Magnolia Howell
Personal information
Nationality Trinidad and Tobago
BornSacramento, California[1]
EducationCalifornia State University, Long Beach, studying print journalism[2]
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres[3]
College teamLong Beach State 49ers[4][2]
ClubTeam Bing[3]
Nike, Inc.[5]
Turned pro2011[5]
Coached byBobby Kersee (2013)[6]
Darryl Woodson (2020)[7]
Achievements and titles
World finals
National finals
  • 2011 Trinidadian Champs
  •  • 400m, 2nd Silver
  •  • 200m, 4th
  • 2012 Trinidadian Champs
  •  • 100m, 6th
  •  • 4 x 100m, 1st Gold
  • 2013 Trinidadian Champs
  •  • 400m, 7th
  •  • 200m, 5th
  • 2015 Trinidadian Champs
  •  • 200m, 3rd Bronze
Personal bests
  • 100m: 11.40 (+1.9) (2012)
  • 200m: 23.39 (+0.9) (2013)
  • 400m: 53.25 (2013)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Trinidad and Tobago
Central American and Caribbean Champs
Gold medal – first place2011 Mayagüez4 × 100 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2011 Mayagüez4 × 400 m relay

Magnolia Howell (born 1993) is a former professional track and field sprinter and current writer and fine artist. Representing Trinidad and Tobago, she won the gold medal in the 4 × 400 metres at the 2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships.

Biography

Born in Sacramento, California but raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Howell started running at eight years old.[1][8] She moved to Omaha, Nebraska and attended Westside High School, where she was a state champion in both the 100 m and 200 m.[1][9]

In college she competed for the Long Beach State 49ers track and field team, setting a school record in the 4 × 100 metres while studying print journalism.[2] After graduating, she began to focus more exclusively on running.

At the 2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics, Howell competed in the 4 × 100 m, 4 × 400 m, and individual 200 m for Trinidad and Tobago. In the 200 m, Howell did not qualify for the finals, but she won the gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay leading off for teammates Michelle-Lee Ahye, Ayanna Hutchinson, and Semoy Hackett. Howell was the only athlete from that team to also compete in the 4 × 400 m finals, where her team won the bronze medal.[10][11]

At the 2012 NAAATT Trinidadian Olympic trials, Howell finished 6th in the 100 metres, narrowly missing an Olympic berth.[3]

In 2014, Howell began to train at Drake Stadium under famed athletics and former Nike coach Bobby Kersee.[5] Following her professional rise, she competed in the 2014 and 2015 IAAF World Relays, both times representing Trinidad and Tobago in the 4 × 400 m. At both championships, Howell's team finished 4th in the 'B' finals, posting an overall best mark of 3:33.21 at the 2014 edition.[12]

Howell competed at the 2016 NAAATT Trials in the 400 m, but did not qualify for the 'A' final and missed out on another Olympic team spot.[3] Following this setback, Howell took a year off from the sport and started an art company, Art On The Run,[13] before moving to Austin, Texas to be coached by Darryl Woodson in preparation for the 2020 Olympic cycle.[1][14] She stated that one of her goals was to break Janeil Bellille's Trinidadian record in the 400 m of 51.83 seconds.[14]

After the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 postponed the Olympics back one year, Howell retired from the sport and focused exclusively on writing and art.[1] As an artist under the pen name Magnolia Lafleur, she has shown her work in Los Angeles-area galleries and has sold to international clients.[6][15] As a journalist, she is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and has worked for the Press-Telegram, the Grunion Gazette, the Long Beach Post,[16] the Palisadian-Post,[17] and the Orange County Register.[18]

Statistics

Personal bests

EventMarkPlaceCompetitionVenueDate
100 metres11.40 (+1.9 m/s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Tommy 'Tiny' Lister ClassicLos Angeles, California7 April 2012
200 metres23.39 (+0.9 m/s)2rBOxy InvitationalEagle Rock, California4 May 2013
400 metres53.251st place, gold medalist(s)Oxy-Lu Last Chance QualifierEagle Rock, California12 May 2013

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Perseverance And Balance In Athletic Performance… In Life | CHARM". CHARM Austin. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Long Beach's Olympians: The Full Gazettes Sports List". Press Telegram. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Magnolia Howell at Tilastopaja (registration required)
  4. ↑ "49er alums have only brought success at the Olympics so far". Daily Forty-Niner. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Howell, Magnolia (29 October 2014). "Stadium Lights & Running Spikes: TRACK SEASON FUNDRAISER". Stadium Lights & Running Spikes. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Free thinker: Athlete now artist on a new track - Sweet TnT Magazine". Sweet TNT Magazine. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  7. ↑ Barclay, Kat (1 March 2020). "Howell's Race to Tokyo". Austin Fit. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Dyer, Mackenzie (1 November 2019). "Retiring athlete translates her art to track, gives Olympics her all". The Daily Texan. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Westside Alumni Newsletter - Fall 2019 by Westside Foundation - Issuu". issuu.com. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "Green denies home win to Culson, Mexico takes medal lead in Mayaguez - CAC Champs, Day 2 | NEWS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "CAC gold medallists for World Games". Team TTO | Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  12. ↑ "T&T relay runners grab two more medals". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "🎨 ART on the Run Home Page". 🎨 ART on the Run. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Quality Time With Olympic Track & Field Hopeful Magnolia Howell". Made In Cookware. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "Meet Magnolia Lafleur: Narrative Fine Artist & CEO to Art On The Run". SHOUTOUT LA. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "Magnolia Lafleur". the Hi-lo. 19 February 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "Magnolia Lafleur, Author at Palisadian Post". Palisadian Post. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "Magnolia Lafleur". Orange County Register. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
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