Measure of Success

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For those of us raised outside the metric system, half a meter is roughly equivalent to the length of a kitchen rolling pin. It may also be all that remains between Vanderbilt shot putter Sarah Omoregie and a place on the podium when the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin this week at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

A graduate student pursuing a master’s in finance, Omoregie joined teammates Veronica Fraley (shot put and discus) and Lena Gooden (long jump) in qualifying for the final meet of the college season, reserved for the top 24 student-athletes in each event. Omoregie’s best throw this season was 17.79 meters at an April meet, only 50 centimeters shy of Fraley’s winning mark in the recent SEC Championships and the likely medal range in Eugene.

In a journey that began in Cardiff, Wales, progressed through an undergraduate degree at Harvard and then took Omoregie to Vanderbilt, three more throws and a handful of centimeters feel almost unfair as a final referendum on success and failure. It’s also what she loves about the sport—what she’s always loved: You throw. I throw. Then we measure.

It’s why she’s invested so many years and miles (or kilometers, if you prefer) in honing the skills to add a few more centimeters to each throw. That might appear to be an extravagant investment, except that it’s those years and miles—more than the tape measure—that honed the skills and self-confidence she will use for the rest of her life.

“My favorite part of track was always competing and finding out who is going to be the best on the day,” Omoregie said. “But also I think there’s a lot of pride to be taken in the hours you put into training, trying to improve and trying to get better every day.  When you’re in the moment and everything feels like a slog and you’re tired—and then you have to get to class—it doesn’t feel as fun. But then it’s nice to look back and see how hard you worked.”

A Brother’s Influence

Omoregie grew up admiring many of the famous athletes who inspired many among her generation, from tennis star Serena Williams to sprinter Usain Bolt. But no athlete influenced her more than her brother David Omoregie. Five years her senior, he competed professionally, narrowly missing out on the 2016 Olympics in the 110-meter hurdles.

“He and I are pretty similar in our personalities,” Omoregie said. “Having someone that has done the sport, and done it to quite a high level, has just been great. I can ask him how he deals with performance anxiety, different types of competitions. I remember feeling super proud and happy whenever he did well, and I feel like he feels the same way about me.”

He was barely a teenager when Sarah first watched him compete in youth decathlons—her first memory is seeing him soar over the bar in high jump. Back then, she wanted to do everything he did, so naturally, she set her heart on the heptathlon, the multi-discipline competition that combines running, throwing and jumping events. Eventually, the lingering effects of a high school back injury forced her to narrow her focus to throws and lighten the load on her body. But rather than a concession, turning her attention to those events was empowering. Much as she admired him, she wasn’t her brother. She was a thrower.

“When I lined up to do any other event, I just got really, really petrified,” Omoregie said. “I just felt like I wasn’t as confident. But whenever I would throw, I just felt more comfortable. That was where I supposed to be. I always felt pulled toward the throws.”

Omoregie’s season best is 17.79 meters (Matt Stamey/Vanderbilt Athletics)

Forging Her Own Path

Omoregie progressed rapidly enough as a thrower that she won a silver medal in shot put in the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. No longer following in her brother’s footsteps, she quite literally set out on a path all her own by crossing an ocean to live, study and train.

She had wanted to come to the U.S. for university for as long as she could remember. In the United Kingdom, athletics and academics exist on parallel paths, as opposed to the intertwined American university system. To her, it was a no-brainer to choose a path where the same institution educating her would help her reach her full potential as an athlete.

Other than the momentary realization that she was completely on her own after her family moved her in and headed home, Omoregie adapted comfortably enough. But the challenges were just beginning. She won the shot put in her first indoor collegiate meet on Dec. 7, 2019. She also finished first in her outdoor debut with the Crimson—on March 17, 2022.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out the outdoor season in 2020 and the Ivy League’s decision to extend the lull in varsity sports through the 2020–21 academic year, Omoregie’s first two years were anything but a perfect training environment. None of it made her regret her decision. Even in such unsettled times, the collegiate athletic model in the United States was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“To me, education is power,” Omoregie said. “Coming to America really has changed my life and opened so many doors I never would have considered before moving here. My family is really big on education. If you know anything about Nigerian families, they don’t mess around when it comes to education. My whole life, I always balanced academics and athletics, so it made sense to pursue schools that are known for academic excellence.”

To Nashville and Beyond

With additional eligibility as a result of the two pandemic-affected seasons at Harvard, Omoregie looked for opportunities to level up athletically without sacrificing the academic challenge available to her. When it came to Vanderbilt, she had the inside scoop. Like Omoregie, former Commodore All-American Divine Oladipo is from the United Kingdom and found success as a transfer at Vanderbilt, where she held program records in indoor and outdoor shot put and discus when she completed her time in 2022. Omoregie reached out to her countrywoman and then to Vanderbilt coaches. Althea Thomas, director of cross country and track and field, was more than happy to welcome another All-American with stellar academic accolades to help spur an SEC program on the rise.

“It goes back to my philosophy of having the best of both worlds, being in a great school and also having the opportunity to pursue athletics at a high level,” Omoregie said. “Being in the SEC, you get great competition. You’re surrounded by fantastic athletes in the best conference. And on the academic side, Vanderbilt is a great school with a great alumni network, just really smart people. It made sense for me to be here.”

Working with throws coach John Newell, she’s reached new competitive heights. She won the bronze medal in shot put in the SEC Indoor Championships. She sits third in the program record book in indoor and outdoor shot put, trailing only Oladipo and Fraley. Qualifying for the Paris Olympics, which would involve meeting the Olympic standard and navigating Team Great Britain qualifying later this month, isn’t out of the question.

For now, she’s trying not to worry too much about Paris. She has another year of eligibility with the Commodores. And the Olympics are only one potential path in a future that she hopes will include career opportunities that blend her interests in finance and athletics.

She doesn’t know what comes next. She wouldn’t have guessed what came before would lead from Cardiff to Nashville. All she can do is fill the future with possibilities. Which is really what she’s been doing all along, one centimeter at a time.

Commodores headed to Eugene, from L to R: Omoregie, Gooden, Fraley. 

Follow the Commodores in Eugene

Lena Gooden will be the first Commodore to compete in Eugene, with the women’s long jump final beginning Thursday at 9 p.m. CT. Fans can stream the event on ESPN+.

Veronica Fraley and Sarah Omoregie compete in the shot put final on Thursday. Their competition begins at 9:40 p.m. and is also available to stream on ESPN+.

Fraley will be back in action Saturday with another championship up for grabs. The women’s discus final begins at 4:05 p.m. and is available to stream on ESPN+.