Heroes in the Diaspora: NCAA Champion Ngoni Makusha

Zimbabwe- Athlete Ngonidzashe Makusha is set to represent Zimbabwe at the London Olympics this summer. He beat the Collegiate Record with a 9.89 second win in 2011 as a student at Florida State University. He was born on March 11, 1987 in Zimbabwe. He attended Chemhanza Secondary School in rural Seke before going to Florida State University in the USA on a sports scholarship. Last year he became just the fourth person to ever win both the 100m dash and long jump in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) meets , joining legends Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and DeHart Hubbard. His 100m dash time is the fourth fastest in the world this year and his long jump mark is the second longest.

He was awarded the Bowerman Award at an event in San Antonio, Texas. The award is named after former Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, the award is handed out each year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The native of Zimbabwe was a six-time NCAA and ACC champion during his career at FSU. He also was an eight-time All-America selection. In August, he earned a bronze medal in the long jump at the World Championships in Daegu, Korea. Makusha graduated from FSU with a degree in Economics.

2011 USTFCCCA NCAA Division I National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year
2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Year
2008 Olympian
Six-Time NCAA Champion
Long Jump Outdoor: 2008, 2009, 2011
Long Jump Indoor: 2011
100m Dash Outdoor: 2011
4x100m Relay Outdoor: 2011
NCAA All-American
Long Jump Outdoor: 2008, 2009, 2011
Long Jump Indoor: 2008, 2011
4x100m Relay: 2008, 2011
100m Dash Outdoor: 2011
Six-Time ACC Champion
Long Jump Outdoor: 2008, 2011
Long Jump Indoor: 2009, 2011
100m Dash Outdoor: 2011
4x100m Relay Outdoor: 2011
All-ACC
Long Jump Outdoor: 2008, 2011
Long Jump Indoor: 2010, 2011
100m Dash Outdoor: 2011
4x100m Relay Outdoor: 2011
Collegiate Bests:
55m: 6.30 (Indoor)
60m: 6.60 (Indoor)
Long Jump: 8.40 (Outdoor), 8.21 (Indoor)
Triple Jump: 14.90A (Outdoor)
100m Dash: 9.89 (Outdoor)
2011 Track:
Outdoor-
•NCAA Champion in the 100m dash after running a collegiate, championships and Drake Stadium record 9.89 in the rain
•NCAA Champion in the long jump for the third time in his career after leaping to a Drake Stadium record 8.40 meters
•NCAA Champion in the 4x100m relay
•Became just the fourth person ever to win an NCAA Championship in the 100m dash and long jump, joining Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens
•ACC Champion in the long jump
•ACC Champion in the 4x100m relay
•ACC Champion in the 100m dash after running a conference-record 9.97 at the league meet
•His leap of 8.40 meters in the long jump at the NCAA Championships is the best in the country and second best in the world this year
•His 9.89 in the 100m dash at the NCAA Championships is the fourth fastest in the world this year
•His mark of 38.77 in the 4x100m relay at the NCAA Championships is the third fastest in the country this year
•Named USTFCCCA First Team All-American in the long jump
•Named USTFCCCA First Team All-American in the 100m dash
•Named USTFCCCA First Team All-American in the 4x100m relay
•Member of the Bowerman Watchlist
•Named ACC Performer of the Week on April 12, 2011

2010 Track:
Outdoor-
• Competed in just one event, earning fifth in the long jump at the Texas Relays.
Indoor-
• Competed in just one event, earning second in the long jump at the Virginia Tech Hokie Invite.
2009 Track:
Outdoor-
• Defended his long jump title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with an impressive 8.11m/26-07.25 that’s noted as the NCAA’s best collegiate jump of the season.
• Leaped a long jump of 7.87m/ 25-10.00 in the prelims of the NCAA Outdoor Championships to qualify for the final round.
• Opened the season with a long jump of 7.73m/25-04.75 to take third place at the Seminole Twilight.
Indoor-
• Set the world’s best long jump of the season at the time with a mark of 8.21m/ 26-11.25 at the ACC Indoor Championships to take home the gold medal. Mark is ACC’s and FSU’s best performance in history.
• Posted a season-best time in the 60m dash at the league meet with a time of 6.82.
• Leaped a mark of 7.79m/25-06.75 long jump at the Tyson Invitational to take third place.
• Opened the season with a first place 60m dash of 6.68 at the VT Hokie Invitational.
2008 Track:
Outdoor –
• Finished fourth at the 2008 Summer Olympics with a top jump of 8.19m/26-10.44. Was in third place until the final round. Beat out for the bronze by one centimeter.
• Won the long jump at the NCAA Championship with a school, conference, Drake Stadium and Zimbabwe record leap of 8.30m.
• Ran the second leg of the 4x100m Relay team that earned All-America honors by finishing fourth with a time of 39.11, the fourth-fastest in school history.
• Captured the ACC title in the long jump with a leap of 7.91m/25-11.50.
Indoor –
• Earned All-America honors in the long jump with a third-place school-record leap of 7.97m/26-01.75.
• Automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships with a first-place leap of 7.93m/26-00.25 during the Tyson Invitational.
• Finished second in the long jump at the New Balance Intercollegiate at 7.73m/25-04.50
Prep:
• Advanced to the semifinals of the 100m at the World Junior Championships with a time of 10.77m.
• Holds Zimbabwe high school record in the long jump (7.34m).
• Earned a bronze medal at the All-African Games as a member of the 4x100m relay team.
• Finalist in the long jump at the All-African Games to go along with a semifinalist spot in the 100m.
Personal:
Full name is Ngonidzashe Makusha … Born March 11, 1987…Majoring in Applied Economics.

Athletic Record Courtesy of Florida State University www.fsu.edu