Former Chamberlain standout Dentarius Locke had quite the opening day at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.
The Florida State Seminoles sprinter set a new career high in the 100 meter with a preliminary heat time of 9.97, the fastest time by a collegian sprinter this year. It's also the tied for the fourth-fastest time in the World in 2013 and tied for eighth-fastest in NCAA history.
That easily secured a spot for Locke in Friday's finals.
Locke literally burst onto the track scene this season after having to sit out last year when he transferred from Tennessee after earning 2011 SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Already this season, he earned first-team All-American honors for the Seminoles at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships by contributing to the school record 4x400 relay team (3:05.13).
"I'm blessed," Locke told Seminoles.com. "It's been a long three or four years. It's a dream come true to me. When the time came up and it was 9.97, I was like, `Oh, Lord, tell me it was legal.' It was 1.9 (wind) - barely legal - and it was a blessing. ...
"It hasn't felt this good since high school."
At Chamberlain, Locke shined on the track, winning back-to-back Class 4A 100 meter titles, setting a new state record at 10.31, which has since been broken. He also won a 4A title in the 200 meters.