Grateful to Be at K-State

By: D. Scott Fritchen

The first thing you hear is the sincerity in his voice. You hear some sprinters on the news, on ESPN's SportsCenter, boastful, cocky, and they say things like, "I'm the fastest in the world," or, "Nobody can catch me." And then they go out and promptly – and perhaps appropriately – fall on their face on the big stage.

Well, there's a sprinter out there, a multi-record holder, a young man by the name of Eugene Omalla, a native of Chawolo, Uganda, who is grateful for his two legs and for his health and that he is in America and that he is at Kansas State. And so, you ask Omalla how it feels to be so fast, how it feels to raise the bar in the 400-meter dash, and how it feels to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, and he quietly and unhesitatingly beams with sincerity.

"I asked God for one thing," he says, "and he gave me a hundred blessings."

Omalla set a new K-State indoor and Big 12 Championship record by racing the fastest 400-meter dash in the history of the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas on February 23. He set three records in one race. His time of 45.18 seconds beat the previous mark of 45.19 by Baylor's Wil London in 2019. He will compete in the 400-meter dash semifinals in Boston, Massachusetts on Friday. He will be the first K-State sprinter to compete in the 400 meters in the NCAA Indoor Championships since Keith Black, a K-State football player, did so in 1997.

And so, you ask Omalla how it feels, how it feels to achieve what nobody else has achieved in a K-State jersey in 27 years, and his voice cracks on the other end of the phone, and he pauses before speaking.

"I didn't know that," he says. "I have an amazing coach and support staff. I get up there to work, but they're the ones that set me up for success, so I'm very grateful."

Eugene and twin brother Jaimie Omalla left Uganda and raced at McKendree University in 2019-21. McKendree University is a private university in Lebanon, Illinois, and is the oldest university in Illinois. Eugene finished runner-up in the 400 meters at 46.71 at the NCAA Division II Championship in 2021.

After two years at McKendree, the brothers transferred to Southeast Louisiana. Omalla finished runner-up in the 400 meters at 46.76 at the Southland Conference Championships. After two years at Southeast Louisiana, the Omallas transferred to K-State.

"It was getting to a point where we needed something else," Omalla says. "We talked it out and went on a couple school visits, and I remember coming here to K-State and talking to the coaches and teammates, and it just felt right."

In Omalla's first meet as a Wildcat at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular on January 12 he finished runner-up in the 400 meters at 48.07 seconds. At the DeLoss Dodds Invitational on February 1, he finished third place in the 400 meters at 46.30. Then came the Big 12 Championships and the records and the memories that Omalla will forever remember.

"So far, it's been a dream season, absolutely," he says. "I can't even explain how it feels to be here at Kansas State. It's an amazing team and amazing coaches and amazing support staff. It's been a dream.

In addition to racing in the 400 meters, Omalla will join Jaimie Omalla, Kyle Gale and Tavon Underwood in racing the 4x400 relay at the NCAA Indoor Championships after setting the school record with a time of 3:04.84 at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational on February 3. They competed for the first time as a team in the Texas Tech Corky Classic on January 20 with a time of 3:05.72.

"It's something I can't even explain," Omalla says. "I've been at K-State for only a couple of months, but I'm a Wildcat, not only on the outside, but in my heart, I'm a Wildcat. It's a sense of family, you know?"

While Omalla loves the purple-and-white, he misses his family back home in Uganda.

"It's been almost three years since I've seen them now," he says. "I miss home a lot. I have a lot of family and friends, my parents, especially, back home. I also know I'm here for a reason and that's to take care of some really important things, and it's the accomplishments and hard work and the love from back home that keeps me going."

And now it takes Omalla to Boston and the NCAA Championships.

"I'm very excited," he says. "The word that comes to mind is, 'ready.' I'm just ready to create separation and create more of a legacy at K-State. I'm ecstatic and can't wait for my opportunity."

After a lengthy journey, he is getting his shot, and he has learned much about himself along the way.

"I've learned about patience and consistency," he says. "There's a lot that can be said about being patient and consistent. Sometimes, you don't see the results that you want right away, but it's been a couple years now, and I'm finally starting to see the results.

"I'm so very blessed."

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Kyle Gale

Eugene Omalla

Jaimie Omalla

Tavon Underwood

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