The University of Mississippi Athletics
2026 Track and Field Roster
Akaoma Odeluga
- Year (Indoor/Outdoor):
- Jr. / Jr.
- Position:
- Throws
- Hometown:
- Munster, Ind.
- High school:
- Munster
- Major:
- Political Science
TFRRS Bio
2026 Indoor (Junior)
2x NCAA Qualifier (Shot Put, Weight Throw)
2x SEC Medalist (Shot Put, Silver; Weight Throw, Silver)
Second-Team All-SEC
SEC Women's Cliff Harper Trophy Co-Winner
2x SEC Scorer (Shot Put, 2nd; Weight Throw, 2nd)
16 SEC Points
SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 13)
Earned first national double with qualifying berths to both the shot put and weight throw for the NCAA Indoor Championships ... Ended regular season ranked third in the shot put (18.69m/61-4) and fifth in the weight throw (23.08m/75-08.75) ... Won a share of the SEC Women's Cliff Harper Trophy after scoring 16 points for the Rebel women, winning silver medals in both the shot put and weight throw ... Runner-up in the SEC shot put at indoor career-best heave of 18.69m/61-4 (No. 2 Ole Miss history, No. 13 collegiate history indoors) ... Sent all six throws at least 58 feet, with five traveling at least 59 feet ... Won silver in the weight throw on her sixth and final attempt of 22.72m/74-06.50 ... Named SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week after a sweep of the shot and weight in her season debut at Kentucky's Rod McCravy Memorial.
2025 Outdoor (Sophomore)
U.S. Finalist (Shot Put, 6th Place)
Second-Team All-American (Shot Put, 12th Place)
NCAA Qualifier (Shot Put)
2x NCAA East Region Qualifier (Shot Put, Hammer)
SEC Medalist (Shot Put, Silver)
Second-Team All-SEC
2x SEC Scorer (Shot Put, 2nd; Hammer, 8th)
9 SEC Points
SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week (April 1)
CSC Academic All-District
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Made the U.S. final in the shot put, finished sixth at 18.76m/61-06.75 ... Second-Team All-American in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, finished 12th overall (17.14m/56-3) ... Earned third career NCAA qualifying berth (second outdoors) in the shot put ... Doubled at the NCAA East Regional, qualifying for the shot put in second place (18.24m/59-10.25) and finishing 15th in the hammer (61.13m/200-7) ... SEC silver medalist in the shot put at 18.63m/61-01.50 ... Also scored in the hammer in eighth place (60.00m/196-10) ... Career-best 18.93m/62-01.25 in outdoor debut at LSU's Battle on the Bayou moved her to second in Ole Miss history, 13th in collegiate history outdoors (ninth among American-born collegians) ... Unleashed a 12-foot hammer PR of 65.33m/214-4 at Florida's Tom Jones Memorial, making her one of only two women in collegiate history at 62 feet in the shot put and 210 in the hammer alongside former Arizona State national champion Maggie Ewen ... Set a discus PR of 45.78m/150-2 at the LSU Invitational ... Named SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week following performance at LSU's Battle on the Bayou ... Competed in nine total outdoor meets across both the collegiate season and the summer circuit ... Named both CSC Academic All-District and USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2025 Indoor (Sophomore)
Second-Team All-American (Shot Put, 9th Place)
NCAA Qualifier (Shot Put)
SEC Scorer
4 SEC Points
SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 14)
Second-Team All-American in the shot put after ninth-place finish (17.26m/56-07.50) ... Earned first career NCAA Indoor qualifying berth in the shot put, ending the regular season ranked sixth at career-best 18.37m/60-03.25 from Kentucky's Rod McCravy Memorial; then No. 3 in Ole Miss history and No. 22 in collegiate history ... Scored four points as the fifth-place finisher in the weight throw at the SEC Indoor Championships (20.94m/68-08.50) ... Career-best 21.47m/70-05.25 in the weight at the Vanderbilt Invitational ... Named SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week on Jan. 14 following season-opening performance at Kentucky.
2024 Outdoor (Freshman)
World U20 Champion (Shot Put)
U.S. Olympic Trials Finalist (Shot Put, 11th Place)
U.S. U20 Silver Medal (Shot Put)
NCAA Qualifier (Shot Put)
NCAA East Region Qualifier (Shot Put)
SEC Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year
SEC Medalist (Shot Put, Bronze)
SEC Scorer (Shot Put, 3rd Place)
6 SEC Points
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Won the World Athletics U20 title in the women's shot put at 17.34m/56-10.75, the first Rebel woman to ever win a World U20 gold medal (fifth overall) … Became second-best American-born U20 thrower in U.S. history on her best of 18.13m/59-05.75 from the qualifying round of the U.S. Olympic Trials (finished 11th overall in the final) … Along with teammate Mensi Stiff, one of the two first Ole Miss freshmen to ever qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put (fouled out) … Finished fifth at NCAA East Regional at 17.26m/56-07.50 to punch her ticket to nationals … Earned first career SEC medal with a bronze in the women's shot put at 18.11m/59-5, which made her the second-best U.S. U20 all-time … Won SEC Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year honors, the first Rebel woman to ever win the honor outdoors … Competed in nine total meets for the Rebels throughout the collegiate season prior to the U.S. U20, U.S. Olympic Trials and World U20 meets … Saw experience across the discuss and hammer in addition to the shot put … Shot put best of 18.13m/59-05.75 from the U.S. Olympic Trials ranked her No. 3 in Ole Miss history by season's end … Also ended season ranked No. 13 in both the discus (45.66m/149-10) and hammer (54.08m/177-5) … Earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.
