TAMPA, Fla. — USF sprinter Saminu Abdul-Rasheed doesn't want to be pinched. He doesn't want to be woken up. He wants to keep running the way he's been running for the entire outdoor season.
The Bulls sophomore took home first-team all-American honors twice in less than an hour when he placed fifth in the 100 meters and third in the 200 at the NCAA outdoor championships. His 10.02 in the 100 is a personal best. His 20.12 is a school record in the 200, and it earned him a spot as an Olympic qualifier for his home country of Ghana.
"It’s a dream come true to represent my country. It’s everybody’s dream, going to Paris to run," Abdul-Rasheed said before his practice session. "Make it to the semifinals, the finals, is a good achievement for every athlete. Making it to the final alone can get you something that you don’t even expect. I’m just hoping I do my best."
Abdul-Rasheed has had a dominant outdoor season that saw him sweep the 100, 200, and 4x100 relay at the AAC championships. He also competed in world junior competitions before beginning his college career.
Despite the fact that he's constantly running against top-level competition, Abdul-Rasheed's answer is simple when asked if he feels pressure to perform.
"Not really. I’ve run on the world stage before, so it’s not really a big deal for me."
Not a bad showing for a guy from a small village in Ghana, where he sharpened his sprinting skills by hunting when he was a kid.
"I know where I’m coming from. I put it in my head all the time before I run," Abdul-Rasheed added. "I run like I’m representing three people in my life. My family, the school, and the village. I always do my best to run good times and make it to the highest level."
Abdul-Rasheed explained that he doesn't care who he's running against or where the race is. He just wants a chance to go up against the best in the world.
"How you feel like when you’re coming to run [crazy fast], that’s how I’m coming to run. Whoever runs through the line, that makes it to [the top two in the qualifying rounds], that’s all that matters. I don’t really think about anybody coming to run."
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