Cameron Burrell (September 11, 1994 – August 9, 2021) was an American sprinter. He was the NCAA Division I champion over 100 meters in 2018, and anchored the Houston Cougars to victory in the 4 × 100 meters relay in 2017 and 2018.[7][8] He ran for the United States 4 × 100 m relay team at the World Junior Championships in 2012 and the World Relays in 2019, with the team earning gold and silver from each competition respectively. Additionally Burrell anchored the U.S. 4 × 100 m relay team to gold at the inaugural Athletics World Cup in 2018.

Cameron Burrell
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born(1994-09-11)September 11, 1994
Houston, Texas, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 2021(2021-08-09) (aged 26)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Employer(s)Nike and Red Bull[1]
Sport
SportTrack and field
Events
College teamHouston Cougars (2014–2018)[2][3]
Turned proJune 2018
Coached byLeroy Burrell and Carl Lewis[3][1]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • 60 m: 6.48 s (2016)[4]
  • 100 m: 9.93 s (2017, 2018)[5][6]
  • 200 m: 20.75 s (2016)
  • Long jump: 8.06 m (2015, 26 ft 5+14 in)
Medal record
Men's track and field
Representing the  United States
World Relays
Silver medal – second place 2019 Yokohama 4×100 m relay
Athletics World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2018 London 4×100 m relay
NACAC Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Toronto 100 m
Gold medal – first place 2015 San José Long jump
Universiade
Silver medal – second place 2017 Taipei 4×100 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Taipei 100 m
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Barcelona 4×100 m relay
Pan American Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Medellín 4×100 m relay
World Youth Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Villneuve-d'Ascq Medley relay

He was the son of Olympic gold medalist and former 100 meters world record holder Leroy Burrell and Olympic gold medalist Michelle Finn-Burrell. He was also the godson of former track and field star Carl Lewis.[2][3][9] On June 8, 2017, he became the 121st man to break the 10-second barrier over 100 meters in a time of 9.93 seconds, beating his father's school record set five years before Cameron's birth by one hundredth of a second.[5] He repeated this feat a year later at the USA Championships.[6]

Early life

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Burrell was born on September 11, 1994, to former 100m world record holder Leroy Burrell and Olympic gold medalist Michelle Finn-Burrell.[3] He has two siblings, Joshua and Jaden. Growing up, Cameron Burrell was surrounded by athletics; in addition to his parents' athletic background, his aunt Dawn Burrell was the 2001 World Indoor Champion in the Long Jump. His father's teammate and close friend was Carl Lewis, who knew Cameron his whole life.[3] Despite this, his family never forced him into athletics, though Cameron already knew he wanted to be a sprinter at a very young age.

Cameron attended Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, Texas. Throughout his junior years, he competed at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille, the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, and the 2013 Pan American Junior Championships in Medellín. He also formed a close friendship with his rival from Morton Ranch High School, Elijah Hall. After graduating from Ridge Point in June 2013, Burrell chose to follow in his father's footsteps and attend the University of Houston, where his father was coaching.

Collegiate career

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2014–2015

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During his freshman year, Burrell made the NCAA Indoor 60m final, where he finished 6th.[10] Outdoors, he ran a leg on the 4 × 100 m relay at the NCAA Outdoor Championships but finished 7th in the heats and did not qualify for the final.[11] He started out strong in his sophomore season, but suffered an injury and was forced to miss the Indoor Championships and Redshirt his outdoor season.[citation needed]

2016

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Burrell returned to competition in 2016, and finished 2nd in the NCAA 60m final,[12] setting a school record at 6.48.[13] Outdoors, he won his first conference title in the 100m[citation needed] and finished 4th at the NCAA Championships in 10.26.[14]

2017

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Burrell once again finished 2nd at the NCAA 60m final, this time to Christian Coleman of Tennessee, who equaled the collegiate record of 6.45.[15] During the outdoor season, he broke his father's long-standing school record in the 100m with 9.93 during the semifinals of the NCAA Championships.[16] In the final, he finished second to Coleman again. During the 4 × 100 m however, he anchored Houston to the victory in 38.34.[7]

2018

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Having already completed four indoor seasons, Burrell was able to compete only outdoors. At the NCAA Championships, he anchored the Cougars to a collegiate record in the 4 × 100 m, defending their title from the previous year.[1] Then, with two other Cougars in the 100m final, he finally won his first NCAA individual title, with Elijah Hall 2nd and Mario Burke 8th. Burrell dedicated his win to his teammate Brian Barraza, who fell after leading in the steeplechase and finished in 10th.[8]

