Roddie Haley (December 6, 1964 – February 17, 2022) was an American sprinter.

Biography

Haley ran on the American

4 × 400 m relay 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hi ...

team at the

1987 Pan American Games The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event held in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on August 7–23, 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas ...

and 1987 World Championships, winning

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...

s at both events. He also finished eighth in the individual

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

at the 1987 World Championships. He was an

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

400 meter The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is on ...

champion as a freshman in college at the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

, with a time of 44.20 seconds. Haley was also a nine-time

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

(four indoor, five outdoor) for coach

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, and one of the Razorbacks’ top performers both on the

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and outdoor ovals. Haley was also a three-time NCAA champion, including twice in the indoor 500 meters (1986–87) and once in the outdoor 400 meters (1985). He earned SWC titles indoors in the

440 yard dash The 440-yard dash, or quarter-mile race, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. In many countries, athletes compete in the 440 yard dash (402.336 m) – which corresponds to a quarter mile. Many athletic tracks are 440 yards ...

(1985) and 600 yard dash (1987), and was a three-time SWC outdoor champion in the 400 meters (1985–87). Haley further captured a SWC title at the conference outdoor meet in 1985 in the

4 × 100 meter relay 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hi ...

. He remains the outdoor 400 meter record holder with a time of 44.48 set in 1986. Haley was part of four SWC and four NCAA team championships in his three seasons, including contributing to the first national triple crown in school history in 1985. Haley was inducted into the University of Arkansas Hall of Honors on September 2, 2016. He died on February 17, 2022, at the age of 57.Haley, champion sprinter at UA, dies at 57
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References

1964 births 2022 deaths 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen Sportspeople from Texarkana, Texas Track and field athletes from Texas Arkansas Razorbacks men's track and field athletes American male sprinters World Athletics Championships medalists World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners {{US-sprint-athletics-bio-stub