The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has named rave-making Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru the Co-Men’s Track Athlete of the Year, Completesports.com reports.
At the NCAA Division 1 Championships concluded last weekend in Austin,Texas, Oduduru successfully completed a sprint double, winning the 100m and 200m titles in scintillating fashion.
Oduduru scorched out of the block in explosive fashion in the 100m, going 9.86 for his third sub-10 race of the season. Barely an hour later, the 22 year old delivered another sub-20 in the 200m.
In the history of track and field, such has been done 12 times, and Oduduru owns three of them.
The 9.86 seconds in the 100m tied him for the world lead and the 19.73 seconds in the 200m surpassed the 19.76 seconds he ran in April – the then second-fastest time ever run by a collegiate – to make it so he now owns both the second- and third-fastest time in collegiate history. This was done after helping the 4×100 relay team to a Texas Tech University record for the fourth consecutive time racing it this year.
Oduduru also became the second Nigerian to complete a sprint double at the Championship behind Olapade Adeniken who made history at the University of Texas’ Mike Myers Stadium some 27 years ago (1992).Interestingly, Oduduru also achieved his sprint double at the same track.
By Dare Esan
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