Burrell equaled his personal best of 9.93 in the heats of the US Championships, then went on to finish 5th in the final.[17] He competed at the inaugural Athletics World Cup in London, England, anchoring the US' 4 × 100 m team to victory in 38.42 seconds.[18] He stayed in London for his Diamond League debut at the Anniversary Games, where he placed 4th in his heat and 9th in the final.[19] Burrell then traveled to Toronto for the NACAC Championships, and picked up a bronze medal in the 100m.[20]

After their seasons ended, Burrell and Elijah Hall turned professional and signed with Nike and Red Bull.[1]

Death

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Burrell died on August 9, 2021, at the age of 26.[21] It was later revealed he died by suicide from a gunshot in a parking garage in Houston, Texas.[22][23]

Statistics

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Personal bests

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Event Time or mark Wind (m/s) Venue Date Notes
60 m 6.48 Birmingham, Alabama, US March 12, 2016 Indoor
100 m 9.93 +0.8 Eugene, Oregon, US June 7, 2017
+1.4 Des Moines, Iowa, US June 21, 2018
9.90 w +4.5 Austin, Texas, US May 25, 2017 Wind-assisted
200 m 20.75 +0.1 Orlando, Florida, US May 14, 2016
20.64 w +2.7 Houston, Texas, US May 7, 2021 Wind-assisted
4×100 m relay 38.17 Eugene, Oregon, US June 8, 2018 Former collegiate record[note 1]
Long jump 8.06 m (26 ft 5+14 in) −0.4 San José, Costa Rica August 8, 2015
8.17 m (26 ft 9+12 in) w +3.5 Eugene, Oregon, US June 25, 2015 Wind-assisted

International championship results

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Representing the   United States
Year Competition Position Event Time or mark Venue Notes
2011 World Youth Championships 15th Long jump 7.11 m (23 ft 3+34 in) Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France (+1.6 m/s wind)[25]
1st (semi 1) Medley relay 1:51.13 WYL, PB, Q[note 2][26][27]
2012 World Junior Championships 1st (semi 2) 4×100 m relay 39.25 Barcelona, Spain PB, Q[note 2][28][29]
2013 Pan American Junior Championships 1st 4×100 m relay 39.17 Medellín, Colombia PB
2015 NACAC Championships 1st Long jump 8.06 m (26 ft 5+14 in) San José, Costa Rica (−0.4 m/s wind) Championship record,[30] PB
2017 Universiade 3rd 100 m 10.27 Taipei, Taiwan (−0.9 m/s wind)
2nd 4×100 m relay 38.69
2018 Athletics World Cup 1st 4×100 m relay 38.42 London, England
NACAC Championships 3rd 100 m 10.12 Toronto, Ontario, Canada (+0.4 m/s wind)
DNF 4×100 m relay Teammate dropped baton
2019 World Relays 1st (semi 3) 4×100 m relay 38.34 Yokohama, Japan Q[note 3][31][32]

National championship results

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Representing CL Athletics Stars (2010–2013), the Houston Cougars (2014–2018), and Nike and Red Bull (2019)
Year Competition Position Event Time or mark Wind (m/s) Venue Notes
2010 USATF Junior Championships 9th Long jump 6.62 m (21 ft 8+12 in) −0.5 Des Moines, Iowa [33]
2011 US World Youth Trials 9th 100 m 10.87 −1.4 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina PB[34]
1st Long jump 7.37 m (24 ft 2 in) +1.7 PB[35]
2012 USATF Junior Championships 4th 100 m 10.64 −1.8 Bloomington, Indiana [36]
4th Long jump 7.48 m (24 ft 6+14 in) w +2.2 Wind-assisted[36]
2013 USATF Junior Championships 3rd 100 m 10.65 −4.8 Des Moines, Iowa [37]
2014 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships 6th 60 m 6.66 A Albuquerque, New Mexico Altitude-assisted
NCAA Division I Championships 16th 4×100 m relay 39.65 Eugene, Oregon
2015 USATF Championships 6th Long jump 8.17 m (26 ft 9+12 in) w +3.5 Eugene, Oregon Wind-assisted[38]
2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships 2nd 60 m 6.48 Birmingham, Alabama PB
NCAA Division I Championships 4th 100 m 10.26 −2.3 Eugene, Oregon
2nd 4×100 m relay 38.44 PB
US Olympic Trials 16th 100 m 10.18 w +2.4 Eugene, Oregon Wind-assisted[39]
2017 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships 2nd 60 m 6.54 College Station, Texas
NCAA Division I Championships 2nd 100 m 10.12 −2.1 Eugene, Oregon
1st 4×100 m relay 38.34 PB
USATF Championships 7th 100 m 10.19 −0.7 Sacramento, California [40]
2018 NCAA Division I Championships 1st 100 m 10.13 −0.9 Eugene, Oregon
1st 4×100 m relay 38.17 Collegiate record,[note 1] PB
1st (semi 2) 4×400 m relay 3:06.51 Q[note 4]
USATF Championships 5th 100 m 10.04 +1.1 Des Moines, Iowa [41]
2019 USATF Championships 18th 100 m 10.43 −2.0 Des Moines, Iowa [42]
  • NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.[43]

