Inside Trei Thorogood’s growth, breakthrough as one of Syracuse’s best sprinters
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Trei Thorogood finished third in the men’s 100m dash at the FSU Relays on March 23 and placed second in the 200m the next day. He was also the runner-up in the 200m at the Bobcat Invitational on March 31st — his third personal best in an eight-day span.
“To be honest, just manifesting what I want in my track life,” Thorogood said. “I’ve been waiting for this breakthrough ever since I got here.”
After struggling early on, Thorogood broke out during the outdoor track season, posting multiple career-highs. He’s been to the finals of the 100m and 200m dash in each of the last two meets. Before SU, Thorogood ran for Freedom High School in Woodbridge, VA, and the PWC Panthers track and field club.
Thorogood’s high school and AAU seasons were separated into spring and summer, so he could compete in both. But then, during his sophomore year, Thorogood suffered an ankle injury while competing for PWC.
“He unfortunately got hurt,” said Kenja Hanniford, Thorogood’s coach for PWC. “He could have potentially been one of the best hurdlers in the state of Virginia.”
During the recovery, Hanniford supported Thorogood physically and mentally. Hanniford monitored Thorogood’s rehab process from the beginning, ensuring he received the appropriate medical treatments.
“Helping the athlete, not just physically, so they can accomplish something,” Hannifrod said. “Mental help was what was a big driver for Trei.”
In the two years after Thorogood’s return, he competed in the 55m, 200m and other dash events at Virginia State. By the end of his high school career, Thorogood became one of the most successful sprinters in the state after earning multiple first-place and runner-up finishes in the the Virginia State Championships and other regional events. Thorogood also won the 300m hurdles in the 2021 Cardinal District Championship.
“(Hanniford) really helped me set the foundation, since he wanted me to run all types of events in high school,” Thorogood said. “It was just to make me look more appealing to colleges.”
In Thorogood’s freshman year at Syracuse, he didn’t place in many of the top rankings. But he steadily improved, and eventually reached the finals of every race in the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference indoor and outdoor championships.
“He’s very serious about the sport,” sprinting coach Dave Hegland said. “He’s very serious about his improvement. It can be frustrating when maybe last year you were running well, but you keep running about the same time.”
Hegland said confidence is the most important tool for a sprinter and practice is the best way to build it. So, after Thorgood struggled last season, Hegland and fellow Syracuse sprinting coach Chantel Ray worked extensively with Thorogood in practice to place him on the right track. This season, his 200m record increased from 22.09 to 21.22.
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“Since I’ve been consistent, my breakthrough is gonna come, so, I’ve been trusting their words,” Thorogood said, “Just by motivating me, not telling me to get in my head too much. Just to go out there, have fun and go run. That’s what they’ve been helping me with.”
This season, Thorogood broke the 21-second threshold in the 200m (20.96), with a second-place finish in the FSU Relays. Then, he surpassed his personal best again at the Bobcat Invitational, crossing the finish line in 20.69 seconds to place second. He also posted a career-high 100m dash time (10.51) in Tallahassee, Florida.
During the indoor season, Thorogood won the Greg Page Relays, improving his 60m dash time from 6.82 seconds to 6.72 in the prelims. He later translated this in his second ACC appearance when he qualified for the 60m dash final, finishing at 6.74 seconds as the eighth runner in the heat. In the final, he placed seventh, recording a personal best of 6.70 seconds.
“I’ve been consistent throughout this year and I’m just waiting on my time to really let people know who my name is and let the world know,” Thorogood said.
