VCU hurdler Presten Augustin was named Most Outstanding Rookie by the Atlantic 10 on May 3 following the conclusion of the conference’s outdoor track and field championships. The award comes after Augustin delivered a strong performance at the championship meet, capping off what was described as a dominant freshman season.
Augustin earned two medals during the A-10 Championships: a gold in the 400-meter hurdles and a silver in the 110-meter hurdles. He set a personal record in the finals of the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 51.49 seconds, which is now ranked as the third best mark in VCU program history.
He becomes only the second athlete from VCU to win this honor since joining the Atlantic 10. The previous recipient from VCU was jumper Bashir Idris, who won after an impressive freshman year competing in both triple jump and long jump events. Idris concluded his collegiate career with six medals across those disciplines.
This latest recognition marks Augustin’s fifth overall A-10 award for this season. Earlier, he received Rookie of the Week honors once during indoor competition and three times during outdoor meets before being named Most Outstanding Rookie Performer. Over his freshman year, he collected three victories in outdoor meets—all coming from his specialty event, the 400-meter hurdles—and holds top-three all-time program marks for both hurdle distances.
Looking ahead to next season, Augustin is expected to continue building on his early success as he enters his sophomore year in 2027. In addition to individual events, he also contributed to relay teams by running with VCU’s squads for both the 4×100 meter relay at two meets and participating with their 4×400 team at three competitions.
