GBI Magazine

approaches, slight changes, to allow me to Upcoming Track and Field Schedule max out my potential." Billie Hayes Invite Bloomington, Ind. Enekwechi has been a quick study in the May 3 weight throw since arriving at Purdue, an May 10-12 Big Ten Championships Columbus, Ohio Greensboro, N.C. event in which he enjoyed a breakout winter May 23-25 NCAA Preliminaries in his first indoor season. Finishing with the June 5-8 NCAA Championships Eugene, Ore. top eight marks among Purdue competitors, he and NCAA Championships. won three different meets, took third place at the Big Enekwechi, of Nigerian descent, is closing in on that Ten championships and finished third in the semifinal country's national record of 66.92 meters in the hammer round of the NCAA championships. throw. His season-best mark is 64.94 meters. Enekwechi is among a group of well-accomplished "We want him to be an All-American," McBride said. and highly competitive throwers. "He needs to break my school record. Right now, we Joining him on the men's side are freshman Coy have our sights set on that Nigerian mark and the Blair and redshirt senior Jakob Engel. Dani Bunch, a school records." standout on the women's side, captured second place Enekwechi no doubt will keep working toward those at the Big Ten indoor championships in both the shot goals — it's what he's done since he started the sport. put and weight throw events. But that doesn't mean he's necessarily targeting "It's a good environment being around so many breaking McBride's record either. good throwers," Enekwechi said. "Having such a com"To be really honest, I'm not big on predictions," Enepetitive group can be a good thing and a bad thing, but kwechi said. "My only goals are to come out of the refor the most part, it's been great. gionals in both of my events and earn All-America hon"It's nice knowing that even if I have an off day and ors." don't perform well, there are two other guys that are In five years, Enekwechi has gone from first-time there that can pick up the slack." thrower to All-America candidate. That competition among teammates was on display A contender at both the conference and national leva number of times during the 2012-13 indoor season. el this spring in the outdoor competition, Enekwechi On two occasions, once in the shot put and once in the has barely scratched the surface on what he wants to weight throw, Engel, Blair and Enekwechi swept the accomplish both on the track and off. top three spots. "I just want to continue to improve, and hopefully Enekwechi opened his freshman season with modone day I will have the opportunity to compete for eiest expectations, but just as he did in high school, ther Nigeria or the United States on the international those were quickly exceeded and changed. stage," he said. "Eventually I want to pursue a law deWhen the year began, Enekwechi hoped to get in the gree and get into family law, but for now, I just want to high 50s for the shot put and 65 in the weight throw. go as far as I can as a thrower." He did both. It's been a pleasant surprise for 2013 Recruiting class signs 10 McBride, who said Enekwechi has Head coach Lonnie Greene remet and exceeded every expectation cently inked his first recruiting he had set for him. So, as Enekwechi class at Purdue, signing nine womkeeps improving, McBride works to en and one man to next year's track find new challenges for Enekwechi and field team. to meet. Greene signed a pair of sprintBoth coach and athlete have severs from his hometown of Nassau, eral marks in sight for the precoBahamas, in Devynne Charlton and cious freshman as the outdoor seaCarmiesha Cox. Both Charlton and son winds down toward the Big Ten Gold & Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 5com

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