Wendy Vereen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wendy Vereen

Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Silver	1993 Stuttgart	4×100 m relay
World Indoor Championships
Gold	1993 Toronto	1600 m relay
IAAF World Cup
Bronze	1989 Barcelona	4×100 m relay

Wenda "Wendy" Vereen (born April 24, 1966) is an American former track and field runner. She was a specialist in sprint races, especially the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. Wendy was the top high school runner in the United States in 1983 and 1984. She set her best times of 11.17 seconds for the 100 meters and 22.63 seconds for the 200 meters.

Her most important achievements include three relay medals. She won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter relay at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics. She also earned a gold medal in a special medley relay at the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Plus, she took home a bronze medal at the 1989 IAAF World Cup. Wendy also ran individually for the United States. She competed in the 200 meters at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in both 1993 and 1995.

Wendy Vereen's Running Journey

Early Life and High School Success

Wendy Vereen grew up in Trenton, New Jersey. She started her track and field journey at Trenton Central High School. In 1982, she won the 200-meter race for under-17s at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships. The next year, in 1983, she became the American junior champion in the 200 meters. Her winning time of 23.22 seconds was a record that stood until 1999.

Track & Field News magazine ranked her as the number one high school girl in both the 100-meter and 200-meter races in 1983 and 1984. In 1983, her 100-meter time of 11.17 seconds made her the second-fastest American high school runner ever, right after Chandra Cheeseborough.

College and National Races

Because she was one of the best high school sprinters, Wendy received an athletic scholarship. This allowed her to attend Morgan State University. While at Morgan State, she set four new school records in different races. She earned eight All-American honors while competing for the Morgan State Bears. This means she was recognized as one of the best college athletes in the country. In 1986, she was runner-up in the 4×100-meter relay at the NCAA Women's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Future Olympic champion Rochelle Stevens was also on her team. Wendy was even chosen as a backup runner for the 1984 American Olympic team, but she did not get to compete.

From the late 1980s, Wendy often reached the finals at national competitions. At the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she placed seventh in the 200 meters in 1986. She was sixth in 1989 and eighth in 1990. In 1993, she had her best national finish, coming in fourth in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 meters. The next year, she was eighth in the 100 meters and again fifth in the 200 meters. Her first international medal came at the 1989 IAAF World Cup. She was the final runner in the 4 × 100-meter relay team. Her teammates were Sheila Echols, Esther Jones, and Dawn Sowell. They won a bronze medal, finishing behind teams from East Germany and the Soviet Union.

Reaching the Top: 1993 Achievements

Wendy's professional running career reached its highest point in 1993. She achieved her best indoor time of 23.07 seconds. This year, she was also chosen to represent the United States individually for the first time. At the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships, she finished fifth in the 200 meters. She also won a gold medal with her team in the 1600-meter medley relay event. Their winning time of 3:45.90 minutes was a world record for that specific distance, which is not a standard race.

She was also selected for the 4 × 100-meter relay team at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics. The team included Michelle Finn-Burrell, Gwen Torrence, Wendy Vereen, and Gail Devers. They finished the race in 41.49 seconds. This was a new championship record! However, the Russian women's team also finished with the exact same time. After careful review, the Russian team was declared the winner. Wendy and the American team were awarded a silver medal. Wendy ended her successful 1993 season by finishing seventh in the 100 meters at the 1993 IAAF Grand Prix Final.

Later Career and Life After Running

Wendy had one more international competition. She ran in the 200-meter heats at the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships. However, she was disqualified for running outside her lane. Her last major national race was at the 1996 United States Olympic Trials. She made it to the quarter-finals in the 200 meters.

After her running career, Wendy settled in Indiana. In 2014, she was honored by being inducted into the Morgan State University Hall of Fame. Outside of track, she worked for the Department of Workforce Development. She also became a coach for the Indiana Racing Cheetah Track Club. Wendy married Troy Christopher, and they had a daughter named Camille around the year 2000.

Wendy's International Medals

Wendy's Best Times

• 100-meter dash – 11.17 seconds (1983)
• 200-meter dash – 22.63 seconds (1993)
• 200-meter dash indoor – 23.07 seconds (1993)

See also

In Spanish: Wendy Vereen para niños