St Lucia’s Jady Emmanuel has signed to compete for the University of Texas on the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) track and field circuit.

Emmanuel is following in the footsteps of fellow Saint Lucians Olympic champion Julien Alfred and former CARIFTA silver medallist Naomi London at the school, which boasts a prestigious track and field history.

She will train under the guidance of Alfred, who serves as a volunteer assistant coach, and head coach Edrick Floreal, who played a key role in guiding the St Lucian sprint star to Olympic success.

Emmanuel, who turns 17 in March, is the defending CARIFTA 100-metre and 200-metre youth champion.

At the 2025 CARIFTA Games in Trinidad and Tobago last Easter, she clocked times of 11.50 seconds and 23.47 seconds in the finals — the fastest legal performances ever recorded by a Saint Lucian female Under-18 athlete.