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Lynna Irby-Jackson (born December 6, 1998) is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m dash events. At the 400 m dash, she set an all-time world record at the age of 12 running 54.57 before becoming the fastest American 400 m high school runner in the last 20 years. She gained 16 national titles from Jr Olympic and Youth National meets. Irby has won silver medals in the event at both the 2015 World Youth Championships and the 2016 World Junior Championships.
Career
Irby started running track at the age of nine for the Indiana Storm Track Club. She attended Pike High School, where she won Gatorade Player of the year for the state of Indiana in 2015 and in 2016. She was also awarded the 2016 Indiana Sports Award presented by the Indianapolis Star newspaper, and earned Pike High School's MVP 3 years straight.
Irby led her high school team to runner up at the state meet her Freshman year earning 30 individual points. Her sophomore year Irby again earned 30 individual points plus anchored the 4 × 400 team securing the state championship win for Pike. Irby's Junior year at Pike HS, she once again earned 30 individual points and anchored on the 4 × 400 but it wasn't enough to beat the Lady Warriors of Warren Central High School.
She gained 16 national titles from Jr Olympic and Youth National meets and made world teams for the 2015 World Youth Championships and the 2016 World U20 Championships. While representing USA, Irby got the silver in the 400 meters running 51.79 (U18 – 2015) and 51.39 (U20 – 2016). She also ran on the 4 × 400 relay both years winning gold and in the 4 × 100 prelim (U20 – 2016) also winning gold.
Irby took several AP and Honor courses while in High School and maintained a high GPA. Nationally the Class of 2017 has many top track and field recruits such as Katia Seymour, Lauren Rain Williams (100 m runners), Lauryn Ghee, Jayla Kirkland (200 m runners), and Sydney McLaughlin (400 M-Hurdler), Sammy Watson (800 m runner). Irby was listed in all 3 sprints as one of the top recruits but the absolute top recruit in the 400 m of this national graduating class by Milesplit.
Irby is 45–0 in the state of Indiana postseason having won 9 individual state titles in all sprints. Olympic Gold Medalist Maicel Malone finished her North Central HS track career with 11-12 individual state titles in the 1980s. Irby finished with 12-12 by the end of her Pike high school career in 2017 by sweeping all 3 sprints all 4 years of high school, becoming the first one to ever sweep all 3 sprints all 4 years of high school. Irby owns the Indiana indoor state record in the 60 m with a Personal Best of 7.46 (2016) and the 100 m outdoor record at 11.41 (2017).
