Tobe Obochi ’24 is a national champion across multiple distances
PHOTO: ANDY MEAD
For Tobe Obochi ’24, a national champion in the swimming event, all the miles swum in practice come down to a 20-second sprint. “It’s sheer will,” Obochi says, “just willing your arms and your legs to get you to the wall faster than everyone else.
“When you hit the wall, you have no clue who won, until you look at the board,” he says. “In the 100, you know if you’re ahead or behind. But in the 50, you can’t really see anyone. You just spin, touch the wall, turn around. And then you win or lose, by margins of 100ths of a second.”
With his victory in the 50-yard freestyle at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, in March, the recent graduate in computer science and engineering from Highland Park, Illinois, won the second individual national title of his college career and his fourth title overall.
A 19-time All-American who previously won Division III national championships in the 100-yard freestyle, 400-yard freestyle relay, and 200-yard freestyle relay in 2022, Obochi contributed to a notable harvest of NCAA national titles by MIT student-athletes in the 2023–2024 academic year.
MIT varsity athletes won NCAA Division III national championships in eight individual and relay events this past year, including:
- Alexis Boykin ’25, Women’s Track and Field, in shot put and weight throw (indoors) and shot put and hammer throw (outdoors)
- Jackson Bliey ’26, Men’s Outdoor Track and Field, in the high jump
- Kate Augustyn ’25, Women’s Swimming and Diving, in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke
- Augustyn, Edenna Chen ’24, Annika Naveen ’26, and Ella Roberson ’27, Women’s Swimming and Diving, in the 200-yard medley relay
“Our student-athletes exemplify the fact that high performance and success in athletics and high performance and success in academics are not mutually exclusive,” says MIT athletic director G. Anthony Grant.
“The same level of dedication our student-athletes put forward in the classroom is exemplified in their particular sports,” he says. “The skills honed in varsity athletics complement MIT’s academic rigor. It’s a ‘yes and’ proposition, not an ‘either or.’”
With 33 varsity sports, MIT provides the most intercollegiate offerings of any NCAA Division III institution.
At the close of the 2023–2024 academic year, MIT finished seventh in the Division III standings for the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which recognizes excellence in athletic departments, with points awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships.
MIT’s varsity teams have won 26 national championships since 1925. Sailing has the most, with 13. Most recently, NCAA Division III titles were won by Men’s Outdoor Track and Field in 2023 and Men’s Cross-Country in 2022.
MIT’s first NCAA title was won by track athlete Henry Steinbrenner 1927 in the 220-meter hurdles. Since 1927, MIT varsity athletes have won 72 individual and relay national championships.
Boykin, who came within one centimeter of adding a national championship in the discus to her titles in shot put and hammer throw at the NCAA Division III nationals in May, compares unleashing a winning throw to acing an exam.
“It’s like when you take a test and just know you’re writing all the right answers,” she says. “You’re putting in all your effort, and you know you’re going to get the payout.”
Renewed Sports Performance Center Benefits All Students
Spaces that promote health and wellness are critical to the Institute’s goal of supporting students in every aspect of their lives at MIT. With the help of MIT alumni and friends, the Sports Performance Center in the DuPont Athletic Building (W31) underwent a major renovation, recently reopening with triple the previous space and vastly improved facilities.
The center now provides ample open space for teams to train together, offering shock-absorbing floors, new equipment, and a turf sprinting area. The educational space was upgraded to include a flexible workspace for instructors to review lesson plans as well as private offices for meetings with students.
“Providing appropriate resources is an essential component of our student-athletes’ training programs,” says G. Anthony Grant, MIT’s athletic director and head of the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation (DAPER), noting that modernized and fully equipped training areas increase athletes’ competitive performance and reduce injuries. “The expansion of the sports performance facility has better positioned DAPER to meet the needs of our student-athletes as well as expanding training and teaching opportunities for the broader student population.”