By james art BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB/Gray News) – A senior Olympian who achieved national fame by setting records in the 100 meters has died at the age of 108.
Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins died Tuesday evening at St. James Place in Baton Rouge, according to The Advocate.
Hawkins earned her nickname in 2017 at the age of 101 by becoming the oldest woman to compete in the 50m and 100m at the National Senior Games, records she would break just two years later.
In 2019, at age 105, she set a new world and American record in the 100 meters at the Louisiana Senior Games in Hammond. She is the first woman and the first American to set a Masters Lack & Field world record in the 105+ age division.
Hawkins’ time was 1:02:95.
She began competing in 2016 when her four children signed her up for the Louisiana Senior Games, the Advocate reported. She was previously a competitive cyclist in her 70s.
Born and raised in Ponchatoula, she attended LSU where she met her future husband, Murray Hawkins, during her freshman year. She went on to teach at LSU and chaired the petroleum engineering department. She eventually left her career to raise her children.
Hawkins’ funeral has not been announced.
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