Nassau, Bahamas – Current Minnesota State men's track and field junior sprinter jabez reeves (WOODBRIDGE, Va.) Sunday became the eighth Maverick to qualify for the Olympics. World Athletics Relay Bahamas 24 event.
On Saturday and Sunday, teams raced for a chance to secure a lane in the men's and women's 4×100 relay, 4×400 relay, and mixed 4×400 relay for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Reeves represented his home country of Liberia in the 4×100 meter relay, finishing second behind the German team with a time of 38.65 seconds. Reeves ran the race with former Minnesota State student-athlete Emmanuel Matadi, who qualified for his third Olympics (Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021).
Together, Reeves and Matadi are the only MSU men's track and field athletes to qualify for the Olympics. They are also the first and third of his MSU alumni to compete in the Summer Games.
“We're very excited for Jabez to get this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this summer,” said Minnesota State's assistant director of men's and women's track and field and recruiting coordinator. Chris Perno. “He has worked tirelessly since he came here for the fall semester and won everything along the way. From indoor national champion to African championship medalist and now an Olympian! With the University Outdoor Championships coming up, , we can't wait to see what the new weeks hold.'' Hold on for our program. ”
At the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in March, Reeves In the 200-meter dash, she ran a personal best of 21.09 seconds, winning by 0.05 seconds and setting a new school record. He became MSU's first national champion in the race since Michael Lawrence won in 2005 and the eighth distance All-American in school history. Reeves in the 60 meter dash He placed 9th in the 60-meter dash in 6.80 seconds and earned All-America Second Team honors. He won the 60m and 200m dash at the NSIC Championships.
This outdoor season, Reeves used the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, to prepare for the Olympic qualifiers in the 4×100 meter dash. There he and the Maverick sprinters took second place with a time of 39.96 seconds. On May 1, he ran a personal best 200 meter time of 20.94 seconds (w:1.5) at Maverick Open #1, the 14th best time in Division II this spring.
Sprinter who was on the Minnesota State men's track and field team from 2014 to 2015. Matadi competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The St. Paul (Minn.) Johnson High School graduate set two indoor records (60m/6.66, 200m/21.10) and the outdoor 100m (10.19) and 4×100 in one season with the Mavericks. He also set a record in the meter relay (40.15). His season culminated with him winning twice in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
At the Rio Games, Matadi placed 43rd in the first round of the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.31 seconds, and placed fifth in the first round of the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.49 seconds. His time placed him 30th overall.
In Tokyo, he ran the 100 meters in the first round with a time of 10.25 seconds and placed 35th.
the 2nd day – World Athletics Relay Bahamas 24 – 4X100M Relay – Men
heat 1
- Germany – 38.57 (Olympic quota)
- Liberia – 38.65 (Olympic quota)
- Switzerland – 38.72
- Brazil – 38.72
- Poland – 38.86
- Czech – 39.20
- Cuba – 39.39
- Denmark – DNF
The Liberian team also participated in the 4×100 meter relay on the first day (Saturday), but finished in fourth place behind the American, Italian, and Brazilian teams with a time of 39.07 seconds. In addition to Matadi and Reeves, other members of Team Liberia in the men's 4×100 meters included Hakeem Sirleaf and Joseph Fernbulle.
Complete results from each team member can be found here.
2024 Summer Olympics: Friday, July 26, 2024 – Sunday, August 11, 2024
Minnesota Olympians (all sports)
Nina Tikinen | women's hockey | Finland | Winter 2010, Winter 2014 |
emilia anderson | women's hockey | Sweden | Winner 2010, Winter 2014, Winter 2018 |
david backs | men's hockey | America | Winter 2010, Winter 2014 |
Emmanuel Matadi | men's track and field | Liberia | Summer 2016, Summer 2021 |
Shayena Donkey | Women's Swim & Dive | fiji | Summer 2021 |
Rebecca Kolstad | women's hockey | China | Winter 2022 |
nathan smith | men's hockey | America | Winter 2022 |