McLeod Earns USTFCCCA Region Track Athlete of the Year

EUGENE, Ore. – Sophomore hurdler Omar McLeod has been named the USTFCCCA Outdoor South Central Region Track Athlete of the Year as announced Monday by the organization prior to the start of this week’s national meet. McLeod and the No. 5 University of Arkansas men’s track and field team cap their season at the NCAA Championships which are being contested June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

McLeod, the NCAA champion in the 60-meter hurdles, didn’t miss a beat transitioning from the indoor season. He opened his outdoor campaign at the Drake Relays with an explosive, record-breaking performance in the 110-meter hurdles with his time of 13.21 which still stands as the national leader. McLeod, who was also part of the victorious 4×100- and 4×200-meter relays, went on to claim a share of the Maury White Award with Olympic gold medalist Kirani James as the meet’s Most Outstanding Performers

At the SEC Championships, McLeod ran just .07 off his own school record with a time of 13.28 to take victory in the 110-meter hurdles and earn 10 points toward the Razorbacks’ second-place team finish. At last weekend’s NCAA West Preliminary meet, he secured his spot at the national meet in the hurdles event with a time of 13.22 and as part of the 4×100- and 4×400-meter relay teams.

Between his performances at the Drake Relays and NCAA West Preliminary, McLeod is tied for the seventh and tenth-fastest times in collegiate history. At the preliminary event, he teamed with Jarrion Lawson, Kenzo Cotton and Marqueze Washington to break the school record with an NCAA-leading time of 38.66. The same foursome also posted a season-best time of 3:04.06 in the 4×400-meter relay.

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