Two ASU track and field sprinters, freshman Jamar Marshall Jr. and senior Kentre Patterson, began their athletic careers with contrasting aspirations. But when their paths converged and were paired in the 60-meter hurdles at ASU, their chemistry was undeniable.
Marshall Jr. and Patterson were raised as dual-sport athletes, with both primarily focusing on football in their early lives. But each eventually traded their cleats for spikes and have broken one of ASU's records.
Patterson said he started playing football in fourth grade and has been running track since sixth grade. He played football as a wide receiver and ran indoor track and field at Illinois State University.
"Growing up, I was always one of the fastest, I could always jump the highest," Patterson said.
Marshall Jr. never thought he would be recruited, let alone for track and field after he focused mainly on training for football.
"Everyone painted in my head that football would be the way to go," Marshall Jr. said. "'You won't get money for track and field, there are no full-ride scholarships for it,' that's how we were raised."
The two eventually arrived at ASU as track and field athletes; Marshall Jr. came for the 2020-21 school year and Patterson transferred to ASU two years ago.
Patterson gave up football after arriving at ASU, saying he and a newly hired head coach at Illinois State "didn't really see eye to eye," which drove his decision to transfer. He has since then become a major contributor for ASU track and field, earning second-team All-America honors in the men's 60-meter hurdles on Sunday.
Marshall Jr. and Patterson are both coached by assistant coach Javonie Small, who paired the sprinters after seeing them at practice together.
READ MORE: ASU track and field captures 15 top-five finishes at Championships at the Peak
"They both work great together," Small said. "They feed off one another. You'll see, one meet, Jamar Marshall will win and the next, Patterson will win, and they're both just getting faster and faster together."
At the Texas Tech Shootout in February, both finished with a time of 7.76 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, a personal best at the time for Marshall Jr. in the qualifiers and a first-place finish for Patterson in the finals.
At the Championships at the Peak meet, Patterson and Marshall Jr. rewrote ASU's all-time record in the indoor men's 60-meter hurdles simultaneously; Patterson finished with a time of 7.66 seconds, passing the program's best time in the event, only for Marshall Jr. to improve that record with a finish of 7.59 seconds.
Patterson and Marshall Jr. frequently give each other guidance, communicating to "bounce ideas off each other," Patterson said. Given Patterson's experience in collegiate track compared to Marshall Jr., the connection is unique, as Patterson has learned from Marshall Jr. and vice versa.
"(Marshall Jr.'s) a really experienced hurdler, he's taught me a lot," Patterson said.
The pair not only run the 60-meter hurdles together but also compete as partners in the 60 meters, where they have nearly equal top times.
Marshall Jr.'s top time in the event is 6.92 seconds while Patterson's is 6.95, which were both earned at the Championships at the Peak meet.
"Going into competition, their relationship doesn't change," Small said. "You would think it's two people doing the same event, they're really encouraging to one another."
However, a difference between the pair arises with how each person views their broken records. Patterson described it as "exciting and a really fun time," but Marshall Jr. was cautiously optimistic.
Marshall Jr. believes track and field is not "all about the records." He said earning the 60-meter hurdles record was "a cool achievement, but I'm not going to over-celebrate it, but also not a lot has been done."
Patterson will be graduating after the outdoor season concludes, but Marshall Jr. hopes to "do a lot for ASU instead of just breaking its own records," such as winning an NCAA championship and preparing to compete for a spot on an Olympic roster in the future.
The pair recently competed in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 60-meter hurdles, however, both failed to qualify for the finals. Marshall Jr. did not finish after falling over a hurdle, and Patterson placed 12th.
"He's getting me better by me watching him, and I'm making him better by him watching me," Marshall Jr. said.
For now, the duo plans to continue to break records and set personal bests in their respective events, while remaining hurdles partners for the upcoming outdoor season.
Reach the reporter at lhertz@asu.edu and follow @laurenrachell_ on Twitter.
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