Athlete of the Week: Nuriddin Abdus-Salaam

At the start of the indoor track & field season, Nuriddin Abdus-Salaam (Charlotte Court House, Va./Randolph Henry) made a mark for himself and EMU history at the CNU Holiday Open in Newport News, Va. Nuriddin finished second among the D-III athletes and ran a personal and program record in the 60m dash, clocking in at 7.15. Alongside that record, he also broke his personal best in the 200m with a time at 23.44, finishing eighth in EMU program history.

“I felt incredibly relaxed before the race,” Abdus-Salaam said. “I told myself, ‘I been here a million of times, just trust everything you learned and God.’ After the race, I felt proud and optimistic about what the future and the rest of the season holds.”

Head track and field coach Brian Simpson felt the times were only the beginning for his runner. “With his youth on his side, Nuriddin has a majority of his career ahead of him to continue improving his craft and continue to compete in the ODAC,” Simpson said.

For his part, Abdus-Salaam simply tries to be better every day. “I view every practice like it would be my last,” he added. “Every day I remind myself of my goals, and my primary goal is to be the best version of myself.”

In this early season, Abdus-Salaam has used this mentality with practice to showcase his capabilities on the track, but Simpson claims that there is more to behold in his career.

“Nuriddin has exhibited tremendous work ethic since the first day of practice,” Coach Simpson added. “His breaking of the 60m record comes as no surprise to me and I expect more great things from this young man.”

Abdus-Salaam’s previous best time in the 60m was 7.32 seconds in 2015. His previous best for the 200m was 23.69. The sophomore attributes more than just his physical improvement through the help of the people he works with on a day-to-day basis.

“I see so much improvement of myself since last year,” Abdus-Salaam said “I have grown stronger mentally and faster physically. It feels great to be back on track with a coaching staff, teammates, family and friends that believe in me and my abilities.”

The indoor track & field teams continue their season in January, leading up to the ODAC Championships Feb. 26.