Francena McCorory is a native of Hampton, Virginia and attended Bethel High School, where she set numerous VHSL indoor and outdoor track and field records, as well as the national High School indoor record in the 400-meter dash. The Daily Press would name her its High School of the Decade for her success on the track. Recruited by many large universities, McCorory elected to stay home and run for the Hampton University Pirates. As a Pirate, she won three NCAA Championships in the 400-meter dash and was named an All-American all four years she competed. After graduating from Hampton, McCorory began to compete at the international level where she found much success, winning a total of 9-medals in major competitions; 7 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. McCorory was a member of gold medal winning 4×400 meter relay teams at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships and earned a silver medal in the event in 2015. In 2014 McCorory brought home team and individual gold at the World Indoor Championships. A two-time Olympian for USA Track & Field, McCorory was a member of the gold medal winning 4×400 meter relay teams in 2012 and 2016. McCorory has previously been inducted into the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame, the Lower Virginia Peninsula Athletic Hall of Fame, and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
