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Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
John Caleb Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week
3/25/2026 1:57:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
The first-year Gopher from Nigeria dominated the sprints in California and Florida.
MINNEAPOLIS -- For the first time this outdoor season the University of Minnesota men's track and field team earned weekly honors from the Big Ten Conference. Freshman John Caleb earned his first Freshman of the Week nod of his career after his performances at the Beach Opener and the USF Alumni Invite over the past two weeks, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Caleb, a native of Ogun State, Nigeria, joined the Maroon and Gold in January and has taken the NCAA by storm in his first two competitions in the Maroon and Gold uniform. After a 10.22 (+0.6 m/s) performance in the 100m at the Beach Opener, Caleb dropped a career-best time of 10.18 (+1.0 m/s) at the USF Alumni Invitational to finish as the runner-up. Caleb's 100m time ranks him No. 3 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the Big Ten in 2026. He is now No. 3 all-time at Minnesota in the 100m, and in the process became the fifth Gopher since 2022 to run faster than 10.23.
In the 200m event Caleb posted a windy time of 20.46 (+5.0 m/s) at the Beach Opener to finish as the runner-up and followed that up with a 20.75 (-0.4 m/s) in Tampa, Fla., to move to No. 6 all-time at Minnesota. Caleb's 200m time is good enough to slot him in at the No. 17 wind-legal spot in the NCAA in 2026 and is No. 3 in the Big Ten only behind two other Gophers (Wanyae Belle | 20.57, Aaron Charles | 20.61).
As the lead leg of Minnesota's 4x100m relay at the USF Alumni Invite, Caleb helped the 'U' secure the event win at the USF Alumni Invite with a time of 38.69. Along with Belle, Charles and Charles Godfred the Minnesota quartet ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in 2026 and No. 4 in the world. The time of 38.69 at the USF Alumni Invite is the second-fastest 4x100m relay in school history, only behind the 2025 squad that dropped a time of 38.16 in the NCAA Outdoor Championships semifinal round - which is the No. 6 time in NCAA history.
Caleb is the first Gopher to earn a Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor since Precious Opinion on April 9, 2025. Minnesota's last conference weekly honor was on May 7, 2025, when Angelos Mantzouranis was tabbed as the Big Ten's Field Athlete of the Week.
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
Caleb, a native of Ogun State, Nigeria, joined the Maroon and Gold in January and has taken the NCAA by storm in his first two competitions in the Maroon and Gold uniform. After a 10.22 (+0.6 m/s) performance in the 100m at the Beach Opener, Caleb dropped a career-best time of 10.18 (+1.0 m/s) at the USF Alumni Invitational to finish as the runner-up. Caleb's 100m time ranks him No. 3 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the Big Ten in 2026. He is now No. 3 all-time at Minnesota in the 100m, and in the process became the fifth Gopher since 2022 to run faster than 10.23.
In the 200m event Caleb posted a windy time of 20.46 (+5.0 m/s) at the Beach Opener to finish as the runner-up and followed that up with a 20.75 (-0.4 m/s) in Tampa, Fla., to move to No. 6 all-time at Minnesota. Caleb's 200m time is good enough to slot him in at the No. 17 wind-legal spot in the NCAA in 2026 and is No. 3 in the Big Ten only behind two other Gophers (Wanyae Belle | 20.57, Aaron Charles | 20.61).
As the lead leg of Minnesota's 4x100m relay at the USF Alumni Invite, Caleb helped the 'U' secure the event win at the USF Alumni Invite with a time of 38.69. Along with Belle, Charles and Charles Godfred the Minnesota quartet ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in 2026 and No. 4 in the world. The time of 38.69 at the USF Alumni Invite is the second-fastest 4x100m relay in school history, only behind the 2025 squad that dropped a time of 38.16 in the NCAA Outdoor Championships semifinal round - which is the No. 6 time in NCAA history.
Caleb is the first Gopher to earn a Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor since Precious Opinion on April 9, 2025. Minnesota's last conference weekly honor was on May 7, 2025, when Angelos Mantzouranis was tabbed as the Big Ten's Field Athlete of the Week.
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
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