{{Short description|American sprinter (born 1984)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = | birth_date = {{bdayd|1984|10|5|df=y}}<ref name=wa>{{World Athletics}}</ref><ref name=t>{{Tilastopaja|1185|sex=f}}</ref> | birth_name = | birth_place = | full_name = | native_name = | nickname = | image = | imagesize = | caption = | country = {{flagg|cncie|USA}} | sport = Sport of athletics | event = 400 metres<br>400 metres hurdles | pb = {{ubl |'''400 mH''': 56.08 (2008) |'''400 m''': 51.73 (2007) |'''200 m''': 23.07 {{wind|0.0|n}} (2001) }} | club = | other_interests = | relatives = | spouse = | hometown = Cerritos, CA | retired = | death_date = | death_place = | website = | coach = | coaching = | agent = | turnedpro = | education = {{ubl |Gahr High School |University of Arizona |Baylor University |Boston University }} | collegeteam = {{ubl |Arizona Wildcats |Baylor Bears }} | height = | weight = | nationals = {{ubl |'''2000 USA U20s''' |{{bull}} 400 m, 1st {{GoldMedal}} |'''2001 USA Champs''' |{{bull}} 200 m, 3rd {{BronzeMedal}} |'''2002 USA U20s''' |{{bull}} 100 m, 7th |'''2003 USA U20s''' |{{bull}} 200 m, 4th |{{bull}} 400 m, 2nd {{SilverMedal}} |'''2006 NCAA Indoors''' |{{bull}} 4 × 400 m, 9th |'''2006 NCAAs''' |{{bull}} 4 × 400 m, 5th |'''2008 USA Indoors''' |{{bull}} 400 m, 5th |'''2008 USA Champs''' |{{bull}} 400 m hurdles, 7th }} | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's athletics}} {{MedalCountry|the {{flagu|United States}}}} {{MedalCompetition|World Indoor Championships}} {{MedalBronze|2008 Valencia|4 × 400 m relay}} {{MedalCompetition|World U18 Championships}} {{MedalGold|2001 Debrecen|200 m}} {{MedalGold|2001 Debrecen|Sprint medley relay}} {{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}} {{MedalBronze|2007 Rio de Janeiro|4 × 400 m relay}} {{MedalCompetition|Pan American U20 Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2003 Bridgetown|400 m}} {{MedalGold|2003 Bridgetown|4 × 400 m relay}} | updated = November 2024 }} '''Angel Perkins''' (born 5 October 1984) is an American former hurdler and sprinter specializing in the 400 metres and the 2008 World Athletics Indoor Championships bronze medalist in the 4 × 400 m relay. As a prep, she won gold medals at the 2001 World U18 Championships in the 200 m and medley relay, and was described as among the best high school sprinters ever in the 100 m and 200 m and world-class on the 400 m.<ref name=best /> While competing for the Baylor Bears track and field team, she went on to win medals at both the Pan American junior and senior athletics championships before earning World Indoor bronze in 2008.
