Wharton High product Teona Rodgers (center) celebrates after winning the 100-meter hurdles final Saturday at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland

Former Wharton High track and field standout Teona Rodgers, a freshman at Florida State, became Hillsborough County’s first-ever winner at the IAAF World Junior Championships when she took first place Saturday in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Rodgers faced a standout international field—and a stiff headwind—but still managed to race to the gold medal in a time of 13.40 seconds. Taking the silver was Jamaica’s Shermaine Williams (13.48) while Cuba’s Beliks Milanes (13.49) was third.

Although Rodgers’ personal best in the event in 13.33, the headwind of 2.4 meters per second slowed her and the finals field significantly. By using a formula to calculate the effect of that headwind, Rodgers’ 13.40 Saturday equates to an approximate time of 13.20.

“For her career, that’s a milestone and sets her at an entirely new level, maybe one that will set her on a path to an Olympic medal” said her Wharton coach, Wes Newton. “You think about that. Teona just ran the equivalent of about 13.20 today and [U.S. Olympic hurdler and Leto/USF product] Damu [Cherry] never ran that fast in her entire college career.”