Saw this one on Track and Field News today. There's a pic of him, his hair is practically white.
Marek Niit had no misgivings about crossing a continent and an ocean. Trading the comfort and familiarity of home for the uncertainty of a foreign land might deter some, but Arkansas' freshman sprinter is always game for new experiences.
His journey to Fayetteville wasn't the Estonian's first inclination toward wanderlust. Niit, 21, left his home island in the Baltic Sea as a teenager to attend school in the Estonian capital of Tallinn. The hustle and bustle of the metropolis of more than half-a-million people was a dramatic departure from the placid environs of his home town.
"I've always taken those leaps," said Niit, the current Estonian record holder in the 200 meters. "... In the capital, it's like a miniature New York. It's different. There's big buildings and the traffic is messed up. That was the biggest leap I had done at the time."
Relocating to Fayetteville proved to be an even bigger leap. The four-hour trip from the Baltic to Tallinn paled when compared to the transcontinental journey that sent him to Arkansas, where he's thousands of miles from home and family.
Niit said he's given to bouts of homesickness, but he doesn't dwell on it. He'll make a return visit to Estonia this summer to see his mother Anu, an artisan and yoga instructor, his father Vello, an itinerant businessman, and his younger brother Sander.
"I miss home, but I can deal with it," Niit said. "... There's always something different between the states and back in Europe, but I can be accustom to the differences pretty fast."
His only window into Arkansas was fellow Estonian Jaanus Uudamea. The former All-American triple jumper for the Razorbacks convinced the Arkansas coaching staff to recruit Niit.
It wasn't a hard sale. Niit came to prominence on the international stage after winning the 200 meters at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China. The win made him a household name in trackand-field circles at home and abroad. Setting the Estonian record in the 200 meters (20.69) further burnished his reputation, but Niit said he's slowly regaining his anonymity.
"[The junior championship] was the climax of my career so far," he said. "It was my first worldwide competition. After the Beijing win, I was known worldwide. I'm getting back to normal again, because I haven't made any fast runs in a while."
Niit will try to change that this weekend at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship in Louisville, Ky. He'll compete in the 200 meters and comprise one fourth of Arkansas' 4X100-meter relay team. A top-five finish in either event will qualify him for the national meet next month at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville.
Despite Niit's international renown, Razorback head coach Chris Bucknam said the freshman sprinter lacks seasoning. He ran the 200 meters in open competition for the first time this season at the SEC Outdoor Championship.
"He's a talent," Bucknam said. "There's no question about it. We think he's going to be a bright star for us in the future. Right now he's a freshman trying to figure things out."
Bucknam said Niit's range is one of his best assets. While his strength is the 200, he flashed his versatility at the SEC Meet, where he ran a 45-second split in the 4X400-meter relay.
To Niit, the difference between 200 and 400 meters is negligible. Distance isn't an obstacle for those willing to take a leap.
