Heath Baldwin, a graduate student from Michigan State University (MSU), won the decathlon at the US track and field trials on Saturday (June 22), earning a ticket to the Paris Olympics.
Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Baldwin did himself and his university proud. According to the MSU website, he is the first Spartan to qualify for the Olympic decathlon since Paul Terek in 2004. With his achievement, Michigan State University makes a noteworthy comeback to the Olympic event.
At the trials, Baldwin accomplished a remarkable feat by beating a field of 19 athletes with a personal best score of 8,625 points to take first place. His performance was the sixth-best in the world this year, and it also puts him in third place on the all-time collegiate list.
This cements his status as one of the sport’s greatest players.
He distinguished himself in 2023 as:
- The MSU Athletics George Alderton Male Athlete of the Year
- An NCAA Indoor First Team All-American
- An NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American
- The Big Ten Indoor Heptathlon Champion
- An NCAA Championships Qualifier
- A USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete.
What’s more, he broke:
- The heptathlon and decathlon school records
- The javelin throw school record during the outdoor season,