Jessica Wright, a 2023 Howard University graduate, was selected to represent Team USA at the 2025 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Championships in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
The championships were held from Aug. 15 to 17, where Wright competed in the women’s 400-meter hurdles against international athletes from countries including Jamaica, Mexico, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“I can’t even put into words how happy I was. It felt like the fruits of my labor were being fulfilled,” said Wright. “I remember when I was young, I used to dream about wearing the USA uniform, and now I’ve represented Team USA three times, this being an individual event, so it feels like I’m living in answered prayers.”
Wright’s selection to Team USA highlights the growing visibility of athletes from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) on the international stage.
During Wright’s time at Howard, she earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles, academic honors and All-American recognition. Over the course of her collegiate career, she consistently placed among the top runners in both indoor and outdoor seasons, competing in major conferences and national meets.
She contributed to multiple championship relay teams, broke meet records and earned national rankings in events like the 400-meter hurdles and 4×400 relay. Whether anchoring relays or running solo events, Wright consistently competed at high-level meets, including the Penn Relays, NCAA regionals and the Eastern College Athletic Conference/Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (ECAC/IC4A) Championships.
In the final months of her 2022-23 season, she was also named MEAC Female Athlete of the Week twice and contributed to the Bison making record-setting team finishes.
A World Indoor Championships silver medalist and four-time All-American, Wright established herself as one of Howard’s top performers in the 400-meter hurdles. Her achievements in both individual and team events have contributed to the program’s competitive growth and provided a model for current and future athletes.
Off the track, Wright balanced her athletic success with academic excellence, earning repeated spots on conference All-Academic teams. Her training was shaped by both discipline and adaptability — from practicing every day during the COVID-19 pandemic to fine-tuning her training routines, she explains in a Howard University Athletics article.
“Howard has allowed me to meet some very influential people in my life that have helped me get to this point such as David Oliver and the track program in general,” Wright said. “I wouldn’t be the person that I am today or be on the platforms that I am now without the mentorship at Howard University.”
David Oliver, a former Olympian and current director of Howard’s track and field program, has played a key role in Wright’s development throughout her collegiate career. Having represented Team USA himself, Oliver understands firsthand the challenges of qualifying at that level.
“Jessica was the first student-athlete I recruited, so watching her growth and impact on the program since then has been incredible,” Oliver said. “Representing Team USA is one of the hardest things to do in track and field, and she’s doing it while representing Howard with excellence. This is just the beginning for her.”
In the NACAC 400-meter hurdles prelims, Wright clocked a time of 55.00, placing third overall. She went on to place sixth in the finals with a time of 55.72.
“I was happy with my overall performance, especially being able to clock a personal best in the prelims,” Wright said. “It’s always a good sign when you can show up, give it your all, and come out with your best because it feels like you’re moving in the right direction.”
Wright now works at a sports medicine clinic after earning her Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Howard. As she pursues her MBA, she remains focused on her goal of continuing to compete internationally.
Copy edited by Daryl Thomas Jr.
