Louisiana State University signs Guyanese sprinter Keliza Smith

Louisiana State University (LSU) Head Coach Dennis Shaver has officially announced the signing of Guyanese sprint sensation Keliza Smith to the university’s women’s track and field programme.
Hailing from West Bank Demerara, Smith arrives in Baton Rouge as a Guyanese national champion, bringing an impressive résumé built on success at both the international and collegiate levels.
She will join the Tigers this spring as a junior, adding elite speed and championship experience to an already formidable LSU squad.
Smith makes the transition to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition following two outstanding seasons at Barton Community College, where she established herself as one of the premier sprinters in junior college athletics.
Her tenure with the Cougars was highlighted by winning the NJCAA national title in the 60 metres (m), along with an extraordinary 15 US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) First Team All-American honours – placing her among the most decorated junior college sprinters in recent history.
The Guyanese standout brings world-class personal bests to LSU’s sprint group, including:
• 60m: 7.28s
• 100m: 11.37s (Guyanese National U20 Record)
• 200m: 23.08s
• 400m: 52.91s
Beyond collegiate competition, Smith has continued to elevate Guyana’s profile on the international stage. Most recently, she produced a breakthrough performance at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, capturing bronze in the women’s 100m with a time of 11.59 seconds (s) – marking Guyana’s first-ever podium finish at the Games.
She further demonstrated her rising potential at the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay, where she secured another bronze medal in the 200m, clocking 23.42s.
At LSU, Smith will join fellow Guyanese athletes Malachi Austin and Athaleyha Hinckson, strengthening the Tigers’ international presence as she looks to make an immediate impact in purple and gold.