==Career== Running for Gahr High School, Perkins won the 200 m and 400 meter titles at the 2000 CIF Southern Section Division I championships.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=2000 CIF-SS Div 1 Girls |url=https://www.flashwest.com/results/2000track/00diw.htm |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=www.flashwest.com}}</ref> She went on to place 2nd in both at the 2000 CIF California State Meet. She went on to win the 400 m national title at that year's USA U20 Outdoor Track and Field Championships.<ref name=az /><ref name=t /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ortega |first1=John |title=Perkins Advances Despite Difficulties |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-may-25-sp-girlstrack25-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=28 November 2024 |date=25 May 2002}}</ref> At just 15 years old, Perkins qualified for the 2000 United States Olympic trials and finished 5th in her 400 m heat.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040516151924/http://www.usatf.org/events/2000/OlympicTrials-TF/results/women.asp|archive-date=16 May 2004|url=http://www.usatf.org/events/2000/OlympicTrials-TF/results/women.asp|title= 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field results}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Arizona Daily Wildcat - UA sends 11 to U.S. Olympic track trials - Wednesday, May 5, 2004 |url=https://wc.arizona.edu/papers/97/149/02_3.html |website=wc.arizona.edu |access-date=28 November 2024}}</ref>
The following year, Perkins won the state title in the 200 m. She then finished 4th in the 200 m at the senior 2001 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, running 23.46 into a -1.4 m/s headwind.<ref>{{cite web |title=Age Isn't Slowing Jacobs Down |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-age-isnt-slowing/159890729/ |work=The Los Angeles Times |access-date=27 November 2024 |page=139 |date=25 Jun 2001}}</ref> In 2004, the 4th-place finish was upgraded to 3rd as the original 3rd-placer Kelli White was disqualified for doping.<ref>{{cite web |title=USA Track & Field {{!}} Doping Disqualifications and Public Warnings |url=https://www.usatf.org/governance/anti-doping/doping-disqualifications-and-public-warnings |website=usatf.org |access-date=28 November 2024}}</ref> As a 16 year old running against adults, Perkins' finish was unexpected.<ref name=t />
Perkins qualified to compete at the 2001 World Youth Championships, where she entered in both the 200 m and the sprint medley relay. In the 200 m, Perkins won the gold medal in a best of 23.07 seconds. The mark was the 9th-fastest high school performance in history.<ref name=best>{{cite web |title=No. 1 and more |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star-no-1-and-more/159892525/ |work=Arizona Daily Star |access-date=27 November 2024 |page=40 |date=25 Nov 2001}}</ref> In the sprint medley, Perkins ran third leg with Ashley Lodree, Allyson Felix, and Stephanie Smith and won another gold medal.<ref name=t /> Following her 2001 season, Perkins committed to run for the Arizona Wildcats track and field team.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gahr's Angel Perkins Commits to Arizona |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-gahrs-angel-perki/159892571/ |work=The Los Angeles Times |access-date=27 November 2024 |page=69 |date=10 Nov 2001}}</ref>
Perkins placed 7th in the 100 m at the 2002 U.S. U20 Outdoor Championships and she did not compete internationally that summer. The following year, Perkins finished 4th and 2nd in the 200 m and 400 m at the 2003 U20 Championships, qualifying her to represent the U.S. at the 2003 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay. In the 400 m, Perkins won her heat and finished runner-up in the finals behind Stephanie Smith, while in the 4 × 400 m the U.S. team won the gold medal by over 7 seconds.<ref name=t />
Perkins made her first Olympic bid the following year, attempting to qualify at the 2004 United States Olympic trials. She advanced past the quarter-finals but placed 7th in her semi-final and didn't qualify for the Olympic team. After transferring to the Baylor Bears track and field team, Perkins qualified for the 2005 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in only the 4 × 400 m relay, failing to make the finals.<ref name=t />
She improved upon her NCAA finish in 2006, first placing 9th in the 4 × 400 m at the indoor NCAA championships and then performing in the 400 m and both sprint relays at the 2006 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She finished 5th in her 400 m semi-final and her 4 × 100 m team failed to advance, but her 4 × 400 m team did qualify for the finals where they placed 5th.<ref name=t />
After advancing to national semifinals in both the 2007 USA indoor 60 m and outdoor 400 m, Perkins was selected to represent the U.S. at both the 2007 NACAC Championships (individually in the 400 m) and at the Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games (in the 4 × 400 m). At the NACAC Championships, Perkins finished 5th in the 400 m finals, and at the Pan American Games Perkins ran the 2nd leg to help the U.S. team win the bronze medal.<ref name=t />
