ROCK HILL, S.C. - Carson-Newman track and field athlete Makanakaishe Charamba has earned SAC Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
The league laurel completes a clean sweep for Charamba, who also earned USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Year and USTFCCCA Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year honors following his prolific sprint through outdoor season.
Charamba was named Men's National Track Athlete of the Year after his two national championship performances at the conclusion of the season. Charamba won gold in the 200-meter dash in 20.19 seconds. His performance made him the third-fastest athlete in the event in NCAA DII history. Charamba went on to win the 100-meter dash in 10.02.
Along with his sweep of the men's 100 and 200-meter dash events, Charamba contributed to the team's second-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay. He raced with teammates Devon Moore, Dawson Jones, and Siphosethu Boya. The quartet placed second and garnered All-American accolades in the event with a time of 39.33 seconds.
At the SAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Charamba contributed 22 points to the team score. He won gold in both the 100 and 200, and again contributed to a second-place 4x100-meter relay team. Charamba earned SAC Men's Track Athlete of the Meet for his performance.
Charamba earned seven first-place finishes over the course of the season. His wind-legal 10.15-second 100-meter dash at the Texas Relays made him the seventh-fastest DII athlete in the event in NCAA history.
Charamba won the same award from the South Atlantic Conference for his efforts during Indoor season as well. The three-time national champion represents the fourth Eagle to win the outdoor award. In fact, since the award's inception in 2019, only Carson-Newman sprinters have won the award. Devon Moore was recognized the first two years (with a break in 2020 when outdoor season was cancelled due to CoVID and no award was handed out), while Charamba has won the honor in back-to-back seasons.
