Awards and Accolades
USF Record Holder in the Outdoor 100m dash (9.95w, 2024)
USF Record Holder in the Outdoor 4x100m relay (38.44, 2024)
USF Record Holder in the Indoor 60m dash (6.57, 2024)
2024 AAC Outdoor 100m dash Champion
2024 AAC Outdoor 200m dash Champion
2024 AAC Outdoor 4x100m relay Champion
2024 NCAA Indoor 60m dash First Team All-American
2023 NAIA Outdoor 100m dash Champion
2023 NAIA Indoor 60m dash Champion
AAC Outdoor Championship Most Valuable Performer (May 14, 2024)
NCAA Male Athlete of the Week (Apr. 9, 2024)
USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week (Apr. 9, 2024)
AAC Male Track Athlete of the Week (Apr. 9, 2024)
AAC Indoor Championship's Most Outstanding Male Performance (Feb. 24, 2024)
AAC Male Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30, 2024)
TFRRS Link
Collegiate PRs
Indoor 60m: 6.57 | The American Track & Field Championship (Feb. 23-24, 2024)
Outdoor 100m: 9.95w (3.6) | South Florida Invitational (April 5-6, 2024)
Outdoor 200m: 20.34 | Outdoor AAC Championship (May 10-12, 2024)
Outdoor 400m: 47.92 | Knights Invite (Mar. 24-25, 2023)*
*Competing for Florida Memorial University
Note on the name: Abdul-Rasheed Saminu is known by his friends and coaches as Rasheed. In his home country of Ghana, he grew up known by his village as Saminu Abdul-Rasheed. But similar to the story of Yao Ming's pre-America name actually being Ming Yao, Rasheed's native name of Saminu Abdul-Rasheed, became Abdul-Rasheed Saminu upon coming to America.
Season Recaps
2024
Indoor: Placed second in his South Florida debut running the 4x400 (3:16.50) at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational (Jan.12)...Placed second in the 60m dash with a time of 6.67 at the 2024 PNC Lenny Lyles Invite (Jan. 26-27)...Placed first in the 60m with a time of 6.61 at the Crimson Elite 2024 (Feb. 2)...Placed second in the 60m dash with a time of 6.66 at the Badger's Windy City Invite (Feb. 9-10)...Ran a program record and personal best time of 6.57 in the 60m dash preliminary round at the Indoor AAC Championship (Feb. 23-24)...also ran a 21.24 in the 200m dash conference final on the same day to earn fifth place and help secure the first men's team conference championship in program history...Finished eighth at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field National Championships in the 60m dash (6.69).
Outdoor: Kicked off the outdoor season helping set the then-program record time (39.13) in the 4x100m relay at the USF Alumni Invitational (March 15-16) to win first....Helped break the 4x100m relay program record again (39.03) the next meet at the Pepsi Florida Relays (March 29-30) and win first again...Made his 100m dash debut with a program record and Division I NCAA leading time (9.95w) for first place, only to also win first with a then-program record 200m dash time (20.34w) less than an hour later at the South Florida Invitational (April 5-6)...Ran a 10.13 at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational (April 12-13) less than a hundredth of a second behind first place...Helped both the 4x100m relay team (39.34) and the 4x200m relay team (1:22.08) win first at the 2024 Penn Relays (Apr. 25-27)...Helped set the program record in the 4x100m relay for the third time this season (38.44) to win the conference championship at the 2024 indoor AAC Championships (May 10-12)...Also won the 100m dash (10.03) and 200m dash (20.34) conference championships with his best wind-legal Division I times in both...Qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round (May 22-25) in the 100m dash, advancing to quarterfinals with the eighth-fastest qualifying time (10.34), as well as both the 200m dash, advancing with the 13th-fastest qualifying time (20.55), and the 4x100m relay.
2023 (Florida Memorial)
Indoor: Won the 60m dash final at the SSAC/Sun Indoor Conference T&F Championships 2023 with a time of 6.73 (Feb. 6)...Won the 200m at the RADD Collegiate Last Chance with a time of 21.43 (Feb.16)...Ran a then-personal best time of 6.63 in the 60m dash to win first place at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships (Mar. 2-4).
Outdoor: Ran a then-personal best time of 10.04 to win first in the 100m dash at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational (Apr. 7-8)...Won the 200m dash at the Sun Conference Championship 2023 (Apr. 22-23), running the top qualifying time (20.51) and a 20.68 in the final...Also won the 100m dash at the Sun Conference Championship 2023 (Apr. 22-23) with a then-personal best 9.97w time...Placed first in the 200m at the Bobcats Last Chance Meet (May. 13) with a 20.52 time...Also won the 100m dash with a time of 9.99w at the Bobcats Last Chance Meet (May. 13)...Won the 100m dash final (10.23) at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 24-26) and had the top 200m dash qualifying time (20.35w).
High School: Rasheed attended Al-Azhariyya Islamic High School in Tafo Kumasi Ghana.
Personal: Transferred from Florida Memorial University...Instagram handle is @village_boyyy_ because he grew up in a small village in Nanumba, Ghana...He attributes his speed to having been developed while chasing and hunting rabbits as a child...Grew up playing soccer and was introduced to track and field through one of his coaches...Speaks five languages, English, Dagbani, Twi, Hausa
, and Arabic...Roommates and good friends with Goodness Iredia.
