2004 Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame Inductee
Category: TRACK AND FIELD
Parents: Lenard and Bernice Lowe
Husband: Curtis Carroll
Daughter: Brittany
Son: Brent
Tonya grew up on Flint’s north side. She attended Garfield Elementary, Emerson Intermediate and Whittier Middle School. After graduating from Flint Northern, Tonya attended the University of Kentucky where she excelled in track and field.
Tonya was the first female state champion hurdler from Flint Northern. Tonya’s speed not only made her an All State hurdler but a key member on the relay teams. She ran the anchor leg in the mile relay team along with Paula and Pam McGee and Levy String. Tonya was a state champion in
the 110 yard and 220 yard hurdles in 1980. At the Midwest meet of champions Tonya won the 100
meter low hurdles with a time of 13.9 and ran on the winning 880 medley relay team with a time of 1:43.7. In the Greater Flint Track and Field Invitational Meet, Tonya broke her own record in the 200 meter hurdles with a time of 28.5, after erasing the 100 meet hurdle record with a clocking of 14.1. She ran the lead off leg in the 880 meter relay which won in a record time of 1:42.3. At the 1980 Mott relays Tonya ran on winning teams in the Mott 11/2 mile relay, the shuttle hurdle relay, the 440 relay and runner-up on the 880 relay team. That shuttle relay team included, Edyth Childress, Leteia Hughley and Judy Tucker, lowering the record to 1:00.0.
At the University of Kentucky, Tonya was named Kentucky’s Female Athlete of the Year. She was a three time All American in the indoor 60 meter hurdles. Tonya currently holds the fourth fastest 60 meter hurdles time in University of Kentucky’s history, which she recorded in 1984. Other records set by Tonya while at the University of Kentucky include: 1981-4X400 relay; 1981-4×200 relay sprint medley relay; 1981-0utdoor 60 yard hurdles; 1984-Indoor 60 yard hurdles; 1984- outdoor 100 meter hurdles.
Tonya ran in the United States Olympic track and field trials from June 16-24, 1984. Her Olympic trials time in the hurdles of 13.35 was in the top six…just missing the mark to make the Olympic team.
Tonya, a practicing pharmacist, and her family reside in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she owns a successful pharmacy business.
Congratulations, you make Flint proud!
