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Picture of Kyree King and Cravon Gillespie Running at 2019 Mt. SAC Relays. PHOTO CREDIT:  Jeff Cohen - trackandfieldimage.com
Cravon Gillespie (L) and Kyree King (R) competing at the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays held at El Camino College (Torrance, CA). PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Cohen - trackandfieldimage.com

Former Mountie Sprinters Kyree King and Cravon Gillespie Finish 2020 on the World 100 Meter Top 20 List

(Walnut, CA)  During the 2020 COVID shortened season, former Mountie Sprinters, Kyree King and Cravon Gillespie distinguished themselves as two of the fastest men in the world.  In the final 2020 World Athletics Performance List, both King and Gillespie had wind legal 100 meter performances that placed them on the world top 20 list.

King ran 10.04 seconds (wind +1.8 MS) on August 10th, in Florida, that put him in the #9 spot, while Gillespie ran 10.09 (wind +1.7 MS), on August 6th, in Texas, that put him in the #19 spot.  King's time qualifies him automatically for the 2021 US Olympic Trials (10.05 standard) and gives him an Olympic qualifying standard (10.05) as well.

"Both men are a perfect example of what hard work and focusing on the little things can do for an athletic and academic career," replied Mt. SAC Men's Track and Field Head Coach, Ron Kamaka.  "Coach (John) Bolton (Mt. SAC Assistant Coach-Sprints) did an incredible job coaching them; however, his guidance and counseling really prepared them for their collegiate and professional careers."

King (Colony H.S./Ontario, CA) competed for the Mounties during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.  He led the 4X100M squad to back-to-back state championships, was a two-time state 200M finalist and was named the South Coast Conference (SCC) Running Athlete of the Year in 2014.  He finished his Mountie career with personal bests of 10.30 (100M) and 20.66 (200M). 

King continued his education and career at Western Kentucky, but later transferred to the University of Oregon.  He blossomed at Oregon, breaking the Ducks' 100M and 200M records.  He also captured two PAC-12 Championships (100M, 200M in 2017), four NCAA Division 1 All-American Honors and was named 2017 PAC 12 Men's Track Athlete of the Year.  In the 2019, King took 5th in the 200 meters (20.49) at the USA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa putting him on the USA World Championship Relay Squad.  King has a personal best of 10.00 in the 100M and 20.27 in the 200M. 

Gillespie (Monrovia H.S., Monrovia, CA) destroyed the competition and the record books during his 2015 and 2016 seasons at Mt. SAC.  As a Mountie, he captured numerous titles and earned numerous accolades including; 2016 SoCal and State 100 & 200M Champion, SCC Running Athlete of the Year (2015 & 2016), Mt. SAC Athlete of the Year, California Community College Athletic Association (All-Sports) Athlete of the Year and set Mt. SAC Records in the 100 (10.04) and 200 (20.20) meters. 

After Mt. SAC, Gillespie followed in the footsteps of King, continuing his education and career at the University of Oregon where he broke King's 100M and 200M records, captured a PAC-12 championship (100M) and earned an NCAA D1 All-American honor (fourth in the 100M at the 2019 NCAA Championships).  Gillespie has a personal best of 9.93 in the 100M and 19.93 in the 200M.

Next year, both men will look to qualify for the USA Olympic Team competing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. 


LINKS

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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.