Sears making Strides: Lady Vol holds fastest 100m time in the world for 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The sprinter, who ran the women’s fastest 100m in 2024, lives on Rocky Top.

“That meet I just wanted to execute the race model that they give me but they’ve been telling me in practice like where I’m going to be but seeing it on the board it was such a blessing,” said Lady Vol senior sprinter, Jacious Sears.

A 10.77 flashed on the scoreboard next to Sears’ name. That number was just .02 off from the 100m collegiate record.

“When you run that fast and you run that fast as early as she did I mean all the eyes in the track and field world are only on you,” said Tennessee track & field head coach Duane Ross.

Setting records is nothing new to Sears, she put up the school’s best 60m mark during the 2023 indoor season. Her success is a product of the coaching staff helping her keep pace.

“Coach Ross and Coach Garner, they both think big, which I am so grateful for because when I was at Miami not to compare but I thought big, but I didn’t have coaches telling me I could do it but here they think even bigger than me so they really make me realize my full potential,” Sears said.

Sears has been able to let her coaches on Rocky Top build her up because of the foundation she’s laid in her faith.

“I feel very blessed, I feel like God has been guiding me each and every step when I was at Miami he kind of put me in that position to where I was feeling very uncomfortable and I needed a change and it pushed me to want to enter the portal,” said Sears, “Then when I was talking to Coach Ross, God just gave me a feeling that he was going to be the best coach for me and he has been the best coach for me and ever since that I just feel so blessed.”

The same drive Sears puts in her faith is now being passed to her talents on the track.

“I’ve always like believed in myself but I think the more and more I continue to grow here the more I build confidence in myself and the more that I believe I can accomplish these goals,” Sears said.

“Last year she wasn’t talking about the Olympic Games, this year she came in talking about the Olympic Games, talking winning the NCAA championship and leading her team and that’s what every coach wants,” said Ross.

Sears was a bit shocked when she found she held the fastest time currently in the world for the 100m, but really the blocks had already been set in her foundation, she just had to get set and go.

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