VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: With her village behind her, SU sprinter powers to Nationals
Kay Racine: Thanks guys, I’m here at NCAA Nationals where athletes come to chase history. But for one Syracuse runner, being here is already a victory. Iaunia Pointer came to Syracuse with something to prove. After transferring from Southern Illinois with one outdoor season left, the conference champion knew she had to bet on herself, because she could see a future in this sport.
Iaunia Pointer: Because it was like, I actually can make something of myself and actually do something with my life besides just schooling.
Racine: But her journey wasn’t always linear. Battling hip, foot, and shoulder injuries, her talent was clear, but her resilience went even deeper.
Dave Hegland: I think she’s just really tough. Honestly, I think Iaunia’s a tough kid. And when she laces up her spikes and steps on the track, that’s exactly what you see.
Racine:But she knows, even if she never ran another race, she has a village and a community that will always stick by her. Especially her high school coach, Coach Kim.
Coach Kim: What I tell Iaunia all the time, even when she’s going through whatever, what is the “why?”
Pointer: They mainly are the people, like why I am doing track. Because they speak life over me and into me.
Racine: And that encouragement has led to Pointer breaking the school record three times and finally punching her ticket to NCAA Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.
Pointer: This is my first time going to Nationals, so I am very, very excited.
Racine: As Pointer takes the track tonight for the 200-meter semifinals, it was never just about getting there, but about those who helped her along the way. Kay Racine NCC News.
EUGENE, OR (NCC News) — Qualifying for NCAA Track and Field Nationals is every collegiate track athlete’s dream, but only a small percentage turn those dreams into reality. Syracuse University 200m sprinter Iaunia Pointer worked day in and day out for four-plus years just trying to take milliseconds off her time.
That’s how she turned her dream into a reality.
Pointer started track in high school after quitting other sports.
“I used to do gymnastics, and then one day I quit, and the track coach asked me did I want to come to practice. At first I said no, but my mom was like, ‘I will be out there,’ and then that’s what happened,” said Pointer.
She always knew she had athletic ability, but everything about track was still so new. Learning how to build confidence came easy after she met her coach and now mentor, Coach Kim.
“She really helped me believe in myself and stay focused on track and field! She always told me to keep the main thing the main thing,” said Pointer.
Coach Kim didn’t sugarcoat things. She held her accountable on and off the track.
“I would ask her what is she focusing on and what kind of people does she have in her village. I remember when I was a college athlete if you are not around the right people, things can go very wrong,” said Coach Kim.
After three years of high school running sprints and specializing in the 200m, Coach Kim helped Pointer pursue the next step: running in college.
“I set all my athletes up with the program to help them run in college. I help them contact coaches and want everything up for them to be successful,” said Coach Kim.
Pointer chose the University of Southern Illinois and immediately became the school’s standout sprinter.
“I felt supported there so much not just from track, but also academically. They wanted me to be successful,” said Pointer.
But being a college athlete comes with ups and downs. During her time at SIU, Pointer struggled through multiple injuries to her foot, back, and hips especially during her later years. Some days, the pain was so bad in practice that she’d have to ask to sit out reps, and that began to affect her mentally.
“Of course I felt some kind of way, but I knew I had to be strong and remember my why,” said Pointer.
Though her confidence dropped, she still had people in her corner to lift her up.
“My why will always be my village! They always pour into me and give me positive feedback no matter what’s going on in my life,” said Pointer.
Building back confidence came naturally with support from her family and friends until it wasn’t just about confidence anymore. It was about results.
“Her last season she set out at Southern Illinois was a down year for her. She didn’t run the times that we knew she could run, so we were all concerned,” said Coach Kim.
At that point, the priority became clear: graduate and stay healthy.
“Although track was a priority, school was too, so we told her to focus on school and trust herself with the rest,” said Coach Kim.
That’s exactly what Pointer did. After sitting out her outdoor season, she graduated and held on to one last semester of eligibility to run again. She entered the transfer portal for a final chance to bet on herself with no guarantees.
“I chose Syracuse because it seemed like the best fit for me, and I felt like I could be successful here,” said Pointer.
This decision was completely her own.
“We didn’t help her at all. She made this decision on her own, and we definitely backed her up,” said Coach Kim.
Pointer enrolled early at Syracuse and met a new coaching staff led by sprints coach Dave Hegland and a familiar face in assistant coach Chantel Ray. They welcomed her and had her ready to get to work.
“Honestly, her coming in was a blessing. Throughout the fall she came in early, and we had time to focus on building her strength and rehabbing her injuries so that she can have an amazing spring,” said Hegland.
Despite everything she’d been through, Pointer didn’t let it stop her. She healed up, trained hard, and her work ethic stood out.
“Honestly, she is a tough kid. She took one semester to move across the world and bet on herself, and it is all starting to work out for her,” said Hegland.
In today’s world of the transfer portal and roster limits, it can be tough for coaches to take chances. But Hegland saw what she was made of.
“It’s easier to get an older veteran group because you don’t have to give them glitz and glam because they can see through the B-S,” said Hegland.
Then came the moment it all came together.
“From her first track meet of the season, she was phenomenal,” said Hegland.
Every race, Pointer chipped away at her 200m time week after week. She kept showing up. Not just for herself, but for her village.
“My family and friends will always be the reason I do this. They keep me anchored,” said Pointer.
Personal record after personal record moved her up the Syracuse all-time leaderboard until it happened. Iaunia Pointer broke the school record.
At ACCs, she ran a season’s best 23.09. That time qualified her for NCAA East Regionals, ranked 26th out of 48 athletes invited from the East.
At regionals, she had to survive two rounds. The first to stay alive the second, to finish top 12 and qualify for NCAA Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.
When she stepped on that line, she trusted herself.
“I know I put the work in, and my village always tells me that I am just as good as them. So when I step on that line, I believe that,” said Pointer.
In the prelims, she ran a 23.00 breaking her own school record of 23.28. In the final, she beat it again, running 22.90 to finish 11th and punch her ticket to Nationals.
“I’m so excited to go to Nationals. I have been talking about it ever since I stepped foot in Syracuse,” said Pointer.
With one more collegiate race in front of her, her coach reflected on the journey.
“It clearly all worked out. I’m just glad she got to do it with us,” said Hegland.
Pointer started her college career running a 24.17 in the 200m. Now she’s run 22.90. And with one final chance this weekend at NCAA Nationals in Eugene, Oregon the time won’t matter most to her village.
Because it’s how far she’s come that makes them the proudest.
“Regardless of how this race goes, I know my village loves me and that if I never run another race after this again, I will always have them,” said Pointer.