Sophomore track and field star Cameron Attucks helped DePaul’s men’s team finish second in the Big East indoor championships. Breaking records along the way, Attucks set a new bar for the standard of success within the program. With the team now heading into the outdoor season, Attucks still has a lot more to display on the track with the goal of improving on his big performance — and he is ready for the challenge.

Attucks’ love for track is built on competition. Growing up, he played the sport alongside football and discovered his love for competition and beating personal records. This passion drove him to commit to track full time and it has paid dividends since his arrival at DePaul.

“Talking to Cameron, I realized he’s someone that I want to work with,” assistant coach Stephanie Williams said regarding Attucks’ recruitment to DePaul. “He’s very straightforward, but he puts in the work.”

Attucks’ work ethic has been evident throughout his collegiate career, but he did face some setbacks due to injuries. Last season, he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for a little over a month during the outdoor season.

“I hate having injuries,” Attucks said. “I hate being out and not being able to run.”

Attucks’ inability to perform drove him to improve his health. His focus throughout the offseason was set on taking care of his body to get the times he wanted on the track.

“This year mostly I have been focused on taking care of my body,” Attucks said. “I want to stay healthy so that I can compete and be able to run the times that I want to run.”

Coming into this season, he was able to capitalize on the work he put in on a high note, leading the way with a 6.88 time in the 60-meter dash. His time led DePaul to first place in the event at the Big East Indoor Track and Field Championship, sweeping the event with his teammates freshman Dominic Cole and sophomore Myles Marshall finishing in the top five.

Senior Ashton Coliare witnessed Attucks’ historic event. He admitted that he had discussions with Attucks and other teammates about making the idea of a clean sweep in the sprinter events a reality. The ideal scenario did not come to fruition, but Colaire knew right off the bat Attucks had the race in his hands.

“After Attucks got off the blocks, I was like, ‘He’s done, he has it,’” Colaire said. “‘It’s all over’. I was excited.”

Winning first place was exciting, but for Attucks, this degree of success is just part of the job.

“[Winning the event] was not a surprise,” Attucks said. “We just needed to go out and execute. Preparing for it we put the work in practice, stay patient, and trust the process.”

Outdoor season is now approaching, and there are expectations within DePaul’s program that Attucks can take his game to the next level. One of those expectations is by breaking the 100-meter dash record, which was set by Kyle Mastrangeli last season with a 10.38 time. Williams believes that it is possible due to Attucks’ improvements from last season in the leadership department.

“The main difference I see between this year and last year is that Attucks is more vocal,” Williams said. “I stress communication with all of my athletes, and I feel like he is already bought in. The level of communication and feedback has increased.”

Attucks is known to be a quiet guy. When Colaire met him, he acknowledged his relation to Attuck’s personality as someone who is soft-spoken. . But Colaire is glad that Attucks is starting to come  out of his shell.

“When I first met him, people did not see the value and the other good characteristics that he brings to the table,” Colaire said. “He was so quiet, but now he is starting to vocalize more. Having this focus around and about him is unappreciated because no one sees it.”

There’s another reason people believe Attucks has a unique chance to set a new 100-meter record: his focus.

“He just comes in and handles business,” Williams said. “He just does what he needs to do. He’s very easy to work with but definitely always focused on the task at hand, whether it is the workouts or the meet. He just knows what he needs to do.”

Attucks is prepared to take on the challenge of breaking the 100-meter dash record, but at the same time he is centered on the team’s success, expecting the team to continue its efforts from indoor season and carry it over to outdoor season.

“I just have to keep going,” Attucks said. “Use that energy and momentum that we had from indoor [season] to keep it going with outdoor season. Achieve not just the same result, but better.”