Shaemar Uter Secures First Career Big 12 Athlete of the Week Honor for Texas Tech
The Big 12 league office made it official on Wednesday afternoon, February 11, 2026. Wondering what they made official? It is Texas Tech senior Shaemar Uter who has been named the Big 12 Men’s Athlete of the Week. For Uter, it is the first weekly honor of his collegiate career. For Texas Tech track and field, it is another reminder that the Red Raiders’ 400m legacy just keeps getting stronger.
Record-Breaking Performance by Texas Tech's Shaemar Uter
This milestone did not happen quietly. It came after a blazing performance on February 7 at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. That's where Uter opened his 400m season with a 45.54. That time lowered his previous school record of 45.59 and now stands as the fastest indoor 400m mark in Texas Tech history.
Shaemar Uter is your @Big12Conference Athlete of the Week 🫡 pic.twitter.com/v21Zuy9ue2
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) February 11, 2026
In short, he broke his own record and raised the standard again.
Uter’s 45.54 came in just his second competition appearance of the 2026 indoor season. Before Albuquerque, he competed at the Razorback Invitational in Arkansas, where he ran only the first leg of the 4x400 relay.
When he finally stepped into the open 400m, he wasted no time making history. His 45.54 now sits at No. 1 all-time at Texas Tech. He also owns the No. 2 time at 45.59 and the No. 3 time at 45.68 in program history. Overall, Uter holds eight of the top 10 indoor 400m marks ever recorded by a Red Raider.
That level of dominance is rare. It means that when fans look at the Texas Tech indoor record book for the 400m, Uter’s name appears again and again. His performance headlined the final day of competition at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic and secured his first career Big 12 Athlete of the Week honor.
A Strong Weekend for Texas Tech Track and Field
While Uter’s record-setting run stole the spotlight, he was far from the only Red Raider making noise in Albuquerque. Success Umukoro delivered a strong showing in the women’s 60m sprint, finishing second with a time of 7.16. That mark ranks No. 7 all-time on Texas Tech’s top-10 list, adding another historical entry for the program.
In the women’s 60m hurdles, Naomi Krebs also placed second overall with a time of 8.11. Her progression throughout the meet showed steady improvement. She clocked 8.21 in the prelims, 8.13 in the semifinal, and then 8.11 in the final to secure her runner-up finish.
The men’s pole vault squad competed well against elite competition. Sam Hurley led the group by clearing 5.45 m (17-10 ½) to finish second. Jackson Bragg cleared 5.30 m (17-4 ½), earning a sixth-place finish. Altogether, it was a weekend filled with high-level performances in Scarlet and Black.
Shaemar Uter’s Journey from Kingston to Texas Tech
Uter’s success in Lubbock builds on an already impressive international résumé.
In 2022, he earned a U20 silver medal as part of Jamaica’s 4x400 relay team, clocking a season-best 3:05.72. That same year, he captured the JAAA National U20 400m title and finished sixth in the U20 World Championships 400m race.
At Kingston College High School, Uter helped lead the Boys 4x400 team to a Championship of America title with a time of 3:09.52. That mark was more than two seconds ahead of the field and ranks as the seventh-fastest time in event history.
Since arriving at Texas Tech, he has steadily added to his résumé. In 2023, he competed in two indoor meets. During the 2023 outdoor season, he competed in two meets and placed first on the distance medley relay team at the Texas Relays, where the Red Raiders clocked 9:41.07 to claim the DMR championship.
Each year has brought growth. Each season has brought another step forward. The 45.54 in Albuquerque feels like the latest leap in a career that is still climbing.
Texas Tech returns home next Friday and Saturday to host the Jarvis Scott Invite at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock. The meet will serve as the final home competition before the Red Raiders head into championship season, with the Big 12 Indoor Championships approaching quickly.
For Shaemar Uter, the Big 12 Athlete of the Week honor marks a personal milestone. For Texas Tech track and field, it signals momentum at exactly the right time. Records are falling. National watchlists are filling with Red Raider names. And as championship season nears, Texas Tech looks ready to run, jump, and vault its way into even bigger conversations.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.