Perkins achieved her greatest international success during the 2008 indoor season. By finishing 5th in the 400 m at the 2008 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, she qualified for the World Indoor Championships 4 × 400 m. Leading off for the U.S. team, she and Miriam Barnes, Shareese Woods, Moushaumi Robinson won the bronze medal behind Russia and Belarus.<ref name=t /> Outdoors, Perkins picked up the 400 metres hurdles for the first time and contested that at the 2008 United States Olympic trials. She qualified for the finals but placed 5th, with only the top 3 finishers given berths to the U.S. Olympic team.<ref name=t />
In 2009, Perkins continued to work on the 400 m hurdles but failed to advance past the first round at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She continued to race inside California in the following years, but did not compete at another national championship and competed at her final high-level race in 2016.<ref name=t />
==Personal life== Perkins was born on 5 October 1984 and grew up in the Cerritos, California area attending Gahr High School.<ref>{{cite web |title=X no longer marks the spot for Washington when she runs in Donetsk {{!}} FEATURE {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/news/feature/x-no-longer-marks-the-spot-for-washington-whe |website=worldathletics.org |access-date=28 November 2024}}</ref> She has three brothers and two sisters, including one who played basketball for California State University, San Bernardino.<ref name=az>{{cite web |title=Angel Perkins Profile - ARIZONAWILDCATS.COM - The University of Arizona Wildcats Official Athletic Site |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2013/4/18/208227846 |website=University of Arizona Athletics |access-date=28 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref> She first studied at the University of Arizona before transferring to Baylor University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 2009. In 2012, she earned a master's degree in criminal justice at Boston University.<ref name="cf">{{cite web |title=Angel Perkins-McLean: Cerritos College Athletics |url=https://www.cerritosfalcons.com/sports/wtrack/Angel_Perkins?view=bio |access-date=28 November 2024 |website=Cerritos College Athletics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BEAR FACTS |url=https://baylorbears.com/news/2006/4/27/BEAR_FACTS.aspx |website=Baylor |access-date=28 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
In 2010, Perkins coached the track and field team at Los Angeles Southwest College. In her first year of coaching, she coached Shakina Phillips to a CA junior college state title in the 100 m hurdles and 2nd place in the 400 m hurdles. She went on to coach the women's sprinters and hurdlers on the Cerritos Falcons track and field team.<ref name=cf />
==Statistics== ===Personal best progression=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ 400 m progression |- ! # !! Mark !!class=unsortable| {{Abbr|Pl.|Place}} !! Competition !! Venue !! Date !!class=unsortable| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}} |- |align=center| 1 || 54.30 || {{Gold1}} || NatSch || New York, NY ||align=right| {{dts|11 Mar 2000}} ||<ref>{{Tilr|8259306}}</ref> |- |align=center| 2 || 52.62 || {{Gold1}} || Arcadia Invitational || Glendora, CA ||align=right| {{dts|7 Apr 2000}} ||<ref>{{Tilr|8258737}}</ref> |- |align=center| 3 || 52.52 || {{Gold1}} || || Glendora, CA ||align=right| {{dts|8 Apr 2000}} ||<ref>{{Tilr|8564970}}</ref> |- |align=center| 4 || 52.28 || {{Gold1}} || || Norwalk, CA ||align=right| {{dts|19 May 2000}} ||<ref>{{Tilr|8328672}}</ref> |- |align=center| 5 || 52.06 || {{Silver2}} || USA U19 Championships || Stanford, CA ||align=right| {{dts|21 Jun 2003}} ||<ref>{{Tilr|7939126}}</ref> |- |align=center| 6 || 51.73 || 6th {{sma|(Semifinal 2)}} || USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships || Indianapolis, IN ||align=right| {{dts|21 Jun 2007}} ||<ref>{{Tilr|10216842}}</ref> |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Authority control}} {{Footer IAAF World Youth Champions Medley Relay Women}} {{Footer IAAF World Youth Champions 200 Metres Women}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Angel}} Category:Living people Category:1984 births Category:American women sprinters Category:American women hurdlers Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists Category:World Youth Championships in Athletics winners Category:Arizona Wildcats women's track and field athletes Category:Baylor Bears women's track and field athletes Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field) Category:Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games Category:Gahr High School alumni Category:Boston University alumni Category:Los Angeles Southwest Cougars track and field Category:American track and field coaches Category:College track and field coaches in California Category:Cerritos Falcons track and field Category:Sportspeople from Bellflower, California Category:Track and field athletes from Long Beach, California