AUSTIN, Texas – On the final night of Alabama track and field’s 2023 outdoor season, 400-meter hurdler Chris Robinson became the first UA student-athlete to win an individual NCAA Outdoor title since 2021, and the first to ever win in the event itself. En route to the historic finish, Robinson broke the Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium facility record, as well as Alabama’s school record (48.12).
His legendary, 48.12 finish was the fastest collegiate time of the year, and also moves the NCAA champion to No. 6 all-time, collegiately. The feat marked the fourth time this season alone that Robinson shortened Alabama’s school record in the event. Not to be overlooked was teammate Corde Long who finished as the event’s national runner-up, securing the Crimson Tide a one-two finish. Similar to Robinson, Long also clocked a personal best (48.53) en route to his silver-medal finish.
In Alabama’s opening event and lone field event of the day, Alan de Falchi earned second team All-America honors after his 60.44-meter attempt (198-3) secured him a ninth-place finish in the discus. De Falchi’s 60.44-meter throw came on his last attempt and helped propel him into the event’s final round, securing his top-nine finish.
Immediately following the celebrations of Robinson and Long, Ugandan sprinter Tarsis Orogot toed the line next for the Tide, clocking 20.03 in the 200-meter final to secure a fifth-place finish and help secure his first team All-America honor.
Around 45 minutes later, Long, Orogot and Robinson teamed up with Khaleb McRae as the guys returned to the track for the 4×400-meter relay. The squad clocked 3:00.81 to earn a fourth-place finish – the Crimson Tide’s fourth consecutive top-five finish of the night.
After the conclusion of the men’s competition at the national meet, Alabama finished eighth with 27 points.
The Moment It Clicked For 2023 NCAA 400-Meter Hurdles Champion Chris Robinson
“Getting out in the race, I felt pretty good. I got out of rhythm on hurdle three – I stood up a little bit – but I was able to get back into my rhythm. When I got to the 200-meter point, I said, ‘Ok, I’m feeling good. Time to kick it in and bring it home.'”
Head Coach Dan Waters Said
“I’m very proud of both Chris and Corde for going one-two in the 400 hurdles – they fought incredibly hard. For our guys to compete the way they did in the 4x400m relay, with little rest, speaks volumes about the efforts of Chris, Corde, Tarsis and Khaleb.
Overall, to bring home yet another top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships speaks to the standard we have established here at Alabama. I’m proud of all our athletes and our coaching staff for the way they represented our program. We missed some opportunities this week that we’ll have to figure out how to better capitalize on, moving forward, and better position ourselves for an even higher finish going forward.
For our seniors, I’m very thankful for all their hard work and dedication they put in – we’ll miss them and wish them nothing but the best. There are many positives to take away from this championship and season, along with some areas we can improve on going into next season.”
Crimson Tide Top Finishes
- Alan de Falchi opened the Tide’s final day with a ninth-place finish in the discus to secure second team All-American status (60.44m | 198-3)
- Chris Robinson became Alabama track and field’s first NCAA individual champion in the 400-meter hurdles (48.12), while teammate Corde Long finished as the event’s national runner-up (48.53)
- Robinson broke the facility record and the UA school record, while Long also broke his PR
- Tarsis Orogot finished fifth in the 200-meter final (20.08) to earn first team All-America honors
- Khaleb McRae, Long, Orogot and Robinson hit the track for the final time this season, clocking a fourth-place finish in the 4×400-meter relay (3:00.81)
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
– UA –