In track and field news, Eastern Kentucky University’s Hakim Abouzouhir earned First Team All-American honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the second consecutive season. He posted an impressive time of 8:27.09, finishing fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Oregon’s Hayward Field on Friday.
After his final collegiate race, Abouzouhir expressed his pride, saying, ‘I’m very proud of this journey with the Colonels and I will be a Colonel for my whole life. The hard work from the coaches and staff to reach this level, with four races in the last month, has been immense. Steeplechase is one of the hardest events, but EKU is one of the top programs for it in the country, and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. Wearing the EKU jersey is an honor, and I encourage everyone to work hard to make EKU and the community proud.’
Head coach Cory Erdmann praised Abouzouhir, stating, ‘Hakim is an excellent representative of EKU, Morocco, and our program. He aims to be a positive role model, a hard worker, and successful as both an athlete and a student. Our entire staff and program are incredibly proud of everything he accomplished today.’
Abouzouhir ended his final collegiate outdoor season with the third-fastest steeplechase time in the country, clocking a personal-best 8:25.37 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The Marrakech, Morocco native also finished sixth at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, becoming a First Team All-American with a time of 8:35.41.
Congratulations to Hakim Abouzouhir on his outstanding achievements and for representing EKU with such distinction.”
