Josh Olayinka Awotunde (born June 12, 1995) is an American

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

athlete who competes in the

shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

and has a personal record of outdoors and indoors.

Personal life

Awotunde was born in

Lanham, Maryland Lanham is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, it has a population of 11,282. The New Carrollton station (the terminus of the Washington Metro's O ...

in 1995. He was raised in

Franklinville, New Jersey Franklinville is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, Franklin Township in Gloucester County, Ne ...

, by parents Adeola and Christina Awotunde. He is a 2013 graduate of

Delsea Regional High School Delsea Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Elk Township (feeding into Delsea from Aura Elementary School, which serves grades PreK-6) and Frank ...

in New Jersey. Awotunde attended

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

and graduated in 2017. He is of

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

ancestry.

Professional

NCAA

Awotunde competed for

, finishing second at the

2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were the 97th NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 37th NCAA Women's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships held for the sixth consecutive yea ...

before graduating. Awotunde set his Personal Best in 2018 throwing .Alabama, Arkansas win SEC Indoor Track and Field titles

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

Seasonal bests

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Awotunde, Josh 1995 births Living people South Carolina Gamecocks men's track and field athletes American male shot putters American sportspeople of Nigerian descent Delsea Regional High School alumni People from Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey Track and field athletes from New Jersey African-American track and field athletes Athletes (track and field) at the 2019 Pan American Games Pan American Games track and field athletes for the United States 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen World Athletics Championships medalists