Joseph Fahnbulleh became a national champion in 19.91 seconds.
The redshirt freshman burst off the starting line at the sound of the gun. He closed in on LSU’s Terrance Laird in the final milliseconds of the 200-meter race, striking the finish line 0.03 seconds faster than the runner-up.
The victory is the first title of Fahnbulleh’s career. The Hopkins, Minnesota, native finished runner-up at SEC Outdoors in the 200 with a 20.05-second time. The sprinter set a personal best Friday, and the 19.91 time is the second-best in school history.
The Gator men tallied 34.5 points to place fourth overall at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Clayton Brown placed fifth in both the men’s high jump and triple jump. The senior rose to the occasion to launch 2.20 meters (7-2 ½) in the high jump and lept a personal-best 16.56 meters (54-4) in the triple jump.
Ryan Willie ranked sixth in the men’s 400. The freshman ended with a time of 45.36, 0.37 seconds slower than his semifinal time of 45.73.
The men’s 4x400 relay team of Willie, Chantz Sawyers, Denzel Villaman and Kunle Fasasi ran a 3:03.60 to grasp seventh in the final.
The final day of competition takes place with the women’s final Saturday. Coverage begins with the following eastern broadcast times and streams:
Contact Kaitlyn Wadulack at kwadulack@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @kwadulack
