FOR MUCH OF his Texas Tech career, Divine Oduduru found that his performances in the 100 never matched up to his championship pedigree in the 200. For a simple reason. “He had one of the worst starts,” sprint coach Calvin Robinson explained. But that is just half of that quote: “Now he has one of the better starts,” Robinson added.
But on this 100 championship day, in an event that has always lagged for him (he didn’t make the final a year ago and didn’t advance from the Regional as a frosh), the Red Raider junior had the best start and in the process, filled in a big hole in his résumé. Leading from the gun, he powered his way to a world-lead-equaling 9.86 that stands as the second fastest in collegiate history, trailing only Christian Coleman’s 9.82 from the ’17 NCAA semis.
“I think I had that in me because I’ve run more than twice this season [this was his eighth 100], so coming in, I know I’ve done it several times, but I just needed to execute because there are fast guys on the track on those runs, too,” Oduduru said. “I moved away from the blocks and I knew when I got to my transition that it was going to be good, and then the race was over.”
He needed all of that in a fast race that provided the fastest times in each place for a legal-wind NCAA final, with the first 5—all of whom half an hour earlier, had all run in the 4×1—notching PRs. Oregon’s Cravon Gillespie was 2nd in 9.93 and Florida’s Hakim Sani Brown, 3rd in 9.97, also a Japanese Record. Lifetime bests also went to Purdue’s Waseem Williams (10.04) and Florida State’s Bryand Rincher (10.06). But in an early foreshadowing of a team race that was theoretically going to be a tight one between Houston and Texas Tech, Houston’s Mario Burke, who raised himself to narrow favorite’s status with a 9.98 PR in the prelims, ended up only 6th (10.06).
For Odudru, some 45 minutes later would come his attempt to claim a second national title on the day.
NCAA MEN’S 100 RESULTS
FINAL
(June 07; wind +0.8)
1. *Divine Oduduru’ (TxT) 9.86 PR (CL, =WL) (=16, x W; 2, 2 C, NCAA);
2. Cravon Gillespie (Or) 9.93 PR (=6, =6 C; =3, =3 AmC; =6, =6 NCAA);
3. **Hakim Sani Brown’ (Fl-Jpn) 9.97 NR (=12, =12 NCAA);
4. *Waseem Williams’ (Pur) 10.04 PR;
5. ***Bryand Rincher (FlSt) 10.06 PR (10.054);
6. Mario Burke’ (Hous) 10.06 (10.060);
7. Devin Quinn (Il) 10.12;
8. *Joseph Amoah’ (Copp) 10.22.
(best-ever mark-for-NCAA-place: 2–8)
SEMIS
(June 05)
I(2.6)–1. Gillespie 10.01w; 2. Williams’ 10.06w; 3. Rodney Rowe (NCAT) 10.06w; 4. **Kristoffer Hari’ (Ar) 10.08w; 5. *Raheem Chambers’ (Mia) 10.19w; 6. Mustaqeem Williams (Tn) 10.21w; 7. *Travis Collins (Hous) 10.24w; 8. **Joseph Sheffield (Ok) 10.39w.
II(1.3)–1. Burke’ 9.98 PR; 2. Quinn 10.01 PR; 3. Amoah’ 10.01 PR; 4. Davon Demoss (Mem) 10.05 PR (=fastest non-Q ever); 5. McKinely West (SnMs) 10.09; 6. Roy Ejiakuekwu’ (Ar) 10.24 PR; 7. *Jace Comick (TxAM) 10.30 =PR; 8. Jaron Flournoy (LSU) 10.67.
III(2.4)–1. Oduduru’ (TxT) 9.96w (9.951); 2. Sani Brown’ 9.96w (9.955); 3. Rincher 10.02w; 4. Demek Kemp (SCSt) 10.03w (fastest all-conditions non-Q ever); 5. *Cravont Charleston (NCSt) 10.13w; 6. Andrew Hudson (TxT) 10.13w; 7. Oraine Palmer’ (Or) 10.15w;… dnc—Chris Jefferson (SHous).◻︎
