On March 15, Tapiwanashe “Carlie” Makarawu ran a blistering 20.13 seconds in the 200m dash at the 2025 Indoor NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, winning the gold and tying the Zimbabwean record in the event.
Three months later, the Kentucky Wildcat lined up for the event once again in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Racing from lane nine at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the Kentucky sprinter flew out of the blocks and surged through the curve, holding off a late charge from Zimbabwean Olympian Makanakaishe Charamba to claim the national title in 19.84 seconds.
The win came as a shock, with many unsure how Makarawu would bounce back after suffering an injury at the Tom Jones Memorial meet in April.
However, against all odds, Makarawu cut his previous time by a mere 0.29 seconds, not only setting a personal best but also shattering the school record and the Zimbabwean national record.
He is now No. 2 in the world this year, which is tied for the ninth-fastest time in NCAA history and ranks as the seventh-fastest collegiate performer ever.
If that wasn’t enough, he is now 11th all-time in Africa and owns this year’s national record for the event.
Charamba, representing Auburn, finished close behind with a time of 19.92 seconds. The Zimbabwe sprinting duo took the top two spots on the podium.
Trailing the Zimbabweans was Garrett Kaalund of USC, who broke the 20-second barrier for the first time to claim third in 19.96 seconds.
Just missing the podium was a name that may sound familiar to Big Blue Nation: Jordan Anthony. The former Kentucky wide receiver and sprinter, now competing for Arkansas, finished fourth in 20.01 seconds.
The dual-sport athlete has continued both his football and track careers with the Razorbacks since transferring in 2022.
T’Mars McCallum, the early-season world leader from Tennessee, finished fifth in 20.16 seconds.
USC’s Max Thomas followed in sixth with 20.23, Xavier Butler of Texas ran 20.39 to place seventh and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu of South Florida rounded out the heat in 20.55 seconds.
After successfully sweeping the event in Nationals this year, he added 10 points to the team total.
Makarawu helped Kentucky finish tied for eighth in the team standings with 22 total points.
The Harare native will now set his sights on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo this September, where he will represent his native country alongside some of the NCAA’s best to compete against the best athletes the sport has ever seen.