In the midst of outdoor championships and following an incredible indoor and outdoor campaign, Kahleje “KJ” Tillmon has been awarded a full scholarship to Virginia Tech.
“From day one he’s listened to everything I want him to do and his marks have been off the charts on every test we’ve done,” Associate Head Coach Tim Vaught said. “I remember telling Coach Cianelli, ‘this kid looks really good. I think he’s going to do very well.’ To win an ACC title as a walk-on, I don’t think that’s ever happened in my career. For me that was pretty impressive. He’s gone from humble beginnings, and now he’s the best 200m man in the ACC.”
After claiming the ACC outdoor titles in both the 200m and the 4x100m relay, Tillmon has seen a meteoric rise at both the conference and national levels. From his first collegiate 200m time of 21.22 to his school record and ACC title-winning 200m of 20.41, Tillmon has made quick work of improving his times around the track.
In addition to his individual successes, the Tucker, Ga., native has been a stalwart on the Hokies’ sprint relays this year, running the opening legs of both the 4x100m and the 4x400m.
Tillmon’s season will roll on with the rest of the Hokies in Bloomington, Ind., next week as Tech athletes compete for berths in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. Tillmon looks to run the 100m and the 200m and lead off the 4x100m, now as a full-scholarship student-athlete.