Renaldo Nehemiah, Maryland: Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame, Class of 2023

Renaldo Nehemiah left an enduring legacy in the sport, particularly in hurdling. Known as “Skeets,” Nehemiah set an astounding seven indoor and two outdoor world records during his time as a collegian, with his 13.00-second record in the 110-meter hurdles remaining unbeaten by a collegian for 40 years.

Nehemiah first made a name for himself as an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Maryland. He set his initial world record at the 1978 Millrose Games, winning the 60-yard hurdles with a time of 7.07 seconds. Later that year, he claimed an NCAA Division I Indoor Championships title, setting a meet record of 7.11 seconds in the first of four rounds.

Nehemiah’s sophomore year in 1979 proved to be nothing short of remarkable. He broke the indoor 60-yard hurdle record, finishing in under 7 seconds with a time of 6.95 seconds (and 6.89 seconds for the slightly longer 55-meter event). In the spring, Nehemiah continued to rewrite the record books, setting a world record of 13.16 seconds in April before reducing it to an iconic 13.00 seconds in early May.

During the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Nehemiah went even faster, winning his only outdoor crown with a wind-aided 12.91 seconds. This time was the fastest in world history at that moment and remains the quickest time by a collegian under all conditions.

Apart from his exceptional hurdling skills, Nehemiah also excelled on the track without hurdles. He anchored the Terrapins to three Penn Relays titles, including the 4×100 in 1978 and the 4×200 and 4×400 in 1979, the latter featuring a blazing 44.3-second split.