Sometimes getting a case of the nerves is inevitable. Maybe it’s the sight of blue exam books or bumping into that crush you have been facebook stalking.
Or, how about this one: competing in your first-ever heptathlon at one of the biggest competitions in the track and field world – the 112th annual Penn Relays.
But as Georgetown’s Buky Bamigboye (COL `09) made her first venture into the University of Pennsylvania’s storied Franklin Field, she put her nerves aside and proved that she belonged there with a decisive victory.
“I was so excited,” Bamigboye said about her first trip to the prestigious meet. “I had heard about it my entire career.”
The Penn Relay Carnival is, after all, where in 1893 the whole concept of the relay race was invented, where in 1910 the term “carnival” was created to describe its festive atmosphere, and where today a total of over a hundred thousand fans cheer on the biggest stars of track and field alongside high schoolers, collegians and masters.
Georgetown itself has a history of excellence at the Penn Relays, dating back to the back-to-back-to-back wins of Arthur Duffey (LAW 1903) in the 100-yard dash from 1900-02 and continuing to this year, as current Assistant Coach Monica Hargrove (COL `04) ran the third leg of the champion sprint medley relay.
And in her own event, being several inches shorter than the rest of her competition was intimidating, Bamigboye said, especially considering the jumping events.
The nerves? Understandable.
Luckily for Bamigboye, the first event in the heptathlon was her favorite, the hurdles.
“I wanted to set the tone for the rest of the meet,” Bamigboye said.
Before the start, Bamigboye took a few moments to size up the course that lay ahead of her: 10 hurdles, 33 inches in height, 100 meters to run.
“My hurdles coach, Coach [Scott] McLeod – he had told me to `get height,'” Bamigboye said. “I was trying to find that adrenaline. I was visualizing how I was going to get over each hurdle.
“He looked at me and said, `You’re ready.’ . Then I felt comfortable.”
Comfortable enough to not only win that first event but two others as well: the 200m dash and 800m run. Winning the 800m was especially satisfying, as it was the last of the seven events. Bamigboye also finished second in the long jump.
Bamigboye’s total of 5,033 points was not only a Georgetown record but also good enough to earn her a provisional qualifying time for the NCAA Regionals – pretty good for a freshman, her coaches agree, even if it is not a guaranteed spot.
The key to winning, according to McLeod (GSB `96), was in learning to put the results of each event behind them – for both Bamigboye and her coaches – and to move on to the next one. There’s no time to worry about coming in seventh place with that tricky javelin, Bamigboye’s least favorite event, when there’s another task looming ahead.
“Now, we digest what has gone and then just eat some more,” McLeod said.
History in the Making
Though Georgetown posted a number of strong finishes at the Penn Relays this year – including fourth place in the women’s 4×800-meter championship, fifth place in the men’s 4×1-mile relay championship and sixth in the men’s distance medley relay championship – Bamigboye’s victory in the heptathlon, Georgetown’s first in any multi-event at the Penn Relays, has special meaning for the university’s track and field program.
“Having been without – and still without – the facility that we would like to have, for four or five years we had no place to practice,” said Ron Helmer, director of track and field and cross country at Georgetown. “So recruiting was definitely important, and our ability to recruit for specific events – hurdles, specifically.”
Even with that setback, Georgetown still focused its energy on building a nationally recognized program, making its biggest strides in the middle-distance and cross country lengths. But without an array of athletes able to take the field, it’s tough for teams to rack up points to win big meets. By assigning Bamigboye to the multi-events, the Hoyas have found a way to build a more balanced squad.
“Buky is one of several freshmen that we have that recruited specifically to some deficiencies,” Helmer said. “Here we’ve got a girl with a significant score, the Penn Relay champion, and on that qualifying list – that’s what we were trying to accomplish, and we were able to get it done.”
In fact, this year Bamigboye had already broken the Georgetown record for the pentathlon, an indoor event, on Jan. 28, with 3,586 points – 83 more than the mark that Tammie Macluskie (COL `96) established in 1996.
The heptathlon score that Bamigboye shattered last week was even older: Mary Anne Daley (GSB `85) set that back in 1983 at the EAIAW championships.
“We’ve had [multi-event athletes] in the past but I don’t think ever at this level,” McLeod said. “As far as people at this school, she’s the best we’ve ever had.”
Helmer said that he has heard buzz about Bamigboye’s win from several Hoya alumni and even the top official for track and field at Nike, which sponsors the team.
“The positive recognition that it brings is just huge because that meet is known worldwide,” Helmer said. “To win at Penn is legit.”
In fact, that weekend Olympic stars like Jason Gatlin, the reigning “world’s fastest man” for winning the 100m gold in 2004, and Shawn Crawford, the 200m gold winner the same year, raced together in the nationally televised men’s 4×100 “USA vs. the World” relay on Saturday.
Bamigboye is somewhat of an Olympian herself, a three-time winner in the 4×800 relay at the AAU national championships, dubbed the Junior Olympics. As for her own real Olympic dream, Bamigboye demurs to answer, saying that she just wants to focus on her collegiate career right now – though she does shyly admit to higher aspirations.
Fair enough. Being a freshman means taking life as it comes and enjoying the memories while they still feel new. London 2012 certainly has a nice ring to it, but right now, Bamigboye is still savoring Penn Relays 2006.
