TODD MATTHEWS
- mercertrackhall
- Sep 22, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2025
Notre Dame 1998 -- Olympic Hurdler
Todd Matthews-Jouda dominated NJ track and field while competing at Notre Dame. As a high school competitor he could win big competitions on both the track and in the field. His specialty however, was the high hurdles.
Individually, Matthews was a 2-time Meet of Champions winner in the 110m High Hurdles, setting the meet record of 13.52 seconds his senior year. He was also the indoor all-group champ in the 55m hurdles in 1998, and won the Indoor Eastern high hurdles title twice, in '97 & '98., On the nation-wide level, Matthews won two indoor national titles; The Pentathlon in 1997 and the 60m Hurdles in 1998.
Matthews led Notre Dame to multiple team championships including back-to-back Parochial A titles in 1996 & 1997. He scored in events ranging from hurdles, sprints, long and high jump.
After representing the USA at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Annecy France where he took 6th place, Matthews enrolled at Clemson University. He continued his track career while running for the Tigers , earning All-American in the high hurdles.
After college, Matthews embarked on an international career. While representing Sudan, he took gold medals in the high hurdles at the Afro-Asian Games in 2003, a gold at the African Championships in 2004, and another gold at the Pan Arab Games also in 2004.
Matthews competed for Sudan at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Greece and the World Championships in Helsinki Finland in 2005.
Matthews holds numerous honors. His best time in the international hurdles was 13.36, and he set a Sudanese national record of 13.45 in 2004. He was inducted into the Notre Dame High School Hall of Fame Class of 2007.
MAJOR TITLES
3x Winner of Meet of Champions (Indoor) 55HH 1998, (Outdoor) 1997 & '98
9x State Champion Parochial A (Outdoor) 100m 1996, '98, 200m 1996, '98, 110HH 1996, '97, 98, LJ 1997, '98
3x State Champion Group III (Indoor) 55m 1998, 55HH '98, HJ '98
15x Mercer County Champion (Indoor) 55m 1997 & '98, 55HH '96, '97, '98, HJ '96 & '98 (Outdoor) LJ 1997 & 98, 100m '97 & 98, 200m '98, 110HH '96, '97, '98
2x National Indoor Champion - Pentathlon 1997 & 60m HH 1998
