After a lower back strain ended his final collegiate season prematurely, Edward Cheserek signed with an agent, Total Sports US, on Wednesday to take his first step into the world of professional running.
We’re excited to announce the signing of former University of Oregon star & 17-time NCAA Champion Edward Cheserek! #TheKing #GOAT #Total2017 pic.twitter.com/5XvJyITgB0
— Total Sports US (@totalsportsus) May 31, 2017
Some notable athletes Total Sports US represents are Eugene-based Oregon Track Club Elite athletes Ben Blankenship and Hassan Mead, along with former OTC member Nick Symmonds.
The agent is responsible for helping Cheserek to negotiate sponsorships and source out elite training groups should he decide to leave his current coach Andy Powell. The last Oregon distance runner to remain in the state to pursue a professional career was Eric Jenkins, Cheserek’s former teammate who represents the Portland-based Nike Oregon Project.
Cheserek leaves Oregon with a total of 17 NCAA titles, the highest amassed by any collegiate runner across cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. Last indoor season, he wrote himself into the college record books for the first time as he set the indoor mile record of 3 minutes, 52.01 seconds.
The senior also appears on Oregon’s top-10 all-time list for seven events. Six of them are individual events that are 1,500 meters and above, and one is the indoor DMR.
Cheserek’s last collegiate race was the 10,000 meters at the Pac-12 Championships which he won before he scratched from the 5,000 meters the following day.
Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said that Cheserek might compete in one of the Diamond League meets in the summer when he graduates.
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