURTESY LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE

Livingstone graduate Quanera Hayes celebrates with son Demetrius after winning the women's 400 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

Livingstone graduate Quanera Hayes is headed to next month’s Tokyo Olympics.

The 2015 Livingstone graduate and Hope Mills, N.C. native won the women’s 400 meters in 49.78 seconds, besting four-time Olympic champion Allyson Felix, who came in second at 50.2 seconds, with Wadeline Jonathas rounding out the top three. All women qualified for the U.S. national team.

Livingstone track coach Justin Davis said he was glued to the TV all weekend for the Olympic Trials, cheering on his former student-athlete.

“I have followed Quanera’s career extensively since she left Livingstone. I have always known she would make an Olympic team,” Davis said. “She has the experience because I was able to travel with her to two USA Outdoor Championships while she was a Blue Bear.”

In an interview posted by HBCU Gameday after advancing to the final round, Hayes was asked what it would mean to represent Livingstone College at the Olympics.

“Honestly, it would mean everything. And for me, it wouldn’t be just representing Livingstone College, it would be representing the CIAA and all Division II schools,” Hayes said. “A lot of people out here — they’re from HBCUs — but I’m literally the only one from a Division II school. So it’s much bigger than me just representing HBCUs, it’s me representing Division II as well. And letting them know, hey, just because we’re in Division II, people don’t look at us as being one of the best or top-tier athletes. But, look where I am. Look how far I’ve gotten coming from a Division II school. So it’s much bigger than the HBCU thing. That’s just a bonus.”

Davis said Hayes’ win shows that you don’t have to always go the biggest and most recognized college or university to achieve your greatness. “If you have talent, drive and motivation,” he said, “you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”

It was Davis who recruited the Grey’s Creek High School athlete in 2010. Hayes redshirted her freshman year and competed at Livingstone from 2011 to 2015. Davis and Tim Dunlap, the Blue Bears’ sprints coach at the time, were her coaches.

“When I first saw Quanera, I knew that she was different because she was so far ahead of all the competition she had in high school,” Davis said.

When Hayes came to Livingstone, she was able to run against the men’s team in practice and was always right there with them, Davis said. Her main events were the 200 and 400 meters, but she also competed in the 100, relays and cross country. Her collegiate personal bests times were 11.99 seconds in the 100; 23.29 in the 200; and 51.54 in the 400.

Hayes was a 12-time NCAA All-American – indoor and outdoor; four-time NCAA outdoor champion (three times in 400 and once in the 200); an eight-time school record holder; and USTFCCCA (US Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association) Athlete of the Year Indoor and Outdoor.

More on Hayes
In 2017, Hayes won the 400-meter title at the U.S.A. track and field outdoor championship in Sacramento, Calif., posting the fastest time in the world during that season at 49.72 seconds.

That same year, Hayes, Allyson Felix, Shakima Wimbley and Phyllis Francis won the 4x400 at the IAAF World Championships. The team won by the largest margin of victory in world championships history – male or female – to capture the first Team USA gold medal in the event since 2011.

Team USA, in which Hayes opened the race, finished with a time of 3:19.02 seconds, followed by Great Britain in 3:25.00 and Poland in 3:25.41.

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