Texas State Athletics

ACCOLADES
World Records
2012-2026: 110m Hurdles (12.80)

International Championships
2012 Olympic gold medalist (110H-12.92)
2012 World Indoor gold medalist (60H-7.44)
2011 USATF Outdoor runner-up (110H-13.12)
2004 World Junior champion (110H-13.56)

USA Championships
2013 USATF Outdoor bronze medalist (110H-13.23)
2012 Olympic Trials champion (110H-12.93)
2012 USATF Indoor champion (60H-7.43)
2009 USATF Outdoor bronze medalist (110H-13.15)

Collegiate Championships
2006 NCAA champion (110H-13.21)
2006 NCAA indoor champion (60H-7.51)

Other Awards/Honors
2012 Diamond Leagues champion
Seven-time NCAA All-American
2012 USATF Fans' Choice Awards Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

An Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder in the 110-meter hurdles, Aries Merritt is in his third season at Texas State University, serving as the teams assistant coach overlooking sprints, hurdles and relays.

In his second season overseeing sprints, hurdles and relays, Aries Merritt helped Texas State complete a historic sweep of the men’s and women’s Sun Belt Conference indoor and outdoor championships in 2026.

During the indoor season, Merritt coached freshman Ja'Shaun Lloyd to two individual Sun Belt championships. Lloyd finished as the men’s high-point scorer and was named the Sun Belt Men’s Freshman of the Year. Lloyd also established a Texas State program record in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.60 seconds. Lloyd would go on to compete in the USATF Indoor Championships. 

Merritt’s athletes continued their success outdoors, with Drew Donley earning Sun Belt Men’s Track Performer of the Year, and Ja’Shaun Lloyd winning Men’s Freshman of the Year and Men’s Newcomer of the Year honors, along with the men’s high-point scorer award (29.5). 

His group also established three Texas State program records during the outdoor season. Donley set the 200m (20.39) record at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships. Lloyd set the 100m (10.22) and 110m (13.28) hurdle records during the season.

Seven sprinters and hurdlers under Merritt’s direction qualified for the NCAA West First Round, with Ja'Shaun Lloyd and Drew Donley advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Lloyd earned Second Team All-America honors in the 110-meter hurdles, while Donley earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in the 200 meters.
In his first season as an assistant coach at Texas State, Merritt brought elite experience and technical expertise to the Bobcats’ sprints, hurdles and relays group, leading the unit to multiple record-breaking and conference-winning performances during the 2025 season. Under Merritt’s guidance, Drew Donley set the Texas State school record in the 100 meters (10.22), won the Sun Belt Conference title in the 200 meters, finished third in the 100 meters at the conference championships, and moved to second in school history in the 200 meters (20.52).

Merritt also coached Shedrake Apeki to a runner-up finish in the 100 meters at the Sun Belt Championships (10.27) and NCAA West Preliminary Round appearances in both the 100 meters (10.19w) and 200 meters (20.70). Daniel Harrold placed second in the 110-meter hurdles at the conference championships with a time of 13.58 under Merritt’s direction.

On the women’s side, Taehja Badal won the Sun Belt indoor title in the 200 meters, helping Texas State secure the women’s indoor conference championship and contribute to the program’s sweep of the men’s and women’s conference titles. Seven student-athletes from Merritt’s group qualified for the 2025 NCAA West Preliminary Round, highlighting the depth and national competitiveness of the unit under his leadership.
 
As an athlete, Merritt captured the world title in the 60m hurdles at the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul with a time of 7.44 seconds. Later that year, he qualified for the U.S. Olympic team by winning the 110m hurdles in 12.93 seconds at the Olympic trials in Oregon. In the Olympic finals in London, he set a then-personal record of 12.92 seconds to capture the gold medal.
 
On September 7, 2012, Merritt ran a time of 12.80 at the Diamond League meet in Brussels, Belgium, setting a new world record by 0.07 seconds, the largest drop in the 110m hurdles world record since 1981. The marks still stands today as the current world record.
 
As a collegiate student-athlete, Merritt competed for three years at the University of Tennessee before forgoing his senior season to pursue a professional track and field career. He captured the 2006 NCAA indoor championship in the 60m hurdles, then during outdoors won the 110m hurdles in 13.21 seconds, breaking the previous NCAA meet record of 13.22 that had stood since 1978. He completed the 2006 season unbeaten in every hurdles event (55m, 60m, 110m) for a school record 18 wins (prelims and finals). He finished his collegiate career as a seven-time NCAA All-American and with 14 school, meet and facility records to his credit.
 
A native of Atlanta, Ga., Merritt captured his first international medal, the gold in the 110m hurdles, at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Italy.
 
Merritt served 15 years as a professional athlete sponsored by Nike and Reebok from 2006-2021. He has served as a motivational speaker since 2006, delivering speeches to both live audiences and online at a variety of conferences.
 
Merritt graduated from Tennessee in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and a minor in business administration.