The 2021 Bowerman Award winner, Athing Mu, is the youngest woman to win Olympic and World titles before the age of 20. With a time of 1:23.57 in the indoor 600 meters in 2019, 16-year-old Mu broke the world U20 record and set the third fastest indoor record ever. She was born on June 8, 2002.
Mu became the first American woman to win an 800-meter event at the 2022 Eugene World Championship and bronze at the 2023 Budapest World Championship. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she also won gold in the 800-meter event and the 4x400 relay, marking the first time in 53 years that a woman had won an Olympic gold medal in that discipline.
What college did Athing Mu go to?
Athing Mu attended Texas A&M University, but she dropped out of college three years early and turned professional in the mid-2021.
Mu made history in 2021 during her one and only season at Texas A&M. Six all-time collegiate records were set by the rookie, who also set 11 all-time top-12 marks. She also holds the individual collegiate records for the indoor 600 meters (1:25.80), indoor 800 meters (1:58.40), outdoor 400 meters (49.57), and outdoor 800 meters (1:57.73).
She was a three-time NCAA champion in the 400-meter outdoor event and a member of the winning 4x400-meter relay team in both the indoor and outdoor events when she concluded her season as a four-time First Team All-American. During the NCAA Championships, she scored 12.5 points indoors and 12.5 outdoors. The speedster also won the three SEC titles in the 4x400m , outdoor 400m, and indoor 800m.
Athing Mu’s college achievements are as follows:
| Year | Event | Perfor. | Date | Achievements |
| 2019 | Indoor 600m | 1:23.57 | 2/24/19 | American Record |
| 2021 | Outdoor 800m | 1:55.04 | 8/21/21 | American Record, U-20 Record, #1 |
| 2021 | U-20 Indoor 800m | 1:58.40 | 2/27/21 | American Record |
| 2021 | U-20 Outdoor 400m | 49.57 | 6/12/21 | American Record, #1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU |
| 2021 | Outdoor 4x400m | 3:22.34 | 6/12/21 | #1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU, First Team AA |
| 2021 | Indoor 600m | 1:25.80 | 1/23/21 | #1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU |
| 2021 | Indoor 800m | 1:58.40 | 2/25/21 | #1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU, First Team AA |
| 2021 | Indoor 4x400m | 3:26.27 | 2/13/21 | #1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU |
| 2021 | Outdoor 800m | 1:57.73 | 4/17/21 | #1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU |
| 2021 | Outdoor 400m | 49.68 | 5/29/21 | #2 Collegiate |
| 2021 | Indoor 400m | 50.52 | 2/6/21 | #4 Collegiate, #1 TAMU |
| 2021 | Outdoor 400m | 49.84 | 5/13/21 | #5 Collegiate |
| 2021 | Indoor 800m | 2:01.07 | 1/16/21 | #7 Collegiate |
| 2021 | Outdoor 400m | 50.04 | 5/12/21 | #8 Collegiate |
| 2021 | Outdoor 1500m | 4:16.06 | 4/3/21 | #1 TAMU |
| 2021 | Indoor 4x400m | 3:26.68 | 3/13/21 | #2 TAMU |
| 2021 | Outdoor 4x400m | 3:25.84 | 3/29/21 | #3 TAMU |
| 2021 | Outdoor 4x400m | 3:26.73 | 4/10/21 | #4 TAMU |
| 2021 | Outdoor 400m | 49.57 | 6/12/21 | First Team All-American |
| 2021 | Indoor 400m | 51.03 | 2/6/21 | First Team All-American |
| 2021 | Indoor 4x400m | 3:26.68 | 2/13/21 | First Team All-American |
| 2021 | Outdoor 400m | 49.68 | 5/29/21 | NCAA Outdoor West Regionals, 1st |
| 2021 | Outdoor 4x400m | 3:25.84 | 5/29/21 | NCAA Outdoor West Regionals, 1st |
| 2021 | Outdoor 400m | 49.84 | 5/13/21 | SEC All-Conference, 1st |
| 2021 | Outdoor 4x400m | 3:26.17 | 5/13/21 | SEC All-Conference, 1st |
| 2021 | Indoor 800m | 1:58.40 | 2/27/21 | SEC All-Conference, 1st |
Where did Athing Mu go to school?
Athing Mu went to Trenton Central High School, graduating in 2020. However, she did not take part in athletics at her school but rather at the Trenton Track Club. She was trained by Alfonso Jennings.
Track and Field News named Mu the 2020 National High School Indoor Athlete of the Year, ranking him as the top recruit of the 2020 class. She won the USATF Indoor Championship in 2019 with a time of 1:23.57, the second-fastest indoor 600-meter mark in history.
Mu won the 800m titles at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships (2:05.59) and U20 Pan-American Championships (2:05.50) in the 2019 before placing fourth in the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a personal best time of 2:01.17.
Mu’s personal best’s at the Trenton Track Club is as follows:
| Event | Performance |
| 200m | 23.63 |
| 400m | 51.98 |
| 600m | 1:23.57 |
| 800m | 2:01.17 |
| 1500m | 4:33.04 |
FAQ's On Athing Mu College
A. Athing Mu attended Texas A&M University but left early to turn professional in mid-2021.
A. Athing Mu graduated from Trenton Central High School in 2020 but trained with the Trenton Track Club.
A. Yes, Athing Mu won the 2021 Bowerman Award.
A. Athing Mu won gold in the 800m and the 4x400m relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
A. Athing Mu’s personal best in the 800 meters is 1:54.97, set on September 17, 2023, at Hayward Field, Eugene.
