Fred Kerley

Fredrick Lee Kerley (born May 7, 1995) is an American track and field sprinter specializing in the 400 meters for Nike. Over 400 m he is the 2018 champion in the professional Diamond League circuit, and twice the American champion, having won in 2017 and in 2019. Fred set his personal best time at the 2019 USA Championships, finishing in 43.64 seconds, making him the eighth fastest man in history over 400 m.[4]

Fred Kerley
Personal information
Full nameFredrick Lee Kerley
NationalityAmerican
Born (1995-05-07) May 7, 1995
Taylor, Texas, United States
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[1]
Weight205 lb (93 kg)[1]
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Sprints
College team
TeamNike
Turned pro2017
Coached by
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
Medal record
Men's track and field
Representing the  United States
World Championships
2019 Doha4×400 m relay
2017 London4×400 m relay
2019 Doha400 m
World Indoor Championships
2018 Birmingham4×400 m relay
NACAC U23 Championships
2016 San Salvador4×100 m relay

Biography

Kerley attended Taylor High School and his youth team was the College Station Sprinters in College Station, Texas. Afterwards he attended South Plains College from 2013 to 2015 before transferring to Texas A&M.

In 2016, Fred Kerley tried out for the Olympic team at the USA Olympic Trials.[5] He did not qualify out of his heat, but he went on to represent the United States at the NACAC Under-23 Championships where he anchored the 4 × 100 meters relay team to gold.[6]

In March 2017, he won the 400 m at the NCAA Division I Championships in a world leading time of 44.85 s, one of the top ten fastest indoor times ever. He joined his younger brother Mylik Kerley as he anchored the Aggies to a come from behind victory in the 4 × 400 m relay. The two first place finishes contributed 20 points to the team, helping bring Texas A&M to their first ever team victory at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, run on their home track. In May, Kerley ran 44.09 s, just 0.09 s off the NCAA record, while easing to the finish line at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships in Columbia, South Carolina.[7] A few weeks later Kerley set the NCAA record in the men's 400 m at the 2017 NCAA West Preliminary with a time of 43.70 s, taking three-tenths of a second off the 44.00 record by Olympic champion Quincy Watts, set almost 25 years earlier.[8][9] Kerley had met Watts just before the race.[10] He concluded his amateur career to win the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay at the 2017 NCAA Division I Championships in June.

A few weeks later in June 2017, he won the 400 m at the USA Championships in 44.03 seconds, qualifying him to represent the United States in the both the 400 m and the 4 × 400 m relay at the World Championships in Athletics. After winning his heat he finished third in his semi, but qualified for the final on time.[11] In the final he was unable to replicate his form from earlier in the season, finishing seventh in a time of 45.23 s. He came back a day later to help the USA qualify for the finals in the relay, and then a few days later earned a silver medal behind Trinidad and Tobago.

In 2018, Fred Kerley came off an injury to win the Diamond League trophy in the men's 400 meters.[12]

After Kerley turned professional in 2017 he joined club ALTIS in Phoenix, Arizona, and trained there under the guidance of Kevin Tyler for the 2018 season.[13] However, in 2019 he returned to Texas A&M to train under his former coach Alleyne Francique, stating to Track & Field News "I believe in him so much that I had to come back to train with him."[1]

Statistics

Information from IAAF profile or Track & Field Results Reporting System unless otherwise noted.[14][2][3]

Personal bests
EventTimeCompetitionVenueDateNotes
400 m43.64USA ChampionshipsDes Moines, Iowa, USAJuly 27, 2019
400 m indoor44.85NCAA Division I Indoor ChampionshipsCollege Station, Texas, USAMarch 11, 2017Indoor WL[15]
200 m20.24Anniversary GamesLondon, EnglandJuly 9, 2017−0.7 m/s wind
200 m indoor20.58Razorback InvitationalFayetteville, Arkansas, USAJanuary 27, 2017
100 m10.49UTEP Springtime InvitationalEl Paso, Texas, USAMarch 21, 2015−0.3 m/s wind, A
4×400 m relay2:56.69World ChampionshipsDoha, QatarOctober 6, 2019WL
4×400 m relay indoor3:01.97World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, EnglandMarch 4, 2018
4×200 m relay1:21.11Texas RelaysAustin, Texas, USAApril 2, 2016
4×100 m relay38.63NACAC U23 ChampionshipsSan Salvador, El SalvadorJuly 16, 2017

400 m seasonal bests
YearTimeVenueDate
201446.38Mesa, Arizona, USAMay 16
201547.15Albuquerque, New Mexico, USAMarch 7
201645.10Tempe, Arizona, USAApril 9
201743.70Austin, Texas, USAMay 26
201844.33Rome, ItalyMay 31
201943.64Des Moines, Iowa, USAJuly 27

