South Florida’s Kendall Ellis helps USA win first track and field medal of Tokyo Olympics

Kendall Ellis, a Pembroke Pines native and St. Thomas Aquinas alumnae, helped the United States win its first track and field medal of the Tokyo Olympics.

The 25-year-old sprinter ran the second leg of the United States’ 4x400-meter mixed relay that won the bronze medal on Saturday, finishing behind Poland and the Dominican Republic.

Ellis’ 50.2-second leg was the fourth-fastest leg among the 17 women who ran (Germany’s relay was disqualified after the second leg, thus only one of their two women ran).

Ellis, a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Southern California, will also compete in the 400-meter dash and as part of the United States’ women’s 4x400-meter relay team in Tokyo.

The 400-meter prelims begin on Tuesday morning in Tokyo, with semifinals on Wednesday and the finals on Friday.

The women’s 4x400-meter relay heats are on Thursday with the final set for Saturday.

Jordan McPherson

Miami Herald

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Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.