At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Queen Harrison became Virginia Tech's first female Olympian. At 19 years old, she was the youngest athlete on the 2008 USA Olympic track team.
Queen moved from Loch Sheldrake, NY to Richmond, Virginia during her sixth grade year and joined the Hermitage High School track team as an effort to make friends. During her senior year, Queen caught the attention of Virginia Tech coach, Lawrence Johnson.
As a freshman at Virginia Tech, she placed 3rd in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships and burst onto the international scene when she won the Pan American Junior Championships in the 400-meter hurdles and took silver in the 100-meter hurdles.
After dominating the field in the women's 400-meter hurdles at NCAA East Regional during her sophomore year, Queen was forced to withdraw from the NCAA National Championships due to a hamstring injury. Although distraught, she took time to rest and prepare for the 2008 U.S Olympic Trials a few weeks later. At the Trials, Queen leapt into the Virginia Tech track record books. After coming off the 9th hurdle in 5th place, Queen adjusted her stride to avoid fellow competitor Miriam Barnes, who had fallen into her lane, and made up almost 10 meters to finish 2nd, securing her spot on the USA Olympic team bound for Beijing, China.
Her campaign into the history books did not end there, however. In her final year as a Virginia Tech athlete, Harrison won the NCAA title in the 60-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles becoming the first female athlete in NCAA history to win all three events at the NCAA Championships. As a result of her efforts that season, Queen was awarded the Bowerman Award, the highest honor for a collegiate track and field athlete.
This past season, Queen over came early season injuries to finish runner-up at the USA Championships. She went on to reach the semi-final at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
With her college years safely behind her, Queen has made her presence felt at the highest level of international track and field. As the 2012 Olympics in London approach, Queen is training hard to bring back a gold medal for her country.
2012 2nd place at Lausanne, Zurich, Berlin and Zagreb, 2011 World Championships Semi-finalist 2010 NCAA Champion - 60m hurdles, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, First ever athlete to win the 100m Hurdle and 400m Hurdle double at the same NCAA Championships, 2008 Olympian
