It was a blissful February day, and the raucous crowd at Washington’s Dempsey Indoor Facility was roaring with excitement. The stage was set for the Pac-12 women’s 60-meter hurdles race.
The hurdlers jolted out of their starting blocks, and it soon became clear that they were headed for a tight finish.
Arizona hurdler Talie Bonds was neck-and-neck with USC’s Jasmine Jones. Though she lost by a millisecond, all eyes were on Arizona’s entrant.
Bonds had, after all, just set a school record with a time of 8.16 seconds.
“She’d been training extremely well,” UA coach Fred Harvey said. “She has the talent to run faster than that.”
Bonds was a little taken aback. “It was kind of a surprise, but kind of not because, I knew I was going to have a drop in time,” Bonds said.
“I haven’t competed in that event in three years.”
Bonds’ happiness was short-lived. While she broke the Wildcats’ indoor record, she failed to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. The top 16 times advanced; Bonds was 21st.
“That is the hardest NCAA Championship to get to,” Harvey said. “It’s not even close.”
Bonds will have another chance to qualify in this spring’s outdoor championships. The Wildcats will host the Desert Heat Classic next Saturday before heading to the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships, which start May 14 in Eugene, Oregon. The NCAA Outdoor Championships start May 25 in Fayetteville, Arkansas; the best will head back to Eugene for the NCAA Outdoor Championship finals, which start June 8.
“This outdoor season, it’s looking like a possibility,” Bonds said. “I’ve had good races all year, so hopefully I can keep that going and make it happen.”
Since transferring from Utah State to Arizona as a junior in 2019, Bonds has been the model of sustained success.
For every competition, winning is the expectation and nothing less.
“That’s why I’ve been so successful because I hold myself to a high standard and it’s definitely helped me through the years,” Bonds said. “I will do everything in my power to win.”
If it sounds like a coach’s dream, well, it is. Harvey doesn’t have to force her Bonds to abide by his instructions. She does it on her own.
During one indoor meet last season, Harvey informed Bonds that she would be taking part in high jump and not hurdles.
“It was so cute, because she brought her hurdle shoes with her anyways, just in case I changed my mind,” Harvey said with a laugh. “She didn’t like it, but wasn’t upset because she understood the mission of what we’re trying to achieve.”
The fond moment speaks volumes on Bonds’ competitiveness.
“She’s really a competitor and gamer,” said Bob Myers, the UA’s volunteer high jump coach. “It’s been incredible to watch her.”
Harvey said he was thrilled when he landed Bonds in the transfer portal three years ago. He had coached her older sister Tiana from 14-2019, and has always admired her parents, Kurt and Natalie.
“Mom and dad are literally at every competition,” Harvey said. “Being in the business as long as I have, they’re the absolute best parents in allowing their young sons and daughters to grow and allow them to be coached.”
And Bonds has been coached in a lot of sports. She lettered in volleyball, flag football and track and field for Las Vegas’ Centennial High School before heading off to Utah State. She took off in track as a senior, winning the Nevada state title in both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles. Shen was named the 2017 Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year.
“I was a late-bloomer,” Bonds said. She was still learning how to control her body as growing older allowed her to “understand what I need to do in training (and) how I need to take care of my body off the track.”
Bonds credits Natalie Bonds for helping her break through.
“My senior year, my mom and I really focused,” Bonds said. “We’d go out on the track at night, no lights on (and) she’d hold the flashlight and time me.”
Bonds has never been one to shy away from stout competition. She always welcomes the opportunity to compete in challenging heats.
“I actually enjoy racing people faster than me more than winning a race because it pushes me to be better,” Bonds said. “I don’t think anybody should be afraid of competing with people that are better than them because that’s how you get to their level and build your confidence.”
In every competition, win or lose, Bonds makes sure that her presence is felt and leaves a lasting impression on her opponents.
“I want my opponents to know that I’m a threat and I don’t like to lose,” Bonds said. She admits she surprises a lot of people, “especially in hurdles.”
“I don’t think I look that intimidating,” Bonds said with a laugh.
Bonds has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Minor in Crime, Law, and Society. She has been fascinated with crime since she was little and aspires to work in the criminal justice field one day.
“I’ve always wanted to be an FBI agent,” Bonds said. Bonds is confident she has the make up to be an ideal candidate for the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
“I’ve had so much experience physically that I don’t think that would be a problem for me,” Bonds said. “I’ve always been mentally strong. I’m very good under pressure.”
Bonds wants to be remembered as someone who lead by example with her work ethic, love for the sport, and knowing how to have fun.
“I never want people to think, ‘Oh she ran this (time) because she’s naturally gifted.’ That’s just not the case,” Bonds said. “I’ve worked for every single thing I’ve ever earned.”
