Dejanea Oakley

Dejanea Oakley
Personal information
Born (2004-07-04) 4 July 2004
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
Sprint
Achievements and titles
Personal bests400m: 49.65 (Eugene, 2025)
Indoor
400m: 50.47 (Fayetteville, 2026) NR
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Jamaica
World Championships
2025 Tokyo 4 × 400 m relay
World U20 Championships
2022 Cali 4x400 m relay
Pan American U20 Championships
2023 Mayagüez 400 m
2023 Mayagüez 4×100 m relay

Dejanea Oakley (born 4 July 2004) is a Jamaican sprinter. She ran the Jamaican indoor national record for the 400 metres to win the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships. She was previously a silver medalist at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, and runner-up in the 400 m at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships and the 2025 Jamaican Championships.[1]

Early life

She attended Clarendon College in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica.[2]

Career

She won a silver medal as part of the Jamaican women 4 x 400m relay team at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, having placed fifth in the individual 400 metres in a personal best of 52.31 seconds. She won a bronze medal in the 400m and a silver medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2023 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.[3]

She competed in the United States college system for the University of Texas before transferring to the University of Georgia in 2024.[4] She qualified for the final of the 2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, running the 400 metres in a time of 51.85 seconds in the semi-final, before placing third in the final in 51.15 seconds.[5][6]

She finished second over 400 metres at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon having lowered her personal best to 50.18 seconds in the semi-final before running 49.65 on the final to finish behind Aaliyah Butler.[7][8][9] She signed a name image and likeness (NIL) contract with sportswear brand On in 2025.[3]

She finished in second place in 50.08 seconds behind defending champion Nickisha Pryce in the final of the 400 metres at the Jamaican Athletics Championships in Kingston, Jamaica in June 2025, having previously won her semi-final in 51.15 seconds.[10][11][12] She finished fifth over 400 metres at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic on 5 July.[13] She was named in the Jamaican squad for the 2025 NACAC Championships in Nassau, The Bahamas.[14] She was selected for the Jamaican team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.[15]

In February 2026, Oakley ran 51.21 seconds to place second behind Ella Onojuvwevwo in the 400 meters final at the 2026 SEC Indoor Championships.[16] Competing at the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, she qualified for the final of the 400 metres with a run of 51.43 seconds before running a Jamaican indoor national record 50.47 seconds to win the final ahead of Madison Whyte and Onojuvwevwo.[17][18]

References

  1. ^ "Dejeanea Oakley". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  2. ^ Levy, Leighton (7 April 2022). "St Jago's Gregory Prince, Clarendon College's Dejanea Oakley the stars on a night of 400m personal bests". SportsMax. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b Levy, Leighton (22 May 2025). "Jamaican Sprinter Dejanea Oakley Signs NIL Deal with Swiss Sportswear Brand On". SportsMax. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  4. ^ Levy, Leighton (28 March 2025). "Dejanea Oakley Flourishing After Move to Georgia, Still Weighing 200m or 400m for Jamaica's World Championship Team". SportsMax. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  5. ^ Levy, Leighton (14 March 2025). "Five Jamaican Women Advance to NCAA Indoor Finals in Virginia Beach". SportsMax. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  6. ^ "NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships". World Athletics. 15 March 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  7. ^ Kahler, Theo (14 June 2025). "Results from the 2025 DI NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships". Runnersworld. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  8. ^ "NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships". World Athletics. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  9. ^ Fraser, Dwight (13 June 2025). "Dejanea Oakley among Jamaican winners on day two of NCCA Track and Field Championship in Eugene, Oregon". iriefm.net. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  10. ^ Cowan, Sherdon (27 June 2025). "Pryce, Powell lead charge into 400m finals at National Champs". Sportamax. Archived from the original on 28 June 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  11. ^ "Jamaican Championships". World Athletics. 29 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  12. ^ Levy, Leighton (30 June 2025). "Oakley Remembers Who She Was and Storms Back to Clinch World Championship Spot". SportsMax. Archived from the original on 30 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Results - Eugene Diamond League - Pre Classic 2025". Watch Athletics Weekly. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  14. ^ Levy, Leighton (9 July 2025). "Tia Clayton Returns as Jamaica Names Powerhouse Team for NACAC Championships in Bahamas". SportsMax. Archived from the original on 3 August 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  15. ^ "JAAA names 50-member World Champs team, Thomas-Dodd opts out". Jamaica Observer. 30 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  16. ^ "ARKANSAS MEN, FLORIDA WOMEN HOIST TROPHIES AT SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS". Runnerspace. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Shenese Walker, Tyrice Taylor ahead in their events at NCAA Indoor Championships". Jamaica Observer. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  18. ^ Jamaica Observer. 14 March 2026 https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/14/dejanea-oakley-wins-ncaa-indoors-400m-title/#google_vignette. Retrieved 15 March 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Text "Dejanea Oakley wins NCAA indoors 400m title" ignored (help)
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