Cordell Tinch

Cordell Tinch (born 13 July 2000) is an American track and field athlete who competes primarily over 110m hurdles.

Early life
Tinch grew up in Chicago and then Green Bay, Wisconsin where he attended Bay Port High School. As a junior, he competed in track and field events and won the State title in triple jump with a state record 14.99m, and won a long jump victory whilst being runner-up in the high jump and 110m hurdles. He also played basketball, but his main focus was on football, and on reaching the NFL. He attended University of Minnesota on a football scholarship. Ultimately, he decided football wasn’t the path he wished to follow, and he switched to Pittsburg State University in 2019. However, there was an issue with the transfer and he couldn’t compete in the national events. The COVID-19 pandemic also interrupted events so he stepped away from track and field and moved back to Green Bay.

Career
Tinch returned to athletics at Pittsburg State University, and became NCAA Division II Indoor champion in the 60m hurdles and the high jump in 2023. Tinch was named the National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the 2023 NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field season, owning seven of the top-10 marks in NCAA DII history for the 60m hurdles.

Competing outdoors at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Championships in Jefferson City, he won the long jump and the high jump before running a wind-assisted 12.97s for the 110m hurdles, becoming the No. 2 collegian of all-time in all conditions, behind only Renaldo Nehemiah from 1979.

In June 2023 Tinch ran a world-leading 12.96 for the 110m hurdles at the Arkansas Grand Prix in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The time was an “all-dates collegiate best” and .02 seconds faster than Grant Holloway’s NCAA record. He announced he was turning pro despite two years additional collegiate availability, that same month.

Competing at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Eugene, Oregon, he finished 2nd in the final of the 110m hurdles. He was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships, in Budapest in August 2023, where he reached the semi-finals.

On 12 July 2024, he finished third at the 2024 Herculis Diamond League event in Monaco.