The track and field team collected 10 individual first-place finishes Saturday, as they co-hosted the Ocean State Invitational with Providence College at Brown Stadium. Tosin Oyewole ’18 nabbed two of those titles, with wins in the 400 meter and the 4x100 meter relay. Oyewole also set a new collegiate personal record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.83 seconds, finishing second in the event.
For his performance, Oyewole has been named The Herald’s athlete of the week.
Herald: Congratulations on winning the 400 meter and the 4x100 relay! How did that feel?
Oyewole: It felt good. It’s nice seeing your hard work pay off during the week and during the off season. For the 4x100 specifically, our anchor leg actually got hurt, so we had to replace him with a freshman, and the freshman did very well. He stepped up, and he executed very well, so I was very proud of him. Then, the 400 went very well. I executed well. I was listening to my coach — he was yelling at me a lot during the race, but that helped me a lot.
Which leg were you in the relay? During your leg, did you know that you were going to win the race?
I was second leg. Second’s a little bit early, but the first leg had a very good start, and by the time I got the baton, I was already past two people. So, at that point, I knew we were in a pretty good spot to win.
You run quite a few events. Which one is your favorite and why?
The 200 by far. It’s not too short and not too long — I can just sprint the whole way. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of good competition, too.
How do you prepare for meets?
Music — just getting in my zone. I listen to a lot of hip-hop, rap and dubstep to get in the zone. I’ll wake up, usually get some eggs or oatmeal to eat, and then put the earbuds in and get in my zone.
Who’s your favorite artist to listen to?
Kendrick (Lamar), definitely.
Do you have any pre-meet rituals or superstitions? Good luck charms?
I’ll pray before every single race. Before the meet, I’ll pray for the whole team — like every single competitor — to make sure there are no injuries and that everyone can perform to the best of their ability.
Do you get nervous before races?
Oh yeah, all the time — I always get nervous. I don’t like losing, so I get a little nervous the night before and the morning of, but after our warm-up, when I step on the track, that fades away.
What are your goals for the rest of the season?
My number one goal is to qualify for regionals in the 400 or the 200. I just want to run 46 seconds in a 400. I’ve run 47 seconds before, so I’m trying to dip into that 46 range, and I know if I do that, I can definitely qualify for regionals. Another goal of mine is to win the 400 at the conference championships. I came in second in indoor, so I’m gunning for the person who won.
Indoor versus outdoor? Which do you like more?
Definitely outdoor. I think the environment in the indoor is better because it’s a closed space, so you can hear the fans more, but I just like the outdoor events more. I don’t like the 60 meter dash indoors — I like the 100 better; I like the 200 better.
