Table 4. U.S. collegiate sprinters’ recollections of their onset of training and best performances.
| Sex | NCAA division |
Age | Began training |
Age first year high school |
First year high school best performance | Lifetime best performance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 200 m | 400 m | 100 m | 200 m | 400 m | |||||
| F | I | 18 | *17a | 14 | 12.7 | 26.3 | NAb | NA | NA | 51.1 |
| F | I | 22 | 18 | 14 | NA | NA | 59.Xc | 11.4 | 23.4 | 56.X |
| F | I | 24 | *21 | *17 | NA | NA | NA | 11.1 | 23.1 | NA |
| F | II | 23 | 15 | 14 | NA | 26.X | 58.X | NA | 24.1 | 53.0 |
| F | III | 21 | *13 | 14 | 13.X | 28.X | NA | 11.9 | 26.0 | 62.2 |
| F | III | 22 | *15 | 15 | 12.7 | 27.2 | NA | 12.0 | 25.4 | NA |
| F | III | 23 | *19 | *15 | 13.1 | 26.X | 60.0 | NA | 25.3 | 56.4 |
| F | III | 20 | *16 | *15 | 13.5 | 26.8 | 59.9 | 12.4 | 24.5 | 55.5 |
| F | III | 22 | *17 | *17 | 13.X | 27.X | 59.X | 12.0 | 24.3 | 55.2 |
| F | III | 21 | *16 | *15 | 13.X | 27.X | 61.X | 13.X | 26.0 | 56.8 |
| F | III | 20 | *13 | *14 | 15.X | 27.X | 62.X | 12.4 | 24.6 | 58.1 |
| F | III | 19 | *15 | 14 | NA | 28.X | 63.X | NA | 24.9 | 54.8 |
| F | III | 21 | 18 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 12.9 | 26.0 | 56.5 |
| M | I | 20 | *15 | 14 | 11.0 | 22.5 | 52.9 | 10.2 | 21.1 | 49.2 |
| M | I | 20 | 18 | *16 | 11.3 | 23.5 | 53.4 | 10.6 | 20.9 | 46.0 |
| M | I | 20 | *16 | *15 | 11.2 | 23.5 | 54.X | 10.9 | 21.2 | 46.3 |
| M | II | 22 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 21.5 | 47.1 |
| M | II | 21 | *17 | 15 | 11.3 | 22.8 | 49.9 | 10.6 | 21.1 | 46.1 |
| M | III | 22 | 14 | 14 | NA | NA | 57.X | 10.6 | 21.3 | 48.8 |
| M | III | 21 | 17 | *16 | NA | 22.2 | 49.4 | NA | 22.1 | 47.4 |
Notes.
a
* Indicates age estimated from reported grade (e.g., 9th grade = 15 years).
b
NA, no data provided by athlete.
c
Performances including an “X” after the decimal indicate uncertainty about exact time.