Osazuwa SU’s first All-American pentathlete
Photo/Mark Nash
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Uhunoma Osazuwa almost didn’t get to compete in the NCAA Indoor National Championships. She just barely missed the top 17 and was notified two days later of her qualification after another competitor dropped out.
Good thing she made it.
Despite being on the bubble before the race, Osazuwa’s showing at the March 14 meet earned her the distinction as the first Syracuse indoor track and field All-American since 2002 and the school’s first-ever All-American pentathlete. To accomplish the feat, she had to move up 12 spots from 18th to 6th.
‘It was definitely a shocker and that much more exciting to go that far,’ assistant coach Enoch Borozinski said. ‘She was definitely the talk of all the other coaches with how much she improved.’
Now a few weeks removed from that sixth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor National Championships that secured her All-American status, Osazuwa will lead the team into this weekend’s Texas Relays, which will be held in Austin, Texas, from Wednesday to Saturday.
For two days following the Big East championships on Feb. 21, Osazuwa assumed she would miss out on the opportunity to compete at Nationals. Following an uncharacteristically poor finish at the long jump in the Big East championships — the event that originally dropped her to 18th place — she placed just shy of qualifying. But once she qualified, she showed her true worth.
‘It was a relief,’ Osazuwa said. ‘It felt good to go out and compete because I knew I deserved to go out and compete and be there.’
Borozinski was not surprised. In the four years he has coached her, he’s seen the growth. He’s recognized her talent.
‘I knew there was at least a chance she could get it,’ Borozinski said.
In Texas, Osazuwa will compete in the 100-meter hurdles and the long jump, looking to top her previous performance at Nationals — the same performance that not only gave her All-American status, but cemented her place as SU’s first track and field All-American pentathlete.
This is SU’s first time competing in the Texas Relays during Borozinski’s seven-year stint as assistant coach. The meet marks the second outdoor meet of the season.
‘I’d like to see a continuation of what we were seeing indoors,’ Borozinski said. ‘I’d like her to go out and get a solid performance to boost her confidence before she goes to the Sea Ray relays.’
In addition to Osazuwa, Bernard Bush will be one of eight others competing in Texas. Bush will also be competing in the long jump.
Despite coming off an injury, Bush has the chance to gain a top qualifying time for the long jump in Texas.
‘I’m trying to jump back into things, literally,’ Bush said. ‘I’m trying to make this meet a good starting point for the outdoor season. For my last season I definitely want to end on a high point.’
Osazuwa also has a chance to become an outdoor All-American in addition to being an indoor All-American. Osazuwa, Bush and seven others will head to Texas looking to make their mark in unknown territory.
‘It’s really the first meet in such a high-level competition,’ Borozinski said. ‘Everyone’s hoping to get out of there with solid performances to see how they stack up against high competition.’