Track and Field: Pitt track athlete makes mark in international debut

When Carvin Nkanata competed at the international level for the first time, he helped set a Kenyan national record. 

The Pitt sprinter received a late call-up to the Kenyan track and field team last week to compete in the 4×200 relay at the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) World Relays Championships in the Bahamas. 

As the anchor, or last leg, of the event, the senior pushed the squad to a 1:22.35 finish — a national record and good enough for fifth place.

The first-time meet functioned as a qualifier for the 2015 World Championships and the 2016 Olympic Games. 

“I feel honored to represent Kenya in my first major international competition,” Nkanata said in a Pitt Athletics release. “I’m ready to run fast and perform to the best of my ability.”

“I have never run in Kenya. I went to the U.S. when I was three and I would like to come back home and participate in the Commonwealth Games Trials next month, but much will depend on my academic program and schedule,” he said, according to a Kenyan media report. 

Pitt’s track and field team will resume competition at NCAA East Regionals on Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla. 

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