Deajah Stevens will forego her final year of NCAA eligibility at the University of Oregon to go pro, she announced on Wednesday night via social media.


The 22-year-old made the U.S. Olympic team last year in the 200m and placed seventh in the final in Rio.

She also made the Team USA roster for the IAAF World Championships in London, but this time placed top three at USAs in two different events: she was second in the 100m to Olympic silver medalist Tori Bowie, then beat out the 26-year-old to win her first USATF title in the 200m, an event in which Bowie won Olympic bronze last year.

After her 200m win at the U.S. nationals, Stevens said she was not sure whether or not she would return to Oregon.



Despite her success on the U.S. senior level, Stevens struggled at times in the NCAA this year and she has never won an individual NCAA title. She broke the American indoor record for 200m at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a 22.28 in the prelims, but was later disqualified for running outside of her lane. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she was again heavily favored for the 200m crown, but stumbled in the final stretch and did not finish as the University of Florida's Kyra Jefferson ran 22.02 to set a new collegiate record.

Fellow Duck Ariana Washington also made the Olympic and World Championships teams in the past two years, but has not made a similar announcement. Washington still has two full years of track eligibility for Oregon.

Stevens did not indicate who her agent is or what shoe company she may sign with.