After winning the USA Indoor 60-meter dash, D’Angelo Cherry won the event at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 6.54 seconds. Cherry was named the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Athlete of the Week after his performance at the USA Indoors.
Cherry has decided to forgo the outdoor track and field season to focus on finding a sponsor and relays later this spring.
Q: How did it feel winning the national title and achieving your record setting time?
A: I wasn’t really surprised by the win because, when I looked at the entry list going into the finals and the actual meet, the depth and talent that was there hadn’t been as deep as in 2012. I was pretty confident I could win it, but the time shocked me. I wasn’t expecting around 6.49 (in the 100 meters). The time shocked me more than anything. The win was just a win to me. I don’t really worry about a win as long as I know I am getting faster and progressing. That’s what really matters to me.
 
Q:What are you doing right now since your career at Mississippi State has finished?
A: I’m currently talking with my agent, and we’re reaching out to the shoe companies and others who would sponsor me. Down the road, I plan on trying out for the World Outdoor Championships. I think that’s an event I can definitely see myself in, and I’m trying to get prepared to try out for the Drake Relays and Texas Relays this spring.
 
Q:Who’s been the most important person to you while you’ve been at MSU?
A:Of course, Coach Dudley because he recruited me out of Jonesboro, Ga. I’m originally from Biloxi, Miss.  I had been there (Jonesboro) for several years, and I had a former teammate in Justin Christian that told Coach Dudley about me. He (Dudley) showed me what classes I needed to take in order to get into MSU.  If it wasn’t for Coach Dudley, I wouldn’t be at Mississippi State. Dudley is like a father to me; he’s a father figure.
 
Q:What did you do to improve times?
A:I do what other runners do.  You do your block work in your 20, 30 and 50. You do your endurance work that includes your 150, 250 and 300s because you have to get stronger. For me personally, right now I have the speed just not the endurance, so I did a lot of endurance work on the offseason to get a lot stronger so I can do what I do now.
 
Q:Do you have any advice to high school runners who have seen what you have done so far in your career?
A:The best advice I will give them is to never give up on your dreams, and if it’s your passion, then you should do it. I only ran track three years out of high school, and then I got to college, and I had a fantastic freshman year. From 2011 to 2012, I stayed hurt and injured. My best advice is to never give up because it took me three years to get back where I am right now. If it’s something you love to do, then don’t give up on it, and don’t let anyone deter you from doing what you love to do.
 
Q: What’s been your favorite part about your college career?
A:My favorite part has probably been traveling. Before I started running track, I never went anywhere or got to travel. When I started running track, we went to different states such as Texas and New York. When I was part of the U.S. Junior Olympics team in 2009, we went to Trinidad. The traveling and getting to go to different places has been my favorite part. There’s not too many people who have gotten that opportunity.
 
Q:Have you had a lot more exposure this year?
A:Yes, because I won for the U.S. Junior Team and Nationals. They told me I’m the first man to win the USA endurance title for college and then win the Nationals. In 2009, I was running very well, but I fell out after those injuries. Although people still knew I had it, they were just waiting for me to come back like I did this year.