As kids, running and jumping were two of the simpler things we enjoyed in life.

For Christian Awah of Willow Springs, Ill., those are the exact types of things he is called to do as a standout freshman hurdler on the Ashford University men's track and field team -- a role he has learned to thrive and relish in.

In less than a year, Awah is already a three-time qualifier for the NAIA national track and field meets, re-writing the school's record books in the process by taking ownership of four new program marks. In the fall, Awah competed in the 55-meter hurdles at the NAIA Indoor Championships and has shifted his focus to the NAIA outdoor edition, where he recent provisionally qualified in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles.

"The season is going really well and I've hit my hot streak at the right time," said Awah. "Hopefully, this will all carry on and I'll be running theses times when we go to nationals. It all comes down to getting a better start and running a better race early on because I've been ending events very well."

Maybe the most impressive fact about Awah, also the defending Midwest Collegiate Conference Indoor Champion in the 55-meter hurdles and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay, is that he has only been competing in track for five years.

At Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Ill., Awah joined the track team during his freshman year, but had early aspirations of becoming a star football player. Injuries would derail his high school dream, his focus turned to blazing on the track.

During the summer heading into his junior year of high school, Awah joined a local track and field club, the Chicagoland Zephyrs. Coached by Patrice Wilson, Awah joined a roster full of talent.

"I knew joining the Zephyrs would help me improve," said Awah, who is widely known among his teammates as Ed. "Most of the guys that were on the team were all-state performers and I figured if they were in the club than it would definitely help me out."

The experience definitely paid off as Awah earned numerous accolades for his performances on the track during his junior year. An all-conference selection in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, Awah earned a third all-league nod as member of the Lions' 4x400-meter relay team.

Only a few months later did Awah realize that he wanted to continue to compete in track after his days at Lyons Township came to a close.

"It was during the indoor season of my senior year that I realized I had gotten a lot better and started looking at colleges," Awah said.

Awah would go on to earn repeat all-conference recognition in his hurdles events from the West Suburban Conference during his senior year, but was also named to the All-Area and All-Sectional teams.

When he stepped onto the track at Eastern Illinois University for the 2009 IHSA State Finals in the 110-meter hurdles, Awah placed ninth among the state's most elite hurdlers, earning him all-state status.

Off the track, Awah, who majors in Biology with a minor in chemistry, has even high aspirations for his career post-Ashford by planning on attending medical school.

An athlete that Ashford Head Coach Chris Adams calls, "easily the quietest kid on the team," Awah is still a leader on a young track and field roster.

Not because he'll tell others however, but because he'll show others.

"It's one of those things that he leads by example because he isn't the ‘rah-rah' guy, but if I tell someone they need to compete with Ed in practice or watch how is doing a drill, they'll do it because they know he is doing it right," Adams said.

The no-nonsense mentality makes Awah one of the premier hurdles in the MCC and within the NAIA. As for future goals, Awah has a new set already written down.

"My goal for the rest of this season is to advance to the semifinals at nationals," said Awah. "After that, I want to become an All-American for the rest of my career."

If history indeed repeats itself, it won't be long before Awah scratches those goals off his list either.