Udodi Onwuzurike Claims Sprint Double Despite Gusting Winds


Udodi Onwuzurike won the MHSAA LP Division 1 100m state title

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WATCH ARCHIVED RACE VIDEOS OF THE MHSAA OUTDOOR DI CHAMPIONSHIPS


At the MHSAA LP Division I State Track and Field Championships at East Kentwood on Saturday, Stanford signee Udodi Onwuzurike scored an impressive sprint double despite gusting winds.

In his second appearance at the outdoor state championships since 2019, the Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (MI) High School senior had an impressive race in the 100m and improved upon his ninth-place finish from 2019.

Into a negative -6.0 headwind, Onwuzurike's drive phase lasted a few steps. He was able to power through to a 10.55 to improve on his season-best.

He was two-hundredths of a second off from tying the overall state record. 

His efforts bettered him to Michigan's second-fastest boy so far this season. 

Ann Arbor Huron's Trey Gardette, who had the fastest time going into the state meet in both the 100m and 200m, finished sixth overall. 

ranknametime

1Udodi Onwuzurike10.55
2Brandon Miller10.84
3Corey Royster10.84
4Cole Cabana10.97
5Shamar Heard11.02
6Trey Gardette11.05
7Stephen Brown11.08
8Preston Nichols11.08


* Onwuzurike won his second individual title in the 200m

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In the boy's 200m final, Onwuzurike's drive phase improved and he made up the stagger on the rest of the field before coming off the bend.

Brandon Miller of Fenton tried to close the gap as best as he could, but he ran out of track. 

For the second time on Saturday, Onwuzurike set another season-best time into a major headwind: 21.23 (-3.8). 

In the prelims, Onwuzurike broke Donnie James' overall 200m state record, which was set back in 2018. The Brother Rice athlete ran through the finish line in 21.01 (-3.2) to lower the previous record of 21.20. 


ranknametime
1Udodi Onwuzurike21.23
2Brandon Miller21.36
3Terrence Muex22.21
4Shamar Heard22.32
5Preston Nichols22.36
6Muhammad Jammeh22.38
7Noah Sage22.58
8Cole Cabana22.61