Kentucky's Carli Makarawu beat a former Wildcat WR to win 200m NCAA title

Anyone can win a national title, but it takes someone special to win two national titles in the same year. Yet, that’s exactly what Kentucky sprinting superstar, Carli Makarawu, did on Friday. Makarawu already has an indoor title in the 200-meter dash under his belt this season, but in case there was any doubt, he won the outdoor championship as well.

Makarawu posted a personal best of 19.84 seconds in the victory, and did so from the outermost lane 9 after not maxing out his speed in the prelims. Not only was that time good for a personal best, an NCAA title, and the 7th-best in collegiate history, it also broke the Zimbabwe national record. In fact, it was Zimbabwean podium domination as his fellow countryman, Makanakaishe Charamba from Auburn, finished second.

Men's 200m National Champion

🏆 Carli Makarawu of @KentuckyTrack
📊 19.84#NCAATF x 🎥 ESPN pic.twitter.com/uHaUcISurR

— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) June 14, 2025

To make a great story even better, Makarawu beat a former Kentucky football player in the process. Jordan Anthony, who had already won the 100-meter championship earlier in the day (from lane 9 as well), came in 4th behind Makarawu.

Anthony only played in two games under Mark Stoops during his freshman year in 2022 before transferring to Texas A&M, where he had three catches in four appearances in his sophomore year. Anthony then pulled a Calipari and moved to Arkansas and logged time in all 12 games for the Hogs as a junior last season, catching eight passes for 111 yards.

Respectfully, Anthony may want to stick to track. Then again, as long as Kentucky’s Carli Makarawu is around, he may have to get used to finishing behind the two-time national title winner in the 200m.

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