When we think of some of the greatest runners in Track & Field, legends like Allyson Felix, Natasha Hastings, and Florence-Griffith Joyner have made an impact on making a mark in history. Odell Frye aims to be one to continue to make an impact in the sport of Track and Field along with the legends. Since the 7th grade, Odell began her journey with Track at the age of 13 and would find herself falling in love with the sport in her junior year of high school. During her high school career at Waseca High School, Frye placed fifth and sixth respectively in both 100m and 200m at the 2019 MSHSL Class AA State Championships, finished eighth in the 200m at the 2018 MSHSL Class AA State Championships, and holds the ninth, eleventh, and twelfth-grade records in both the 100m and 200m events for Waseca High School. Odell’s success in Track & Field would lead her to become a four-time All-State, All-Conference, and All-Academic honoree. 

Frye would begin her collegiate career at Iowa Central Community College. During her time there at Iowa Central CC, Odell was named All-American six times as a result of finishing in the top ten in all the events she competed in. At the 2021 NJCAA Outdoor Division I National Championship, Frye finished third in the 100m, fifth in the 4x100m relay, and sixth in the 200m. Odell would also succeed in the 2021 NJCAA Indoor Division I National Championship as she competed and finished sixth in the 60m and twelfth in the 200m. After running for Iowa Central CC, Frye committed and signed with the University of Minnesota. Odell’s first year at Minnesota was a breakout season as she succeeded in both the Outdoor and Indoor Track & Field. In her debut for the Indoor Track Season, Frye posted the No. 3 time in the 60 me with 7.34, which led to winning silver at the Big Ten Championship and helping Minnesota win their second straight Big Ten Indoor Team Title. Odell continued her winning streak in Indoor Track Season as she won the Gopher Classic in the 60m, posted a lifetime best in the 200m at the Tyson Invite with a time of 24.55, and finished 18th at the Big Ten Indoor Championship in 200m with 24.65. With the Outdoor Track season approaching, Frye continued to dominate for Minnesota as she earned All-America Honors Mention in her first Outdoor Track season at the Division I level in the 4x100 relay, won the ASU Invitational in the 100m with 11.43, helped Minnesota qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championship by placing 11th at the NCAA West Regionals with a time of 44.37, scored for Minnesota in the 100m at the Big Ten Outdoor Championship by finishing 6th with a personal best time of 11.38 (which was the No.4 time in school history), and grabbed her second Big Ten silver medal by leading the Gophers (University of Minnesota) in the 4x100 relay at the Big Ten Outdoor Championship in Minneapolis finishing with a time of 44.36. With senior season happening, Odell continues to dominate on the track as she recently won the Jack Johnson 60m with a lifetime best of 7.31. Frye’s 7.31 would be the 20th fastest time in the country this season.

Balancing academics and athletics can be difficult. From study hall to watching films in preparation for a match, it has become second nature for student-athletes. Odell shares her experience of balancing both the classroom and running track by taking it one day at a time and not getting overwhelmed. “It’s not easy honestly because I would rather spend more time on my craft (Track and Field) than school, but it doesn’t work like that,” Frye states. Odell doesn’t let the academics stress her out as she turns in assignments early as she focuses on something that matches her vision. “When it comes to track, I really focus all my energy and effort because if were to look at it I see myself having a greater potential in making it farther in track and field, than in the workplace,” Frye explains. “I honestly do not see myself working in an office or anything. So that’s why it’s important for me to really focus on track because at least I see myself going somewhere in that.” Currently, Odell is majoring in Human Resources/Youth Studies at the University of Minnesota but sees herself continuing to be in the sports world by staying active in athletics and becoming a track and field coach in the future. 

Odell sees Track and Field continuing to grow in numbers every year as she sees many opportunities opening up for younger athletes including herself. “I see a turn in the future, especially after this season,” Frye states. “The knowledge, research, experiences, data, etc that are out there and are way more accessible is bringing more possibilities for younger athletes including myself to develop their speed and reach their max potential.” Odell visions herself going professional in Track and Field as she is driving towards that goal. “The higher I go, the more this vision becomes brighter,” Frye states. Odell emphasizes her enjoyment of the sport as she visions herself coaching high school track for a women’s team and even coaching at a university. 

The anticipation of the next level is unpredictable as anything can happen. At a college level, you have to master discipline and sometimes the things that you work on to fulfill your passion aren’t going to be easy, and expect the fact that sometimes it will hurt. For Frye, being strong-minded, self-disciplined, and coachable is a must in preparation for taking your talent and work to the next level. “Something I learned about Division I Track and Field and honestly, Division I sports, in general, is that talent isn’t enough anymore,” Odell states. Frye also explains how someone cannot lean on just talent at a level like Division I or higher. “It’s about dedication, consistency, skill, strength, sacrifices, and who wants it more, etc,” Odell emphasized. Even the little things such as recovery, eating well, and stretching really matter when it comes to taking your game to the next level. 

When it comes to inspiration, we often find ourselves citing someone that does the sport we play. For Odell, both God and herself are who she cites as her role models. In the aspect of life, Frye explains how God is her role model. “There is nobody else I would rather be like than Christ,” Odell states. On the other hand, Odell visions herself as a role model as she looks at the highest, most successful version of herself. “I look at the highest, most successful version of myself and continue to strive to be like her,” Frye exclaims. “Every day I get better and better.”

Odell’s journey exemplifies what it means to keep going in terms of going after your dreams. When asked what stands out from the rest, Frye responds with confidence: “From being homeschooled and being told I wasn’t smart enough to go to high school to having to go to a junior college because of my lack of high school credits, and now to finally making it to the top. I feel like with all the challenges that I faced, the real highlight of my story is God.” Frye has expressed that her faith in God has helped her throughout so many obstacles that she faced during her collegiate career. “I have so much faith and believe in Him (God). He stood beside me, in those dark days when I was confused when I wanted to quit when I had no friends and I thought I had no purpose, but he kept a great day. God was the only thing I was holding on to in junior college and He was all I had.” Frye sees the blessings ahead as her faith continues to show through her sport and in life.

To learn more about Odell and her story, be sure to follow her on Instagram: odell.frye