Louisiana State University (LSU) Head Coach Dennis Shaver has officially announced the signing of Guyanese sprint standout Keliza Smith to the women’s track and field programme.
A native of West Bank Demerara, Smith arrives in Baton Rouge as a Guyanese national champion with a proven track record of success on the international and collegiate stages.
She will join the Tigers this Spring as a junior, bringing elite experience and record-breaking speed to an already formidable LSU roster.
Smith makes the move to NCAA Division I after two standout seasons at Barton Community College.
Her tenure there was marked by consistent excellence, highlighted by her capture of the NJCAA 60-meter national title.
Over her two years with the Cougars, she racked up a staggering 15 USTFCCCA First Team All-American honors, cementing her status as one of the most decorated junior college sprinters in recent history.
Smith brings world-class personal bests to the Tigers’ sprint group.
Her career highlights include:
- 60m: 7.28s
- 100m: 11.37s (National U20 Record for Guyana)
- 200m: 23.08s
- 400m: 52.91s
Beyond her collegiate accolades, Smith has emerged as a key pillar of Guyana’s international athletics presence.
Most recently, she delivered a breakthrough performance at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she captured a bronze medal in the Women’s 100m final with a time of 11.59 seconds—securing Guyana’s first podium finish of the Games.
She further underscored her potential at the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay, clinching another bronze medal in the 200m final with a time of 23.42 seconds.
She will team up with compatriots Malachi Austin and Athaleyha Hinckson, both of whom are also part of the LSU programme. (Modified LSU Press Release)
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