ROSEMONT, Illinois, USA – On Wednesday, March 17th, 2021 Virgin Islands’ born athlete Rikkoi A. R. Brathwaite was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Year when the Big Ten Conference announced the 2021 Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field postseason award recipients, as selected by the conference’s head coaches.
Brathwaite, a junior at Indiana University, had won the 60m at the 2021 Big Ten Indoor Championships in Ohio on Saturday, February 27th, 2021, clocking a Personal Best 6.55 to seconds to break the Big Ten record of 6.58 set last year by Purdue’s Waseem Williams, a Jamaican.
He also held the #1 spot in the NCAA for the indoor 60m following his record-breaking run.
A Virgin Islands born athlete is the second Indiana student to earn Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year honours since the award was divided into separate track and field categories in 2007, following Andrew Bayer’s selection in 2011.
Brathwaite went on to capture the Bronze medal in the 60m Final of the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships at Fayetteville Arkansas on Saturday, March 13th, 2021.
Brathwaite’s childhood coach, who has worked with Brathwaite since age five (5), Ralson ‘Grandfather’ Henry said he was immensely proud of Rikkoi’s success. Saying “Rikkoi has always been a hard worker, always taken the sport seriously and has always had superb skill and work ethic.”
Community members have also taken to social media expressing commendations to Mr. Brathwaite on his success including Deputy Premier and Sports Minister Dr. Hon. Natalio Wheatley stating in a Facebook post, “This is amazing! We are incredibly proud.”