2024 Indoor (Freshman)
Competed in five meets for the Rebels in both the shot put and weight throw … Best finishes include a pair of runner-up performances at the Arkansas Qualifier in the shot put (15.47m/50-09.25) and weight throw (18.01m/59-01.25) … Set a best of 16.10m/52-10 in the shot put at the Razorback Invitational, and a weight throw best of 18.25m/59-10.50 in her debut at Vanderbilt's Commodore Challenge … Finished first indoor season ranked seventh all-time at Ole Miss in the shot put indoors, as well as 11th in the weight throw.
High School
Earned five varsity letters … Set a PR of 131-1 in discus … Set a PR of 43-8 in shot put … 3x Track Conference Champions … 3x Track Sectional Champions … 2x First-Team All-Conference in Track … 2023 Sectional Champion Shot Put … 2023 Regional Champion Discus … 2023 Regional Champion Shot Put … Second-Team All-Conference Shot Put … Second-Team All-Conference Discus …Discus School Record Holder … 2x Track MVP … 4x Scholar Athlete … 2023 Academic All-Conference … 2x First-Team All-Conference in Basketball.
Personal
Born May 14, 2005 to Kanayo and Chinyere Odeluga … Full name is Akaomachukwu Chineme Usonnia Ngozi Odeluga … Majoring in political science.
| CAREER HIGHLIGHTS |
| • 2024 World U20 Champion (Shot Put) • 2024 U.S. U20 Silver Medalist (Shot Put) • 2x U.S. Qualifier, 2x U.S. Finalist • 2x Second-Team All-American • 5x NCAA Qualifier • 3x NCAA East Region Qualifier • 2024 SEC Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year (Outdoors) • 3x Second-Team All-SEC • 4x SEC Medalist • 35 SEC Points • 3x SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week • 1x CSC Academic All-District • 2x USTFCCCA All-Academic |
2026 Indoor (Junior)
2x NCAA Qualifier (Shot Put, Weight Throw)
2x SEC Medalist (Shot Put, Silver; Weight Throw, Silver)
Second-Team All-SEC
SEC Women's Cliff Harper Trophy Co-Winner
2x SEC Scorer (Shot Put, 2nd; Weight Throw, 2nd)
16 SEC Points
SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 13)
Earned first national double with qualifying berths to both the shot put and weight throw for the NCAA Indoor Championships ... Ended regular season ranked third in the shot put (18.69m/61-4) and fifth in the weight throw (23.08m/75-08.75) ... Won a share of the SEC Women's Cliff Harper Trophy after scoring 16 points for the Rebel women, winning silver medals in both the shot put and weight throw ... Runner-up in the SEC shot put at indoor career-best heave of 18.69m/61-4 (No. 2 Ole Miss history, No. 13 collegiate history indoors) ... Sent all six throws at least 58 feet, with five traveling at least 59 feet ... Won silver in the weight throw on her sixth and final attempt of 22.72m/74-06.50 ... Named SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week after a sweep of the shot and weight in her season debut at Kentucky's Rod McCravy Memorial.