Seasonal bests

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Year 60 m 100 m Long jump
2010 11.06 s 7.20 m (23 ft 7+14 in)
2011 6.94 s 10.41 s 7.49 m (24 ft 6+34 in)
2012 6.82 s 10.42 s 7.60 m (24 ft 11 in)
2013 6.61 s 10.36 s 7.09 m (23 ft 3 in)
2014 6.54 s 10.32 s 7.73 m (25 ft 4+14 in)
2015 6.60 s 8.06 m (26 ft 5+14 in)
2016 6.48 s 10.16 s 7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
2017 6.53 s 9.93 s
2018 6.69 s 9.93 s
2019 6.60 s 10.12 s
2020 6.62 s
2021 6.58 s 10.01 s w

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Shared with John Lewis III, Elijah Hall, and Mario Burke for the Houston Cougars. Burrell was the fourth runner for the team.[7][1]
  2. ^ a b Burrell was replaced in the final, but the four runners that ran in the final finished first, earning the team gold medals.
  3. ^ Burrell was replaced in the final, but the four runners that ran in the final finished second, earning the team silver medals.
  4. ^ Burrell was replaced in the final, and the four runners that ran in the final finished fifth.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Knapp, Gwendolyn (February 25, 2019). "Will the UH Men's Track Team Make History?". houstoniamag.com. Houstonia Magazine. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Longman, Jeré (May 23, 2013). "In His Parents' Very Fast Footsteps". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e Gearhart, Sarah (July 1, 2016). "Cameron Burrell on His Gold Medalist Father and His Own Olympic Dreams". vice.com. Vice Media. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  4. ^ Shryack, Lincoln (March 12, 2016). "TCU's Baker Shatters NCAA Champs 60m Record With 6.47". flotrack.org. FloTrack. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Wyatt, Matt (June 8, 2017). "UH's Cameron Burrell breaks father Leroy's 100-meter dash school record". houstonchronicle.com. Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Cherry, Gene; Stutchbury, Greg (June 21, 2018). "Rodgers speeds to year's fastest 100 meters". reuters.com. Reuters. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c Grundy, William (June 9, 2018). "Houston Repeats NCAA 4x100 Title In 38.17 Collegiate Record!". milesplit.com. MileSplit. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Duarte, Joseph (June 8, 2018). "UH's Cameron Burrell wins 100-meter dash to earn first individual NCAA title". houstonchronicle.com. Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  9. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (June 21, 2017). "New U.S. men's sprint stars emerge after Olympics". nbcsports.com. NBC. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  10. ^ Men's 60 m Finals Archived August 14, 2021, at the Wayback Machine - 2014 NCAA D1 Indoor T&F Championship - March 14–15, 2014
  11. ^ Men's 4x100 Relay Finals Archived May 6, 2015, at the Wayback Machine - 2014 NCAA D1 Outdoor T&F Championships - June 11–14, 2014
  12. ^ 2016 NCAA D1 Indoor T&F Championships - Men's 60m Finals - March 12, 2016 Archived August 14, 2021, at the Wayback Machine TFRRS.
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  22. ^ Duarte, Joseph (August 13, 2021). "UH track star Cameron Burrell's death ruled a suicide". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  23. ^ "Carl Lewis' Track Star Godson Cameron Burrell's Death Ruled Suicide". TMZ. August 13, 2021. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
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  31. ^ "4 x 100 Metres Relay Men - Round 1" (PDF). iaaf.org. IAAF. May 12, 2019. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
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  38. ^ "2015 USATF Outdoor Championships - Results - Thursday". usatf.org. USATF. June 25, 2015. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  39. ^ "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field - Results". usatf.org. USATF. July 10, 2016. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
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  41. ^ "2018 USATF Championships - 6/21/2018 to 6/24/2018 - Drake Stadium - Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 24, 2018. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  42. ^ "2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships". usatf.org. USATF. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  43. ^ "CAMERON BURRELL HOUSTON". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
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