International championship results
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeNotes
Representing the  United States
2016NACAC U23 ChampionshipsSan Salvador, El Salvador3rd (semi 2)200 m21.17+0.7 m/s wind, q[note 1]
1st4×100 m relay38.63PB
2017World ChampionshipsLondon, England7th400 m45.23
2nd4×400 m relay2:58.61PB
2018World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, England2nd4×400 m relay3:01.97PB
2019World RelaysYokohama, JapanDQ4×400 m relay–Teammate lane violation
World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar3rd400 m44.17
1st4×400 m relay2:56.69WL, PB

National championship results
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeNotes
Representing the South Plains College Texans
2014NJCAA Division I ChampionshipsMesa, Arizona6th400 m46.84
2nd4×400 m relay3:05.86
USA Junior ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon8th400 m47.49[16]
2015NJCAA Indoor ChampionshipsAlbuquerque, New Mexico2nd400 m47.15SB
2nd4×400 m relay3:12.56
NJCAA Division I ChampionshipsHutchinson, Kansas11th400 m47.81
3rd (semi 1)4×400 m relay3:11.75q[note 2][17]
Representing the Texas A&M Aggies
2016NCAA Division I Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, Alabama8th4×400 m relay3:07.49
NCAA Division I ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon13th400 m45.99
DNF (semi 1)4×100 m relay–[18]
4th4×400 m relay3:03.94
USA Olympic TrialsEugene, Oregon27th400 m46.70[19]
2017NCAA Division I Indoor ChampionshipsCollege Station, Texas1st400 m44.85WL, PB[15]
1st4×400 m relay3:02.80
NCAA Division I ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon1st400 m44.10
4th4×100 m relay38.72SB
1st4×400 m relay2:59.98
USA ChampionshipsSacramento, California1st400 m44.03[20]
Representing Nike
2018USA Indoor ChampionshipsAlbuquerque, New Mexico5th400 m45.63A[21]
2019USA ChampionshipsDes Moines, Iowa1st400 m43.64PB

400 m circuit wins

Representing Nike

Notes
  1. Qualified for the final, but did not start (DNS) in the final.
  2. South Plains placed third in the final, but it is not clear from the Track & Field Results Reporting System who ran for the team in the final.

References
  1. Jeff Hollobaugh (April 12, 2019). "T&FN Interview – Fred Kerley, World No. 1 in the 400". trackandfieldnews.com. Track & Field News. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  2. "FRED KERLEY TEXAS A&M". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  3. "FRED KERLEY SOUTH PLAINS". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  4. "Records & Lists – All Time Top Lists – Senior Outdoor 400 Metres Men". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  5. Jennifer Kendall (July 1, 2016). "Taylor track star competing for spot on U.S. Olympic team". fox7austin.com. FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  6. Christy Millweard (August 14, 2016). "Taylor track star sets goal for 2020 Olympics". kvue.com. KVUE. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  7. Jon Mulkeen (May 14, 2017). "Kerley flies to 44.09 400m clocking at SEC Championships". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  8. Dennis Young (May 26, 2017). "WATCH: Fred Kerley Destroys Collegiate 400m Record In 43.70". flotrack.org. FloTrack. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  9. "Texas A&M's Fred Kerley Runs 43.70 400m to Crush Quincy Watts' NCAA Record – (Video)". letsrun.com. LetsRun.com. May 12, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  10. Taylor Dutch (June 5, 2017). "Record-Holders Quincy Watts, Fred Kerley Connect in 400m 'Pain Business'". flotrack.org. FloTrack. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  11. "Texas A&M's Fred Kerley qualifies for 400m final at IAAF World Championships". kbtx.com. KBTX. August 6, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  12. Nick Zaccardi (August 30, 2018). "Noah Lyles matches Usain Bolt feat in Speed Racer socks". nbcsports.com. NBC. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  13. Cathal Dennehy (December 23, 2018). "After solid 2018 campaign, Kerley ready to take the next step as Doha approaches". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  14. "FRED KERLEY ATHLETE PROFILE". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  15. Jon Mulkeen (March 12, 2017). "COLEMAN SPEEDS TO SPRINT DOUBLE AT NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  16. "2014 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships – Complete Results". usatf.org. USATF. July 6, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  17. "National Junior College Championships – Men's 4 x 400 Relay Preliminaries". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. May 16, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  18. "NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships – Men's 4 x 100 Relay". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. June 11, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  19. "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field – Results". usatf.org. USATF. July 10, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  20. "2017 USATF Championships – 6/22/2017 to 6/25/2017 – Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, Calif. – Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 25, 2017. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  21. "2018 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships – Results". usatf.org. USATF. February 19, 2018. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
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