After running a record time of 9.82 seconds in the 100-meter dash in the prelims of the NCAA Championships on Wednesday, June 7, Christian Coleman once again showed why he was named Male Amateur Athlete of the Year by winning the finals two days later. The University of Tennessee junior won the 100 with a time of 10.04 seconds as well as the 200 with a time of 20.25 seconds.
He also won the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash at the Indoor Championships, making him only the second runner in NCAA history to sweep all four sprint national championships in the same academic year. The other sprinter to accomplish this feat was Justin Gatlin, a former Tennessee star and Olympic Gold medalist. He has also become a mentor to Coleman after the two spent time together at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Coleman noted, “He’s talked to me about how to handle myself, what to do with my career.” Gatlin, Male Professional Athlete of the Year, saw Coleman at the NCAA Championships and said, “Watching him gave me goose bumps. You’re able to watch a star being born.”
The next step in his quest for stardom will be in Sacramento where Coleman will compete in the USA Track & Field Championships. Following the event, he will decide if he will return to Tennessee for his final season or turn pro. Regardless of his decision, Coleman is a rising star who Volunteers coach Beth Alford-Sullivan and many others believe can run even faster.
Credit to Joe Davidson at The Sacramento Bee