Smoky Mountain Today

Carson-Newman men's track and field athlete Makanakaishe Charamba was voted the SAC Men's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year for his performance during his sophomore season with the Eagles.

Charamba is a sprinter for Carson-Newman track and field from Harare, Zimbabwe. He was voted the SAC Men's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year this afternoon, Mar. 24 by the league's head coaches.

"It's a blessing. All the hours I've put in with coach Kieran have paid off. God has blessed me with this talent, and things are falling into place. I'm thankful and happy," men's track and field athlete Makanakaishe Charamba said. 

At the end of the indoor season, Charamba became a national champion in the men's 200-meter dash at the 2023 NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships. Charamba's performance reset his own personal mark in the event, the school record, and the facility record for the Virginia Beach Sports Center for the second time in two days.

"When I'm getting ready to race, the first important thing is focus. Then, it is all about executing and controlling what I can control," Charamba said. 

Charamba now holds the second and third fastest recorded times in NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships history. The only quicker time was 20.48 seconds from Trevor Bassitt of Ashland University in 2021.

Charamaba became the track and field program's third national champion, joining Larry Cooke (Long Jump, 1978) and Tanner Stepp (High Jump, 2018) with his efforts.

Charamba's national title in the 200 was one of three first-team All-America performances for the program. He took seventh in the 60 meters, while Sade De Sousa finished fifth in the women's 60 at the 2023 NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships.

His seventh-place finish in the 60-meter dash (6.82 seconds) secured his second All-American title on the indoor season. Charamba's performance contributed to the 19th place national ranking for the men's track and field team concluding nationals.

Prior to his success at the national meet, Charamba won gold in the 60-meter dash finals at the SAC Championships by setting a new meet record in 6.72 seconds.

"My coaches are a big reason I am where I am. They've implemented a great training program and given me motivation before races. They've helped bring me up when I am down. Coach Kieran has been through it all and through everything I'm going through now. So, it's a big deal for me to have him in my corner," Charamba said. 

Charamba also competed in the men's 4x400-meter dash where the men finished fourth in 3:21.58. Carson-Newman men's track and field placed third in the conference at the conclusion of the meet.

During DII Pre-Nationals in Virginia Beach, Va., Charamba placed first in the men's 200-meter dash in 20.99 seconds, the quickest time in NCAA Division II at the time.

Charamba has also secured SAC Varsity Gems Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors for his two first-place finishes at the VMI Invitational. Charamba finished first in the 60-meter prelims (6.85) and semis (6.84) beating his own season best twice in one night on Friday evening, Jan. 13. Charamba continued to find success as he finished first and secured a personal best in the men's 60- meter run finals with a time of 6.78 seconds on Saturday, Jan. 14. After his sprint for gold, Charamba found the podium yet again as he placed first in the men's 200-meter run in 21.38.

Over the course of the season, Charamba has stood atop the podium for five separate first-place finishes. He set a new personal record in the 60-meter dash three times throughout the season and bested his top 200-meter dash time four times.

Charamba started his outdoor season with the Eagles with another gold medal performance in the men's 4x100-meter relay at the Trojan Opener last weekend. He competed with Siphosethu Boya, Devon Moore, and Ashwin Jood and finished the race in 39.87. The relay team ran the fastest time in Division II in the event.

"I'm so excited to have the whole team back for the outdoor season. Having those other great athletes next to me and around me means a lot because now we are putting our goals together. We're chasing the dream," Charamba said.

Original source can be found here