Muna Lee (athlete) facts for kids
Muna Lee (in foreground)
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| Personal information | ||||||||
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| Born | October 30, 1981 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||
| Weight | 54 kg (119 lb) | |||||||
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| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Athletics | |||||||
| Event(s) | 4 × 100 m, 100 m, 200 m | |||||||
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Medal record
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Muna Lee, born on October 30, 1981, is a former American sprinter. She was a very fast runner who competed in many races. Today, she helps coach sprinters and hurdlers for the UAB Blazers Track & Field team.
Contents
Muna Lee's High School Track Journey
Muna Lee went to Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri. She was a star athlete there from 1997 to 2000. Muna competed in both track and field and basketball.
During her high school years, Muna won an amazing 10 individual state championships. She also helped her relay teams win 3 state titles. These wins were in Missouri's largest school class, 4A.
- 100-meter dash: She won this race four times (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000).
- 200-meter dash: Muna also won this race four times (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000).
- Long Jump: She won the long jump twice (1997, 2000).
- Relay Races: Her teams won the 4 × 100-meter relay twice (1997, 1998). They also won the 4 × 200-meter relay in 2000.
Muna's talent helped her high school team win the 2000 Missouri 4A Team championship. She was named the Gatorade Missouri High School Track athlete of the year in both 1999 and 2000. She also received the Wayne F. Campbell Award, which goes to the top high school track and field athlete in Kansas City. In 1999, the AAU named her the Most Outstanding girls' high school track and field athlete.
Muna Lee's College Career at LSU
After high school, Muna Lee ran track for the Lady Tigers of Louisiana State University (LSU). She competed from 2001 to 2004. Muna became one of LSU's most successful track and field athletes ever. She won 7 NCAA championships and 12 SEC championships. She was also named an All-American 20 times.
2001 College Highlights
In 2001, Muna earned four NCAA All-American honors. She competed in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4 × 100-meter relay. Her best times were 11.17 seconds for the 100-meter dash and 23.13 seconds for the 200-meter dash.
At the NCAA Indoor Championships, she finished second in the 200-meter dash. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Muna's team won the 4 × 100-meter relay. She also placed second in the 200-meter dash and fourth in the 100-meter dash.
2002 College Highlights
Muna was named USTCA Women’s Athlete of the Year in 2002. She also earned the SEC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year award. She received six NCAA All-American honors that year. Her best times were 11.19 seconds for the 100-meter dash and 22.66 seconds for the 200-meter dash.
Muna helped LSU win the 2002 NCAA Indoor Track and Field team title. She won the 200-meter dash at this event. She also placed third in the 60-meter dash and the 4 × 100-meter relay. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she finished third in the 100-meter dash and second in the 4 × 100-meter relay.
2003 College Highlights
In 2003, Muna was named USTCA Women’s Indoor Athlete of the Year. She earned five NCAA All-American honors. Her fastest times were 11.04 seconds for the 100-meter dash and 22.74 seconds for the 200-meter dash.
Muna led LSU to their second straight NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. She won both the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash at this event. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she placed second in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. Her team won the 4 × 100-meter relay.
2004 College Highlights
Muna was named NCAA Mideast Region Women’s Athlete of the Year in 2004. She earned five more NCAA All-American honors. Her best times were 11.12 seconds for the 100-meter dash and 22.36 seconds for the 200-meter dash.
She helped LSU win their third straight NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. Muna won the 60-meter dash at this event for the second year in a row. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she finished second in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. Her team also won the 4 × 100-meter relay.
Muna Lee's USA Track & Field Career
Muna Lee also had a successful career competing for the United States.
2004 Olympic Debut
Muna made her first Olympic appearance in 2004 in Athens, Greece. She qualified for the 200-meter dash final and finished seventh. Before the Olympics, she placed second in the 200-meter dash at the USA Olympic Trials, earning her spot on the team.
2005 World Championships Gold
In 2005, Muna won a gold medal at the World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki, Finland. She was part of the women's 4 × 100-meter relay team. She also finished seventh in the 100-meter dash at the same championships.
2008 Beijing Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Muna competed in the 100-meter dash. She ran very well, improving her times through the early rounds. In the final, she finished in fifth place with a time of 11.07 seconds.
Before the Olympics, Muna had a fantastic performance at the 2008 Olympic Trials. She won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.85 seconds. She also finished second in the 200-meter dash.
2009 World Championships
In 2009, Muna competed at the World Track and Field Championships in Berlin, Germany. She finished fourth in the 200-meter dash final. She also reached the semifinals of the 100-meter dash.
A week before these championships, Muna was part of a USA 4 × 100-meter relay team that ran incredibly fast. With teammates Lauryn Williams, Allyson Felix, and Carmelita Jeter, they finished with a time of 41.58 seconds. This was one of the fastest women's sprint relays in twelve years.
Muna Lee's Personal Best Times
Muna Lee achieved some impressive personal best times during her career:
- 100 meters: 10.85 seconds (set in 2008 at the USA Track and Field Championships, where she placed 1st).
- 100 meters (wind-aided): 10.78 seconds (set in 2009 at the USA Track and Field Championships, where she placed 2nd).
- 200 meters: 22.01 seconds (set in 2008 at the Olympic Finals, where she placed 4th).
- 200 meters (wind-aided): 21.91 seconds (set in 2009 in Guadeloupe, where she placed 1st).
See also
In Spanish: Muna Lee para niños
