NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For those of us raised outside the metric system, half a meter is roughly equivalent to the length of a kitchen rolling pin. It may also be all that remains between Vanderbilt shot putter Sarah Omoregie and a place on the podium when the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin this week at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
A graduate student pursuing a master’s in finance, Omoregie joined teammates Veronica Fraley (shot put and discus) and Lena Gooden (long jump) in qualifying for the final meet of the college season, reserved for the top 24 student-athletes in each event. Omoregie’s best throw this season was 17.79 meters at an April meet, only 50 centimeters shy of Fraley’s winning mark in the recent SEC Championships and the likely medal range in Eugene.
In a journey that began in Cardiff, Wales, progressed through an undergraduate degree at Harvard and then took Omoregie to Vanderbilt, three more throws and a handful of centimeters feel almost unfair as a final referendum on success and failure. It’s also what she loves about the sport—what she’s always loved: You throw. I throw. Then we measure.
It’s why she’s invested so many years and miles (or kilometers, if you prefer) in honing the skills to add a few more centimeters to each throw. That might appear to be an extravagant investment, except that it’s those years and miles—more than the tape measure—that honed the skills and self-confidence she will use for the rest of her life.
“My favorite part of track was always competing and finding out who is going to be the best on the day,” Omoregie said. “But also I think there’s a lot of pride to be taken in the hours you put into training, trying to improve and trying to get better every day. When you’re in the moment and everything feels like a slog and you’re tired—and then you have to get to class—it doesn’t feel as fun. But then it’s nice to look back and see how hard you worked.”
A Brother’s Influence
Omoregie grew up admiring many of the famous athletes who inspired many among her generation, from tennis star Serena Williams to sprinter Usain Bolt. But no athlete influenced her more than her brother David Omoregie. Five years her senior, he competed professionally, narrowly missing out on the 2016 Olympics in the 110-meter hurdles.
“He and I are pretty similar in our personalities,” Omoregie said. “Having someone that has done the sport, and…