Track and field is a sport where nobody really remembers whoever finishes in second place. In fact you probably can’t even tell me who lost to Usain Bolt in the Olympic 100 back in 2008. It was Richard Thompson of Trinidad & Tobago, who formerly ran for LSU, earlier that season. Sprinting fans in particular are blinded by fast times and whoever runs the fastest, always earns the spotlight. Hannah Cunliffe was the fastest woman in the entire NCAA in 2017. She won the 60 meter dash at the NCAA championships, and everybody knows that race is literally the fastest one you can run. She even did it by running the collegiate record! But whatever happened to her, the sprinting champion who was supposed to continue dominating for the Oregon women? The truth is that Hannah had a career that was plagued by injuries, so she never truly got a chance to realize her full potential. But she also never gave up on her dream, because she is still on the track even in 2023.

How good was Hannah Cunliffe in high school?

Hannah Cunliffe was really never supposed to be this fast. She ran 11.40 in the 100 meter dash as a senior in high school which was fast enough to lead the state of Washington. But she was ranked outside the top 10 of the entire nation. When you consider that the NCAA has athletes from all over the world, it is almost unheard of for a sprinter who was not ranked in America’s top 10 to ever win a D1 NCAA title. But Hannah was good enough to earn a scholarship to Oklahoma where should would run only 1 season for the Sooners. She made it count by finishing second in the Big 12 conference 60 meter dash, and making the NCAA championships in the event. But she ran literally one race during that outdoor campaign, before she would switch teams to join the Oregon Ducks.

How good was Hannah Cunliffe in college?

Hannah is remember most for her time in Eugene where she became one of the nation’s top sprinters. In fact, she made the finals of the 60 meter and the 200 meter dashes indoors during her first season as a Duck. She finished second and third in both events respectively. She later won the Pac-12 in the 100 and the 200 meter dashes, so everybody expected her to have a chance to win the NCAA title. But those hopes came crashing down after she pulled her hamstring in the prelims, ending her season during an Olympic qualifying year.

However, Hannah came back for her junior season and proved to be as good as we thought she was. She won the NCAA indoor 60 meter dash in a collegiate record setting time! But she also went second in the 200 meter dash, proving that she was a legitimate threat come outdoors once again. We never got to see Hannah at an NCAA championship meet again after that. The full story isn’t clear but she did make the USA championship meet making the 100 meter semifinals. And ironically 2 of the women who did make team USA finishing in the top 3 were her Oregon teammates.

What happened to Hannah Cunliffe as a pro?

Hannah Cunliffe chose to turn pro after her junior year at Oregon. That is honestly that last time you may have heard her name. She has been on the track since then, in fact she never left. But she never regained the form that made her one of the NCAA’s biggest threats. She was even there in 2021 at the Olympic trials running the 100 meter dash.

It is unclear if we have seen the last of Hannah Cunliffe. But it is clear what everyone else who competed against her in college has already figured out. Hannah Cunliffe was a legitimate elite sprinter. She was the best sprinter in the NCAA and proved it through 60 meters. She had a chance to win the nation both in college and beyond, but injuries seemed to keep getting in her way. You may not have remembered her name, but the record books do, and keep in mind she was never even supposed to be this good to begin with!

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