Former World Athletics Under-20 sprint hurdles gold medallist Ackera Nugent says her quest to improve and to push herself to the limit was behind her decision to transfer to the University of Arkansas and compete in the tough South-Eastern Conference (SEC) of US collegiate track and field.

Nugent, one of the deep pool of Jamaican female sprint hurdlers and former Excelsior High runner, had competed for Baylor University the last two years during which she won a handful of titles and broke a number of records.

On Wednesday Nugent, whose World Under-20 60m hurdles record of 7.92 seconds set in March 2021 was ratified by World Athletics, posted a photograph on social media wearing an Arkansas shirt with the school mascot, a razor hog, and clearing a hurdle with ‘Arkansas’ on it with the caption, “Rule#3: Go, forget ATTENTION and GROW in PRIVATE. I spoke less and God did the rest. (Psalms 27:1).”

She is just one of several Jamaicans who had switched colleges since the end of the outdoor season in June, including at at least five who have ended up in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Former Rusea’s High ISSA Champs gold medallist Aalliyah Francis left Auburn to attend the University of South Carolina after just one year, while former Cornwall College sprinter Brenton Shippy will compete for the University of Louisville after competing at South Carolina State the last two years.

Nugent, who won the NCAA Division One indoor 60m hurdles as a freshman at Baylor and then attempted the tough 100m hurdles/100m double at the NCAA outdoors that season, told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday that “the most essential thing is that I never settle because I constantly want to outdo myself”.

“I don’t mind failing or starting over because failure is what helps to build character.”

The SEC Conference has earned a reputation for high quality sports, including track and field, and Nugent she wanted to be tested by the very best. “That is one of the reasons why I switched school,” said the Jamaican who has personal bests of 11.9 seconds in the 100m and 12.45 seconds in the 100m hurdles.

“To be able to be in a conference that will push me to stay on top of my A game every time and not to be comfortable nor complacent [is important].”

The presence of a number of other Jamaicans at the Fayetteville-based institution, she said, had nothing to do with her decision to move there.

“Moving to Arkansas had nothing to do with previous athletes that attended the school, but it had to do with me on a personal journey,” Nugent noted.

Asked about her World Under-20 record being ratified nearly two years after it was set, she said: “If I’m to be honest, I forgot I had a record for indoors, but that’s a great little feeling that I’m able to be in the record book a second time at the junior level.”

For the upcoming season, Nugent said her expectation are “to make sure I stay healthy and everything else will fall into place, and with that hopefully making my first senior team”.

Nugent also eyes spots on a number of teams later this year, including the World Championships in Hungary in August.

Nugent leaves Baylor as the school’s record holder in both the Indoor 60m hurdles and the 100m hurdles.