By Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Kevin Arthur is no stranger to figuring out how to thrive in new situations.

When the Saint John's University junior was just 9, he left his mother's home in Ghana to live with his father and stepmother in Italy in search of a better education. 

Then, at 15, he moved with his family to the U.S. His father Frederick got a job at Boston Scientific in Maple Grove, and Kevin became a three-sport athlete (soccer, wrestling, track and field) at Champlin Park High School.

As a junior there – already looking create the best possible future path for himself – he enlisted in the Army Reserve. He completed basic training after graduation in the spring of 2019 and didn't enroll at SJU until the semester break in January 2020.

"I've experienced a lot of different cultures and environments," he said. "But I feel like that's a big part of what's made me who I am today – the ability to adjust to different situations and places. Having to learn new languages, and getting to know all new people, was kind of intense. But I got through it, and it gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to handle whatever comes next."

That's certainly held true during his time at SJU. 

He appeared in 16 games for the Johnnie soccer team last fall. But it's on the track where he has truly made his mark.  As a sophomore last spring, he advanced to the NCAA Division III outdoor national meet in both the 100-meter dash and as part of SJU's 4x100 relay (which finished fourth).

Now he's off to a strong start this season as well. At the Hamline Invitational on April 2 in St. Paul, he won both the 100 and 200 – the latter event in a time of 21.50 seconds, shattering a 54-year-old school record set by then-senior All-American Dave Lamm in 1968 (21.3 handheld, 21.54 converted).

Both that time and his time in the 100 (10.67) rank him among the top 15 in all of Division III in those events this spring, and he was named MIAC men's track and field athlete of the week for his efforts.

He followed that by again winning both the 100 (10.89) and 200 (21.97) at the Saint John's Invitational last weekend (April 9) in Clemens Stadium.

"He's just gotten a lot more confident," SJU head coach Jeremy Karger-Gatzow said. "He's such a hard worker. He's always trained hard and put his full effort into everything he's done. But I think toward the end of last year, you saw something click. 

"He started to realize how good he could really be."

That success did come as a surprise to Arthur, who entered SJU expecting soccer to be his top sport.

"I've been playing soccer since I was 6 and I still love the sport," Arthur said. "I honestly looked at track as a way of keeping myself in shape for soccer in the offseason. I didn't have high expectations. I thought of myself as being a pretty average sprinter really."

But that self-perception began to melt away at the Last-Chance Qualifier held last May at Wisconsin-La Crosse. The meet gives athletes one last chance to qualify for nationals, and Arthur took full advantage of the opportunity in the 100.

"It was really an eye-opener for me," he said. "It bolstered how I perceive myself. And since then, I've been working out nonstop. Track has become a huge focus and I feel like I'm taking my performances to another level."

Arthur credits senior teammate Ryan Miller with being a mentor to him. Miller, who anchored the Johnnies' 4x100 team to a national title in the spring of 2019, finished second nationally in the 100 that season and third last year (there was no outdoor season in 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic).

He also joined Arthur on the 4x100 at nationals a year ago.

"My freshman year, I'd try to keep up with him every day in practice," Arthur said of Miller. "It was impossible, but I kept trying my hardest. After that, I'd try to seek him out to have conversations.

"I wanted to know how he got as good as he is. Because he's like me, he didn't come into Saint John's as a highly-recruited sprinter. When he got here, though, he exploded."

Because Miller lives in Maple Grove, the duo work out together in the summers as well.

"He's been working exceptionally hard and he deserves everything that's coming his way," Miller said. "He comes to practice every day and gives it his all. You can just see how much he wants to get better in his eyes."

But there's far more to Arthur than just track. As a sophomore, the global business leadership major (who speaks three languages fluently) was selected to take part in the 2021-23 cohort of the Eddie Phillips Scholarship Program for African-American Men.

The two-year scholarship program is funded by the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota and combines mentoring with leadership opportunities and cohort experiences. It is administered through the Minnesota Private College Fund.

In addition to scholarship funds, participants attend a summer leadership course, junior and senior year retreats and a national conference. Arthur – who is one of four SJU students in the 2021-23 cohort (the most of any school) – also lined up an internship with Target Corporation this coming summer.

"I do have a lot on my plate, but I think my military experience has helped a lot when it comes to time management skills," said Arthur, who remains in the Reserve and trains one weekend a month. "I'm used to doing everything on a set schedule. I try to focus on doing the best job at whatever I'm doing at that particular moment. 

"Then I move on to the next thing and do the same there."

Arthur looked at other colleges and universities coming out of high school, but chose SJU because it offered the best financial aid package.

"I'm so glad I did because the opportunities I've had and the people I've met here have all been so great," said Arthur, who receives a Presidents Scholarship, the Frey Family First Generation Scholarship and the Morton Katz Scholarship.

"From competing in sports and working with my coaches to the networking I've been able to do, it's been an amazing experience so far."

And he hopes to continue that amazing run on the track this spring, building toward the MIAC Championships May 13-14 at Saint Mary's in Winona and the Division III outdoor meet May 26-28 in Geneva, Ohio.

"My goal right now is to get back to nationals in the 100 and the 4x100, and hopefully qualify in the 200 as well," said Arthur, who actually has two seasons of eligibility remaining after this one because of an NCAA ruling granting athletes an extra year due to the impact of COVID. 

"Once you get there, you never know what can happen. Long-range, the ultimate goal is to win a national championship. That's what I'm working toward."