Ogbonna, ranked second in the Ivies in the 60-meter hurdles, was soon to compete in the finals. But the national anthem had to be sung, and the gospel choir was to perform at noon, a mere 25 minutes before his race. The baritone made no fuss about his impending race, joining the choir and singing the anthem shortly before stepping into the blocks and winning the Ivy League title.
Ogbonna is a fierce competitor when it comes to pushing himself athletically, but he also takes the time to be involved outside of his own competition. He is well-respected by his peers for his constant support and endearing personality, something his teammates recognized when they voted him a captain for this year's track season.
David Jiles '06, Ogbonna's roommate for his freshman and sophomore years, puts it best: "Ikechi is probably as kind hearted and sensitive as it gets. He cares a lot about the feelings and well being of those around him, and because of this, people can't help but want to be his friend and be around him all the time. When I see him run, sing and play football, he gives everything within himself to be part of the team while not decreasing any of the standards he has set for himself."
Being a varsity athlete is certainly a large time commitment, and for a two-sport athlete competing year-round, there is little down time.
But Ogbonna doesn't mind.
"It's not so bad. I mean, football season is rough since we have such a long preseason, [but] when it comes to track season, it's definitely not as bad as football. I'd be working out regardless."
In addition to his success as an athlete, Ogbonna has been a proud member of Dartmouth's gospel choir since his freshman year, which he contributes to with his voice and his character.
"[Ogbonna] puts the same amount of commitment and dedication into everything he does," said friend and fellow gospel singer Jessica Rawlins '07, "even if that means sitting through long and intense choir rehearsals after coming from a tough practice or workout, only to then burn the midnight oil doing his academic work.
"Not only does he contribute his vocal talents to the group, but his easy-going personality blends wonderfully into the familial dynamic of the choir and reaches out to every member."
An English major and African-American Studies minor, the senior is interested in entering the business world and pursuing a career in marketing. He's had internships working in marketing for the NFL Network and Sports Illustrated On Campus, experiences that should serve him well upon graduation.
Additionally, he is involved in the Afro-American Society and will be performing in "Life and Legacy: A Tribute to August Wilson" this Monday and Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., in the Moore Theatre.
His ability to compete in two sports is notable for the fact that Ogbonna walked on to both teams, initially planning to only play football but deciding after the fall to come out for track -- a decision from which the track team has greatly benefited. Entering the indoor season this year, he held the 60-meter dash record (6.90 seconds), 4x100-meter record (40.97 seconds) and was seventh all-time in the 100-meter dash (10.92 seconds).
Ogbonna seems well positioned to continue his string of successes on the track this year. His 60-meter hurdles win at Heps set a meet and school record in 7.93 seconds and capped off a strong indoor season.
His achievements in the high hurdles are even more remarkable given his height -- Ikechi is listed at 5'7" on the Dartmouth Athletics website. Such short stature is typically considered prohibitive at the college level, particularly in the 42" high hurdles, and Ikechi was indeed withheld from competing in the hurdles for most of his collegiate career.
Now that he's hurdling again, though, he's greatly bolstered the track team's sprinting corps.
The Bronx native was an athlete of exceptional ability in high school, competing in the Junior Olympics and being ranked among the top 50 hurdlers nationally for 17- and 18-year olds in 2002. In addition, he led Horace Mann High School's football team to a league championship in 2001.
Ogbonna is possessed with an intense drive to constantly improve himself. As Jiles puts it, he always goes out with the goal of bettering his best, and he has consistently succeeded in doing so.
Ogbonna credits his parents for giving him his drive to succeed.
"They always expected the best out of me," he said, and he has indeed lived up to expectations.