2025 Outdoor (Sophomore)
U.S. Finalist (Shot Put, 6th Place)
Second-Team All-American (Shot Put, 12th Place)
NCAA Qualifier (Shot Put)
2x NCAA East Region Qualifier (Shot Put, Hammer)
SEC Medalist (Shot Put, Silver)
Second-Team All-SEC
2x SEC Scorer (Shot Put, 2nd; Hammer, 8th)
9 SEC Points
SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week (April 1)
CSC Academic All-District
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Made the U.S. final in the shot put, finished sixth at 18.76m/61-06.75 ... Second-Team All-American in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, finished 12th overall (17.14m/56-3) ... Earned third career NCAA qualifying berth (second outdoors) in the shot put ... Doubled at the NCAA East Regional, qualifying for the shot put in second place (18.24m/59-10.25) and finishing 15th in the hammer (61.13m/200-7) ... SEC silver medalist in the shot put at 18.63m/61-01.50 ... Also scored in the hammer in eighth place (60.00m/196-10) ... Career-best 18.93m/62-01.25 in outdoor debut at LSU's Battle on the Bayou moved her to second in Ole Miss history, 13th in collegiate history outdoors (ninth among American-born collegians) ... Unleashed a 12-foot hammer PR of 65.33m/214-4 at Florida's Tom Jones Memorial, making her one of only two women in collegiate history at 62 feet in the shot put and 210 in the hammer alongside former Arizona State national champion Maggie Ewen ... Set a discus PR of 45.78m/150-2 at the LSU Invitational ... Named SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week following performance at LSU's Battle on the Bayou ... Competed in nine total outdoor meets across both the collegiate season and the summer circuit ... Named both CSC Academic All-District and USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2025 Indoor (Sophomore)
Second-Team All-American (Shot Put, 9th Place)
NCAA Qualifier (Shot Put)
SEC Scorer
4 SEC Points
SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 14)
Second-Team All-American in the shot put after ninth-place finish (17.26m/56-07.50) ... Earned first career NCAA Indoor qualifying berth in the shot put, ending the regular season ranked sixth at career-best 18.37m/60-03.25 from Kentucky's Rod McCravy Memorial; then No. 3 in Ole Miss history and No. 22 in collegiate history ... Scored four points as the fifth-place finisher in the weight throw at the SEC Indoor Championships (20.94m/68-08.50) ... Career-best 21.47m/70-05.25 in the weight at the Vanderbilt Invitational ... Named SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week on Jan. 14 following season-opening performance at Kentucky.
2024 Outdoor (Freshman)
World U20 Champion (Shot Put)
U.S. Olympic Trials Finalist (Shot Put, 11th Place)
U.S. U20 Silver Medal (Shot Put)
NCAA Qualifier (Shot Put)
NCAA East Region Qualifier (Shot Put)
SEC Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year
SEC Medalist (Shot Put, Bronze)
SEC Scorer (Shot Put, 3rd Place)
6 SEC Points
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Won the World Athletics U20 title in the women's shot put at 17.34m/56-10.75, the first Rebel woman to ever win a World U20 gold medal (fifth overall) … Became second-best American-born U20 thrower in U.S. history on her best of 18.13m/59-05.75 from the qualifying round of the U.S. Olympic Trials (finished 11th overall in the final) … Along with teammate Mensi Stiff, one of the two first Ole Miss freshmen to ever qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put (fouled out) … Finished fifth at NCAA East Regional at 17.26m/56-07.50 to punch her ticket to nationals … Earned first career SEC medal with a bronze in the women's shot put at 18.11m/59-5, which made her the second-best U.S. U20 all-time … Won SEC Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year honors, the first Rebel woman to ever win the honor outdoors … Competed in nine total meets for the Rebels throughout the collegiate season prior to the U.S. U20, U.S. Olympic Trials and World U20 meets … Saw experience across the discuss and hammer in addition to the shot put … Shot put best of 18.13m/59-05.75 from the U.S. Olympic Trials ranked her No. 3 in Ole Miss history by season's end … Also ended season ranked No. 13 in both the discus (45.66m/149-10) and hammer (54.08m/177-5) … Earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.
2024 Indoor (Freshman)
Competed in five meets for the Rebels in both the shot put and weight throw … Best finishes include a pair of runner-up performances at the Arkansas Qualifier in the shot put (15.47m/50-09.25) and weight throw (18.01m/59-01.25) … Set a best of 16.10m/52-10 in the shot put at the Razorback Invitational, and a weight throw best of 18.25m/59-10.50 in her debut at Vanderbilt's Commodore Challenge … Finished first indoor season ranked seventh all-time at Ole Miss in the shot put indoors, as well as 11th in the weight throw.
High School
Earned five varsity letters … Set a PR of 131-1 in discus … Set a PR of 43-8 in shot put … 3x Track Conference Champions … 3x Track Sectional Champions … 2x First-Team All-Conference in Track … 2023 Sectional Champion Shot Put … 2023 Regional Champion Discus … 2023 Regional Champion Shot Put … Second-Team All-Conference Shot Put … Second-Team All-Conference Discus …Discus School Record Holder … 2x Track MVP … 4x Scholar Athlete … 2023 Academic All-Conference … 2x First-Team All-Conference in Basketball.
Personal
Born May 14, 2005 to Kanayo and Chinyere Odeluga … Full name is Akaomachukwu Chineme Usonnia Ngozi Odeluga … Majoring in political science.
INTERVIEW: Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan Talks NCAA Shot Three-Peat
Saturday, March 14
HIGHLIGHTS: Alicia Burnett Finishes Fourth in NCAA 60-Meter Final
Saturday, March 14
HIGHLIGHTS: Akaoma Odeluga Finishes NCAA Runner-Up in Shot Put
Saturday, March 14
HIGHLIGHTS: Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan Wins Third Straight NCAA Indoor Shot Put Title
Saturday, March 14
