Nia  Ali, the 2006 Pleasantville High School graduate, has advanced to the semifinals in the women's 100-meter hurdles at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Ali, 27, won her first-round heat Tuesday in 12.76 seconds to advance to one of three of Wednesday's semifinals, scheduled to start at 7:53 pm. tonight. Should she advance, Ali will compete again tonight in the finals, scheduled for 9:55 pm.

Born in Philadelphia, Ali moved to Pleasantville in high school, gaining national attention when Track and Field News ranked her number one in the nation in two hurdle events.

After a successful college career at the University of Tennessee and USC, she was a finalist at the 2012 Olympic trials and first at the U.S. Indoor Championships in 2013, according to her website.

Ali's first-round heat Tuesday morning was shown live on NBC-TV, with the coverage spotlighting her 15-month-old son Titus and her mother, Melita Johnson, in the stands.

 

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