Jedidiah Udunna is a sophomore jumper/sprinter for the UTRGV Track & Field program. He is pursuing a degree in business marketing and management. Outside of track and field, he enjoys cutting hair, listening to music and knows how to play drums.
Q: What do you do for fun outside of track and field?
A: “I like to spend time with my teammates, we just hangout. On top of that, I also cut hair in my free time, so I also like doing that. But a majority of the time, I’m really just having fun with my friends. … I cut my teammates, [friends’ hair], pretty much whenever I’m free and able to cut, I’ll usually cut [their hair].”
Q: What kind of music do you like?
A: “I like all genres of music. I think I have a very versatile taste if you ask me, but I would say that the top ones are hip-hop and rap, R&B and I like gospel music as well. For hip-hop and rap, I would definitely say Gunna, Lil Baby, BigXthaPlug. And then for gospel, I like Kirk Franklin.”
Q: What movies or shows do you like?
A: “I like a lot of genres of movies. I like comedy and action. Currently I’m watching ‘Code 8: Part II’ on Netflix. It’s a pretty good movie. … I really haven’t had time to watch any series or anything because of track and school, but hopefully, [I’m going to] get on to ‘Jujutsu Kaisen.’”
Q: What motivates you?
A: “What motivates me in my sport is really just the spirit of competition; to be the best at what you do. That as well as I have personal goals that I set upon myself that I want to go ahead and reach, especially for hometown as, like, my parents, my old coaches and friends, everybody that’s rooting for me. So, definitely just the support motivates me as well as my own personal goals.”
Q: Who is one of your role models?
A: “In the track world, I’d say Marquis Dendy. He’s a long jumper, a world champion and Olympian. He motivates me, especially, because he just has fun. He just goes out there and has fun. … In life, I’d say my parents because they’re a great example. They came from Cameroon and have been doing very well in the country. … They make me want to go after it more. ”
Q: Would you want to keep playing or do something with your degree?
A: “Definitely the goal is to go pro in track, but even if I go pro, I would still want to pursue business marketing and management. So, regardless of pro or not, I’d still want to own my businesses especially, like, real estate specializing in condos, and I still want to do business marketing and management in the sports field.”
Q: What do you like about UTRGV?
A: “I love the culture, the food, the program is very family oriented. … We are a Division 1 school, but we are a smaller Division 1 school, which means that each of us get more time to be worked on by the coaches, which is a big pro. So, definitely the support system, the program here and just the overall culture that our team has created.”
Q: Do you have a fun fact about yourself?
A: “I could play drums. … I grew up in the church, so I learned to play drums at, like, 4 or 5, and then I started playing for the church at, like, 10.”
–Compiled by Jose Medina
