Freshman sprinter Octavious Freeman named C-USA’s Track and Field Athlete of the Week

Women's track and field coach Caryl Smith Gilbert says she likes to keep a level playing field with all of the athletes in her indoor program, currently ranked No. 6 in the nation.

When she signed freshman sprinter Octavious Freeman, that probably became just a bit more difficult.

Freeman finished her high school career at Lake Wales Senior High School ranked first in the nation in the 100m and 200m events. She has been featured by ESPN, recognized by USA Today, dubbed a future Olympian and has a Facebook fan page with nearly 2,000 followers.

Following her collegiate debut last weekend at the Virginia Tech Invitational, Freeman was named the Conference USA Women's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week, the first UCF freshman to do so in the season's opening week.

Still, at practice, Smith Gilbert finds opportunities to remind the highly sought-after recruit that she's just a freshman.

"Today I called her a ‘freshman.' I said, ‘You're not a big dog — you're a freshman,'" Smith Gilbert said. "She hates that."

Freeman agreed she's not too fond of the label. She also said that she loves the challenges presented to her on a daily basis by her coach.

"Every day is a challenge because she's always telling me something I can't do, and I'm always trying to prove her wrong," Freeman said. "It's a challenge every practice. She wants you to do your best so when you get to the meets you won't have any problems."

One might think that the athlete and coach have been working together for years by how they talk, but Freeman is only in her second semester at UCF. The instant chemistry between the two played a key role when Freeman, arguably the top women's track recruit in the country last year, decided on UCF.

"First I [narrowed my choices] down to Florida, because I'm not good with cold weather," Freeman said. "Then it came down to who was the best coach … and coach Caryl, we do the same type of training, and she's a good coach."

Smith Gilbert's inclination to push Freeman is a large part of why the sprinter has gotten off to a good start in Orlando. Another reason may be Freeman's down-to-earth nature. Despite constant recognition, Freeman maintains an approachable personality, and her contributions to the team go beyond the times she posts.

"Octavious is the kid who comes to practice every day and gives me a hug, regardless of if she was mad at me the day before," Smith Gilbert said. "She's the kid who says ‘Hello' to her teammates. She's the kid who wants everybody to do well. She's the kid who went out on a limb to come here to help the team."

For anyone familiar with Freeman's achievements, a four-year state champion in high school, it may be hard to believe an athlete already so accomplished is also humble. Smith Gilbert said such an assumption would be a mistake.

"She's a very, very nice person," Smith Gilbert said. "I think a lot of people around kind of have a wrong impression of her … because she's one of the best kids with the best personalities you'll ever meet."

Smith Gilbert also hopes Freeman is a trendsetter. The women's track and field team is already one of the more successful programs at UCF, but Smith Gilbert hopes that more elite high school runners will see Freeman's signing to come run for the Knights as a sign that good things are happening on campus.

"Anytime you get blue-chip recruits that want to come be a part of your program, it means that you've shown them that something is going right," Smith Gilbert said. "I think the culture has changed [at UCF]. … I think everyone's just upping the game."

This past weekend, Freeman posted the fastest 60-meter time in the country, clocking a 7.27 time and finishing first at the event. She fell just .04 shy of automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships and is one of three freshmen in the country leading the nation in their respective events.

Despite the success in her first collegiate event, or the success her career has experienced in general, Freeman finds ways to stay motivated.

"There is always room for improvement in my whole race; it's just something you have to work on each and every single day," Freeman said. "I'm a very determined person. If somebody tells me I can't do something, I'm motivated to do it."