For Amadou Gueye, his path to Syracuse can be traced to one scholastic meet. As a senior at Albany Academy (N.Y.) last winter, Gueye won the 55-meter hurdle race at the Bishop Loughlin track meet in New York City. College coaches took notice.

‘I don’t know if I’d be here if it wasn’t for (the Bishop Loughlin) track meet,’ Gueye said. ‘I didn’t expect to do that good but I did.’

One of those coaches was SU track and field assistant coach Dave Hegland. Initially scouting another athlete at the meet, Hegland noticed Gueye’s stats and was impressed. This ignited a series of events that ultimately led Gueye to become a freshman member of the Orange track and field team.

Nicknamed both Dr. Strange – for his jump roping – and Trip – short for triple –

Gueye is currently one of the top hurdlers on the team. Gueye finished second in the Big East in the 60-meter hurdles on Feb. 20.

With his performances thus far this year, Gueye has been one of the highlights through eight meets this season for SU track and field.

‘He was not on the scene in New York at all, and all of a sudden he’s coming here and beating all the best runners from New York,’ Hegland said. ‘Through high school, he slipped through the cracks. We’re lucky he ended up here.’

Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the freshman lived in Miami, New York City and Cincinnati, before moving to a Cleveland suburb. While at Shaker Heights High School there, Gueye was ranked and recruited by nearby schools including Cincinnati, Ohio State and Miami (Ohio).

He moved to Albany, N.Y., for his senior year, ending up at Albany Academy because of his father’s job. The school didn’t have the best track facilities, so Gueye would bring a single hurdle into the school’s hockey rink and practice there.

‘(At a low-profile school, Amadou) was under the radar and on his own,’ Hegland said.

Though he was also being recruited by schools like Connecticut when he was a senior, Gueye ultimately chose Syracuse because of its strong hurdlers. He said he was excited about the possibilities of what he could do as a member of the Orange, and the coaches told him they thought he ‘could do something good’ for the squad. It just felt right for him.

Gueye was also impressed by Hegland, calling his coach ‘a genius.’

In his short time as a member of the Orange, Gueye has already left favorable impressions on those around him. Hegland said his technique has improved greatly from when he first appeared on campus in September.

‘(Amadou’s) really confident and competitive, and no one shakes him,’ Hegland said. ‘He doesn’t get rattled or intimidated in big meets. He just gets excited, and that’s a tangible quality. Those things will take him a long way.

‘He brings a great attitude, and is a whole lot of fun,’ Hegland said. ‘He keeps the environment upbeat, and that’s his best attribute. To have that in a freshman is rare.’

His teammates have taken notice of the freshman as well, even taking him under their wings. Junior Jarret Eaton, one of the top hurdlers in the country, has been a mentor to Gueye. So has sophomore short sprinter Darryl White, who Gueye trains with regularly.

‘He is one to encourage me and is a great training partner, always willing to work,’ White said. ‘A lot of freshmen hurdlers come in and take awhile to adjust, but he came in and took second and that speaks for his talent.’

While Gueye has certainly had a great start to his career, even though he never thought he would finish second in the Big East Indoor Championships as a freshman, he’s not getting caught up in it all.

‘I’m trying to do this as long as I can,’ Gueye said. ‘But I’m not looking too far in the future.

‘It’s working out so far. It’s a fun ride.’

rnmarcus@syr.edu

Published on March 2, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Rachel: rnmarcus@syr.edu