Tamari Davis, AAU Alumnus, Sets Potential World U20 Record

* Tamari Davis in 2021

Photo Credit: Tamari Davis Instagram

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Perhaps Tamari Davis wanted to make a statement. 

The 19-year-old sprinter from Gainesville, Florida -- one of the top youth sprinters of all-time and an AAU Junior Olympic Games alumni -- reached the World Championships by way of the relay pool in July for the U.S. Track and Field team, though she ultimately went unused during the course of the event. 

On Saturday, Davis ran what may become a World U20 record for 100 meters, clocking a wind-legal time of 10.83 (+0.6) seconds at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tennessee.

Statement made. 

Davis, competing in the Puma Women's Pro 100m, finished second to World Champion Twanisha Terry, who clocked a winning time of 10.82 seconds. Recently, Terry anchored the U.S.'s gold-medal winning 4x100 effort during the World Championships. 

The performance for the '21 Gainesville Oak Hall School (FL) graduate, however, was just as impressive. 

Davis's time, if ratified, would surpass the current World U20 record of 10.88 (+2.0), owned by Marlies Oelsner of Germany, a time set back in 1977. 

It should be noted that Sha'Carri Richardson, the former LSU sprinter and current U.S. athlete, ran 10.75 (+1.6) seconds in 2019 at the NCAA Championships, though three years later the time has still not been ratified. 

Over the course of 2022,  Davis has led a hugely successful season, clocking wind-legal times of 10.92 (USAs), and 10.78w (USAs) before authoring performances of 10.87 and 10.83 at Ed Murphey. 

Davis turned pro out of high school in 2020, still a junior in high school at the time. 

In 2017 and 2016, Davis won four championships at the AAU Junior Olympic Games across the 100m and 200m distances. 

ED MURPHEY WOMEN'S PRO 100M RESULTS