Dentarius Locke Interview: Locked and Loaded

By: Layne Herdt/Seminoles.com

On the heels of one of the finest sprint seasons in Florida State history, rising senior Dentarius Locke hopes to leave his mark on the world stage. Locke heads to Monaco this weekend, where he will join up with members of Team USA, who are training for the IAAF World Championships, set for August 10-18 in Moscow, Russia. As a junior, Locke posted the nation’s fastest legal time among collegians in the 100-meter dash (9.97), a mark that ranks No. 4 in the United States and tied for No. 7 in the World. The NCAA runner-up in the 100, Locke will try and earn a spot on the 4x100 relay team for the World Championships meet, where the US squad hopes to unseat powerhouse Jamaica.

Locke’s first season competing with the Seminoles was nothing short of sensational. He helped Florida State claim the ACC Outdoor Championship by winning the 100, finishing second in the 200 and contributing to the winning 4x100 relay. The Tampa native was named Most Valuable Track Performer of the meet and followed up by claiming ACC Most Valuable Performer for the season after earning All-American honors in both the 100 and 4x100 at the NCAA Championship meet in June. He reached the 100-meter finals at the USA Track & Field Championships, where he placed sixth to earn an invitation to join the relay pool for the World Championships.