College is a different world, admits Tarees Rhoden

After one year and one semester in college, tarees rhoden is finally getting the hang of things at Oklahoma Baptist University in the United States.

Rhoden captained the Kingston College track and field team that won the Mortimer Geddes trophy at the Intersecondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Gracekennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Championships (“Champs”) in 2019, breaking the seven-year stranglehold of rivals Calabar High School, before heading off to pursue tertiary studies overseas.

The 20-year-old has had to adapt to preparing for almost two separate seasons in one year, the indoor season and then the outdoor season.

“It’s different there because the indoor season is very early; you have to get prepared for December. It’s not like Jamaica where Champs is March and that’s the biggest championships. We have Indoor Championships and we have [the] outdoor season.”

“I start using spikes in November,” he exclaimed.

The middle-distance athlete said that racing indoors has made him into a more aggressive runner because of the different circumstances.

“Last year I got my first race on December 9 and I had to come up big. I was top three in the division so it’s a different transition, especially the banked track. There are six lanes, [the track is] 200m, 15 persons on the track, so you have to get more aggressive, but it’s a great experience.”

Rhoden, who is in Jamaica for a short holiday, also had some words of advice for athletes who are getting to the end of their high school careers.

“Going to America for college is a great experience, I would advise more athletes to go there. It’s a great experience to go overseas and it’s a great feeling.”

Despite getting injured during the season, Rhoden relished his first year overseas.

“My first year was great as a freshman. I never ran a competitive 600m before and I ran 1:18 flat and that was my opening 600m and I finished my 800m with a 1:52 flat. I got a hamstring injury in February and when I recovered, I did a 47.4 indoors for 400m and I split a 46 flat for the 4x400m relays.

“It was a very great experience for my first year. I am not at the best times, but I am pretty pleased with what I produced. I never thought I would get a hamstring injury because I thought hamstring injuries were for fast people, but I am getting there.”

With the novel coronavirus outbreak putting a major spoke in the track and field plans for this season, Rhoden is looking at the upside presented by the effects of the pandemic.

“COVID destroyed everything [the season], but it’s a curse and a blessing in disguise, because we got back our year. So, I am still a freshman in track and