Rogers on top of her game

Deiddra Rogers intends to continue running rings around her rivals – perhaps at the Olympics in the near future.

Rogers, who is Vincentian, but resides in New York, is a 17-year-old Track and Field phenomenon who said her interest in the sport began around age 7. According to Deiddra, it was her sister’s penchant for the sport that sparked her involvement.{{more}}

A recent graduate of the Medgar Evers Preparatory School at Medgar Evers College, Deiddra’s list of athletic achievements include being champion at numerous events, as well as being accredited with helping her team win events. Her accomplishments in her senior year include winning the New York State Championships in the 55m dash with a time of 6.99s.

With parents Gail and Desmond Rogers gleaming beside her, Deiddra said her proudest moment was breaking Olympian Dianne Dixon’s 100 m dash record of 11.77s with a time of 11.72s at the Brooklyn Borough Championships, 25 years after it was set.

She was also the winner of the 200m dash at the Brooklyn Borough Championships, PSAL City Championships, and the New York State Championships. On top of this, she was awarded the 2007 PSAL (Public Schools Athletic League) Heisman Trophy in recognition of her accomplishments in her high school career.

Rogers sat reserved and humble, but was anything but shy when she said her ambitions for the future included competing in the Olympics in years to come, hoping to represent the land of her birth, St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

In the immediate future, Rogers will be attending the University of Nebraska on full athletic scholarship, with the intent of majoring in Kinesiology and Education. (KP)