Little stepping to the forefront for Hoover AL

Hoover’s Caitlyn Little followed the example set by Brittley Humphrey and has become an elite hurdler

By Arthur L. Mack for DyeStat

MOBILE, Ala.—Hoover’s Caitlyn Little was busy during the 25th anniversary of the Mobile Challenge of Champions at St. Paul’s Episcopal School’s E.E. Delaney Stadium, competing in four events: the 4x100 relay, the 100-meter hurdles, the 200 and the 4x400-meter relay. 

What made it all worthwhile was that she ran a personal best of 13.47 seconds in the 100 hurdles, winning that event by a wide margin and breaking the old record of 13.66 seconds set by Char Foster of Clearwater (Fla.) Catholic in 1995.

It was not only a new personal best for Little, it was the No. 2 time in the nation this year.

The fact that she broke the oldest Mobile Challenge of Champions record was not lost on anybody, as she wound up being presented the Donna Dye Award as the female MVP of the meet.

“It feels great,” Little said about winning the award. “Just coming here for the last three years and barely making it onto the podium, or even like making top eight, and finally getting the MVP is awesome. Hard work pays off. It really does.”

Hoover coach Devon Hind has built up the hurdles crew in recent years. The Buccaneers, led by 2016 graduate Brittley Humphrey, won the New Balance Nationals Indoor shuttle hurdles relay crown in New York in 2014 and 2016. Little was on both of those teams.

Teammate Michelle Nkoudou ran a PR 14.30 on Saturday.

“(Little) was shooting for 13.4 today and I’m just as pleased with our No. 2 girl (Nkoudou)," Hinds said.

Hoover is sending a team of 13 girls, including Little, to the Arcadia Invitational this weekend in California. Last year, the team traveled to the Mt. SAC Relays.

Besides her record-setting win in the 100-meter hurdles, Little ran a leg on the second-place 4x100 (47.28), was fifth in the 200 (25.09) and third with her teammates in the 4x400 (3:57.40).

“Just doing it for the team, honestly,"Little said. "Win in the hurdles and support the team in the relays, so it was good."

Last year, Little was Hoover’s No. 2 hurdler behind Humphrey, the Alabama state record holder with 13.24. This year, she’s the top hurdler hopes to leave a legacy.

“She (Humphrey) made such a big impact on the hurdlers, and I want to make that same impact,” Little said. “Hopefully, when I leave, Michelle will make an impact on the rest of our hurdlers.”

It was no accident that Little’s outdoor season has been great so far. She had a very strong indoor season, capped by a second place finish in the 60-meter hurdles at New Balance Nationals Indoor in 8.24.

“Indoor nationals was where she really showed off,” Hind said. “She went in seeded 12th, and she improved her time by so much at the indoor nationals, and that momentum just carried over here, so we’ve got to keep it going and keep her healthy. She loves competition, and she’ll have plenty competition at Arcadia."

Little has emerged, in part, by maturing into a leader.

“I took my training way more seriously,” she said. “I realized that I got a full ride to South Carolina, and I was finally getting the hang of it, I guess. We’ve gotten a new coach this year (Mark Ruffin), and ever since then I’ve been dropping my times week after week.”

Little also had a big race at the weather-shortened Allstate Sugar Bowl Track Classic in New Orleans. She ran 13.64 in the qualifying rounds, but the second day of the meet was cancelled because of bad weather.

“I was super excited for those finals, and when I heard we had to go home, I was like, ‘Aww man,’ but I had trained super hard over spring break to come here and get a meet record, so I’m excited.”

With Arcadia looming on the horizon, Little is hoping for bigger and better things. In addition to the 100-meter hurdles, where she could face Agoura CA's Tara Davis (a rematch of NBNI), she will run on a couple of relay teams. She hopes to run close to Humphrey's state record.

“I’m really excited about that one,” she said.