Garrett Kaalund has been named the Big Ten Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, a well-deserved accolade following his record-breaking performance in the 200m at the indoor national championships. This recognition comes as no surprise to those who have been following his meteoric rise.
Kaalund first made headlines on February 6 when he clocked a blistering 20.12 in the 200m, smashing the previous school record of 20.26 set by Olympic champion Andre De Grasse in 2015. But Kaalund wasn't done yet.
By February 28, he had already outdone himself, capturing the 200m Big Ten title with a time of 20.06. This remarkable feat placed him second in NCAA history and third in the world all-time, while also setting new meet and facility records.
In what would be his final indoor 200m race of his collegiate career, Kaalund delivered an unforgettable performance, clocking in at 19.95. This historic run not only broke the collegiate and American records but also marked the first time a collegiate athlete ran sub-20 seconds indoors. He surpassed the previous record of 20.02, set by Elijah Hall-Thompson in 2018, and recorded the second-fastest time in world history, just .03 seconds shy of Frank Fredricks' 1996 world record.
As a national champion, Kaalund's accolades continue to grow. He's on the Bowerman watch list and has earned two Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors this season.
Now, Kaalund and his team are gearing up for the outdoor season, starting with the Ron and Sharlene Allice Trojan Invitational on March 27 and 28. Fans can follow their journey on usctrojans.com and @usc_track_field on Instagram and X.