Melissa Jefferson-Wooden on How Training With Sha’Carri Richardson Has Made Her Dominate Gabby Thomas And Co at Miami Grand Slam Track

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has attributed her fine start to her 2025 season to the competitive environment at Star Athletics club, with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden one of his teammates.

Olympic 100m bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has credited her training environment — especially the chance to work alongside sprint superstar Sha’Carri Richardson — for her blistering form in the 2025 Grand Slam Track circuit.

Jefferson-Wooden lit up the track at the Miami leg of the tour, powering to a commanding 10.76 seconds in the women’s 100 meters. 

While the time was deemed wind-aided and won't go into the official record books, the sheer dominance of her performance left no doubt about her growing stature this season. 

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She beat out a formidable field that included Tamari Davis, who clocked 10.79, and Favour Ofili, who finished third in 10.94.

Already the winner of the short sprints title at the season-opening meet in Kingston, Jamaica, Jefferson-Wooden now finds herself poised to defend her crown in Miami — a city she now calls home. 

She trains at Star Athletics Club under Coach Dennis Mitchell, alongside some of the sport’s top talents, including Kayla White and Sha’Carri Richardson.

Speaking before the Miami meet, Jefferson-Wooden shared how her training setup has molded her into a more consistent and confident performer.

“I’ve had both good and bad experiences here at Miramar — or the Anson Complex,” she said during a pre-race press conference. “I’ve come in dead last here, and I’ve won here. So I’ve really felt all the emotions possible on this track.”

She added that competing in her training base adds sentimental motivation: “I’ve got an army of people coming with me — my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my husband is out there. It’s always special to embrace where I’ve been over this past year. Moving to Florida, joining Star Athletics, and making this my home has been a big step.”

Jefferson-Wooden explained how training daily with high-caliber sprinters, including Sha’Carri Richardson, helps elevate her performance levels.

“What’s special about my situation is that I get to train in that atmosphere every single day. I train with some of the best women in the world, and it constantly gives me a marker for where I am and what I’m capable of,” she said. 

“The chance to line up like it’s a championship — not just once, but twice in a weekend, and multiple times a year without it being a world championship — that gives all of us a competitive edge.”

She also acknowledged that racing against top-tier competition this early in the season is more of a benefit than a challenge.

“As a short sprinter, we get a lot of opportunities throughout the year to line up against each other, and sometimes it really does feel like a championship final,” she said.

 “Grand Slam Track was created to make sure we’re fairly compensated for our work, but it’s also giving us that high-pressure, competitive environment we need.”

Jefferson-Wooden believes this kind of intensity is preparing her mentally and physically for the bigger battles ahead — most importantly, the USA Track and Field Championships, where she’ll aim to qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo.

“So when it’s time to make a U.S. team or compete at Worlds,” she concluded, “we’re not just building toward it — we’ve already been in that moment. And that’s setting me up to be at my best when it matters most.”