Former NCAA track and field champion Cameron Burrell has died at 26



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Cameron Burrell of the Houston Cougars celebrates after winning the 4x100-meter relay during the Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Hayward Field on June 8, 2018 in Eugene, Oregon.  (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Cameron Burrell was an NCAA 100-meter champion. (Photos by Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA via Getty Images)

Former NCAA track and field champion and son of two Olympic gold medalists, Cameron Burrell, has died aged 26.

Burrell was the 2018 NCAA 100-meter champion for the University of Houston. He anchored the Houston 4×100 relay team which also won an NCAA championship that year. The university announced his death on Tuesday with a statement from his father Leroy Burrell.

“My family is extremely saddened by the loss of our son, Cameron, last night,” the statement said. “We go through a deep sadness and ask all of our friends, extended family at the University of Houston and the athletics community in the United States and abroad to allow us to reunite with our family and our closest friends. We are deeply grieved and thank everyone for the outpouring of prayers and support. We will pass on more information as it becomes available. “

The cause of death has not been revealed.

Son of Olympic gold medalists, godson of Carl Lewis

Burrell’s parents, Leroy and Michelle Finn-Burrell, both won gold medals at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Leroy won gold in the 4×100 team alongside Michael Marsh, Dennis Mitchell and Carl Lewis who set a world record of 37.40. Michelle won a gold medal in the women’s 4×100 relay that summer.

Leroy raced in Houston and has been the team’s track coach for 23 years. Lewis, who also raced in Houston, was Burrell’s godfather and is a staff assistant to Leroy.

Burrell broke his father’s school record in the 100 meters in 0.01 seconds with a time of 9.93 seconds in 2017. He was three times All-American in the 60 and 100 meters and was named All- twice. American as a member of the 4×100 relay team.

He won gold as a member of the US 4×100 relay team at the World Junior Championships in 2012. Six years later, he won gold for the US team in the 4×100 at the World Cup athletics 2018. He won silver in the same event at the 2019 world relays.

In addition to his parents, Burrell is survived by his brothers, Joshua and Jaden Burrell.

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