Monica Hargrove facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Monica Hargrove

Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1982-12-30) December 30, 1982 (age 42) New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	200 m, 400 m
College team	Georgetown University
Medal record Representing  United States Women's athletics World Indoor Championships Gold 2014 Sopot 4×400 m relay Silver 2006 Moscow 4×400 m relay

Monica Hargrove is an American track and field athlete. She was born on December 30, 1982. Monica is known for running fast in races like the 200-meter and 400-meter dash. She has won important medals, including a silver medal at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships. This was for being part of the 4×400-meter relay team. She also helped set a world record in another relay race called the sprint medley relay at the Penn Relays.

Monica's College Sports Journey

Monica Hargrove grew up in New Haven, Connecticut. She started her track career at Georgetown University. While there, she was chosen as an All-American three times (in 2002, 2003, and 2004). This was for her great performance in Georgetown's sprint medley relay team.

She competed for the Georgetown Hoyas in the Big East Conference. In 2002, her team won the outdoor 4×400 meter relay championship. The next year, in 2003, she won the indoor 500-meter race.

In 2004, Monica faced some injuries. After graduating with a degree in psychology, she worked as a volunteer at a high school track camp. She had some doubts about becoming a professional athlete due to challenges in the sport. However, the positive energy at the camp inspired her. She decided to return to her track career in the middle of 2005.

Monica's Professional Track Career

The year 2006 was a big turning point for Monica. She started competing at a very high level in the United States. She finished fourth in the 400 meters at the US indoor championships. Because of this, she was chosen to join the US relay team for the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

Running with teammates Debbie Dunn, Tiffany Williams, and Mary Danner, she helped win a silver medal. Their time was 3 minutes and 28.63 seconds. This was her first major medal in an international competition! That same year, she had more team success. She helped set a world record in the sprint medley relay at the Penn Relays. Her teammates were Rachelle Boone-Smith, Lauryn Williams, and Hazel Clark.

In 2007, Monica won the 400-meter race at the Boston Indoor Games. She set her best indoor time of 52.85 seconds. She also placed fifth at the Reebok Grand Prix. In the summer of 2008, she competed in Europe. She finished third at the DN Galan and fourth at the London Grand Prix and DecaNation events.

Highlights of the 2009 Season

Monica Hargrove started 2009 strong by winning the 600-meter race at the Millrose Games. She just barely beat another runner, Aliann Pompey. She continued to shine in relay races. At the 2009 Penn Relays, she set a world-leading time in the 4×400-meter relay. Her amazing teammates were Natasha Hastings, Allyson Felix, and Sanya Richards. Only the medal-winning teams at the World Championships later that year ran faster.

Even though she had a great relay season, she finished sixth at the national championships in June. This meant she didn't qualify for the US team at the 2009 World Championships.

Monica was a regular competitor on the European track circuit. She took part in important events like the IAAF Golden League and Super Grand Prix meets. She won the 2009 DecaNation competition. She also placed second at the Athens Grand Prix, where she set her personal best time of 50.39 seconds in the 400 meters.

By the end of the 2009 season, Monica was one of the top twelve 400-meter runners in the world. She was also the fifth fastest American. Because she was so highly ranked on the IAAF World Athletics Tour, she was invited to compete in the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final.

Monica's Best Race Times

Here are Monica Hargrove's fastest times in different races:

• All information taken from IAAF profile.

See also

In Spanish: Monica Hargrove para niños