Angel Perkins (born 5 October 1984) is an American former

hurdler Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today ...

and

sprint Sprint may refer to: Aerospace * Spring WS202 Sprint, a Canadian aircraft design *Sprint (missile), an anti-ballistic missile Automobiles *Alfa Romeo Sprint, automobile produced by Alfa Romeo between 1976 and 1989 *Chevrolet Sprint, a rebadged v ...

er specializing in the

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

and the 2008

World Athletics Indoor Championships The World Athletics Indoor Championships are a biennial indoor track and field competition served as the global championship for that version of the sport. Organised by the World Athletics, the competition was inaugurated as the ''World Indoor G ...

bronze medalist in the

4 × 400 m relay 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hi ...

. As a prep, she won gold medals at the 2001 World U18 Championships in the 200 m and medley relay, and was described as among the best high school sprinters ever in the 100 m and 200 m and world-class on the 400 m. While competing for the

Baylor Bears track and field The Baylor Bears track and field program represents the Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the R ...

team, she went on to win medals at both the Pan American junior and senior athletics championships before earning World Indoor bronze in 2008.

Career

Running for

Gahr High School Richard Gahr High School, often simply known as Gahr High School, is a public, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) magnet high school in Cerritos, California, serving grades 9- 12. Gahr High is one of three comprehensive high ...

, Perkins won the 200 m and 400 meter titles at the 2000

CIF Southern Section The California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section (CIF-SS) is the governing body for high school athletics in most of Southern California and is the largest of the ten sections that comprise the California Interscholastic Federation (CI ...

Division I championships. She went on to place 2nd in both at the 2000

CIF California State Meet The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direc ...

. She went on to win the 400 m national title at that year's USA U20 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At just 15 years old, Perkins qualified for the 2000 United States Olympic trials and finished 5th in her 400 m heat. The following year, Perkins won the state title in the 200 m. She then finished 4th in the 200 m at the senior 2001 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, running 23.46 into a -1.4 m/s headwind. In 2004, the 4th-place finish was upgraded to 3rd as the original 3rd-placer

Kelli White Kelli White (born April 1, 1977, in Oakland, California) is an American former sprinter. She won two gold medals in the World Championships in Paris in 2003. However, on June 18, 2004, she was stripped of her medals, because she tested positive ...

was disqualified for doping. As a 16 year old running against adults, Perkins' finish was unexpected. Perkins qualified to compete at the 2001 World Youth Championships, where she entered in both the 200 m and the sprint medley relay. In the 200 m, Perkins won the gold medal in a best of 23.07 seconds. The mark was the 9th-fastest high school performance in history. In the sprint medley, Perkins ran third leg with Ashley Lodree,

Allyson Felix Allyson Michelle Felix (born November 18, 1985) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters. She specialized in the 200 meters from 2003 to 2013, then gradually shifted to the 400 meter ...

, and

Stephanie Smith Stephanie Smith is an American contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter. She is signed to Gotee Records. Her first studio album, ''Not Afraid'', was released on May 27, 2008, digitally and in stores on December 23, 2008. She received natio ...

and won another gold medal. Following her 2001 season, Perkins committed to run for the Arizona Wildcats track and field team. Perkins placed 7th in the 100 m at the 2002 U.S. U20 Outdoor Championships and she did not compete internationally that summer. The following year, Perkins finished 4th and 2nd in the 200 m and 400 m at the 2003 U20 Championships, qualifying her to represent the U.S. at the 2003 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay. In the 400 m, Perkins won her heat and finished runner-up in the finals behind

, while in the 4 × 400 m the U.S. team won the gold medal by over 7 seconds. Perkins made her first Olympic bid the following year, attempting to qualify at the 2004 United States Olympic trials. She advanced past the quarter-finals but placed 7th in her semi-final and didn't qualify for the Olympic team. After transferring to the

team, Perkins qualified for the 2005 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in only the 4 × 400 m relay, failing to make the finals. She improved upon her NCAA finish in 2006, first placing 9th in the 4 × 400 m at the indoor NCAA championships and then performing in the 400 m and both sprint relays at the

2006 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2006 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were contested at the 85th annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team champions of men's and women's Division I (NCAA), Division I collegiate track and fiel ...

. She finished 5th in her 400 m semi-final and her 4 × 100 m team failed to advance, but her 4 × 400 m team did qualify for the finals where they placed 5th. After advancing to national semifinals in both the 2007 USA indoor 60 m and outdoor 400 m, Perkins was selected to represent the U.S. at both the

2007 NACAC Championships The 2007 North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships was a regional track and field competition held at the Flor Blanca National Stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador, from July 13–15, 2007. It was the inaugural edition of a se ...

(individually in the 400 m) and at the

Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games The Sport of athletics, athletics competition at the 2007 Pan American Games was held at the Flamengo Park and Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro between 22 July and 29 July 2007. In the 47 events that took place, thirteen List of ...

(in the 4 × 400 m). At the NACAC Championships, Perkins finished 5th in the 400 m finals, and at the Pan American Games Perkins ran the 2nd leg to help the U.S. team win the bronze medal. Perkins achieved her greatest international success during the 2008 indoor season. By finishing 5th in the 400 m at the 2008 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, she qualified for the World Indoor Championships 4 × 400 m. Leading off for the U.S. team, she and Miriam Barnes,

Shareese Woods Shareese Woods (born February 20, 1985) is an American track and field athlete. She has competed internationally in sprint and has been on United States teams at the 2006 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics, 2007 NACAC Championships, 200 ...

, Moushaumi Robinson won the bronze medal behind Russia and Belarus. Outdoors, Perkins picked up the

400 metres hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is a track and field hurdling event. The event has been on the Summer Olympics, Olympic Sport of athletics, athletics programme since 1900 Summer Olympics, 1900 for men and since 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984 for women. On a ...

for the first time and contested that at the 2008 United States Olympic trials. She qualified for the finals but placed 5th, with only the top 3 finishers given berths to the U.S. Olympic team. In 2009, Perkins continued to work on the 400 m hurdles but failed to advance past the first round at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She continued to race inside California in the following years, but did not compete at another national championship and competed at her final high-level race in 2016.

Personal life

Perkins was born on 5 October 1984 and grew up in the

Cerritos, California Cerritos (; Spanish for "Little hills") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was municipal corporation, incorporated on ...

area attending

. She has three brothers and two sisters, including one who played basketball for

California State University, San Bernardino California State University, San Bernardino (Cal State San Bernardino or CSUSB) is a public research university in San Bernardino, California. Founded in 1965, it is part of the California State University system. The main campus sits on in th ...

. She first studied at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

before transferring to

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

, where she earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 2009. In 2012, she earned a master's degree in

criminal justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

. In 2010, Perkins coached the track and field team at

Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Southwest College (LASC) is a public community college in the unincorporated area of West Athens, California in Los Angeles County, California. It is part of the Los Angeles Community College District and its service area include ...

. In her first year of coaching, she coachec Shakina Phillips to a CA junior college state title in the 100 m hurdles and 2nd place in the 400 m hurdles. She went on to coach the women's sprinters and hurdlers on the Cerritos Falcons track and field team.

Statistics

Personal best progression

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Angel Living people 1984 births American female sprinters American female hurdlers 21st-century American sportswomen World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists World Youth Championships in Athletics winners Arizona Wildcats women's track and field athletes Baylor Bears women's track and field athletes Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games Gahr High School alumni Boston University alumni Los Angeles Southwest Cougars track and field American track and field coaches College track and field coaches in California Cerritos Falcons track and field Sportspeople from Bellflower, California Track and field athletes from Long Beach, California