2021: BIG WEST CONFERENCE CO-MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR... BIG WEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS MALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE MEET... BIG WEST CHAMPION in both 200 (season-best 21.23) and 400 (47.26)... NCAA QUALIFIER, placing 42nd at West Prelims... Set school 400 record of 46.36 at CSUN Red & Black Invite (4/2), surpassing Brian Thomas’ 2018 mark of 46.47... Became only second Aggie to break 47-second barrier... Also placed 2nd in 4x100 (41.05), 3rd in 4x400 (3:12.97) at conference meet... Moved into No. 7 spot of school 200 leaderboard with 21.41 in Big West semis, then jumped up to No. 4 with 21.23 in final – fastest by an Aggie since Sava Boyadjiev in 2014... Earned Big West Male Track Athlete of the Week (3/3) after a wind-aided 21.83 in 200 and 4x100 win at Sac State Tri-Team Challenge.
2020: Competed in 400 (49.75) and 4x100 relay (41.62) at Cal Opener before COVID-19 pandemic halted remainder of the season.
2019: Led Aggies in 400 with 47.47 at Cal Opener (3/2), 6th in school history at the time... Placed 15th (49.71) at Big West Conference Championships... Also ran 100 (10.71 in Aggie Open) and 200 (21.73 at Cal).
MURRIETA MESA HS ’18: Ran the 100, 200, and 400 for three years... Helped Murrieta Mesa HS win the California State Track Meet team title… His senior year, ran a 10.7, 21.4, and 47.4 in the 100, 200, and 400, respectively.
PERSONAL: From Winchester, Calif… Parents are Appolonia Ugonna-Okonkwo and Mark Okonkwo… Appolonia was on the track & field team at Cal State San Bernardino, and Mark on the UCLA team… Has an older brother, Jonathan, and a younger sister, Chioma… Majoring in psychology, and plans to council struggling or troubled youth through struggles in life… Proudest personal accomplishment is winning State and being the first leg for the nation-leading 4x400 high school time in 2018… Favorite movie is Transformers: Dark of the Moon… Chose UC Davis Athletics because they “saw the potential in me that I didn’t’ see in myself.”
