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On Halloween night, leaving a party about two blocks from USC, where he’s perhaps the most promising athlete on a young track and field team, freshman Bryshon Nellum was shot three times in the legs, once in each thigh and once in one of his hamstrings. <\/span>Initial eyewitness reports seem to indicate that the shooter, who fired from a car, may have been gang-affiliated. <\/span>Nellum is not known to belong to any gang, and it appears he was targeted either because of his semi-celebrity status, or the fact that he was from Long Beach; he may also be the victim of a random act of violence that happened to catch him in the wrong place, at the wrong time.<\/span><\/p>\n Fortunately, his doctor at California Hospital Medical Center, where he underwent surgical treatment, says a full recovery is not out of the question. <\/span>“I expect him to recover and get back to his activities in the future, hopefully,” Dr. Gudata Hinika told the LA Times. <\/span>Nellum, currently listed in stable condition, is resting at the hospital with his family nearby. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n His success at Poly was unprecedented. <\/span>As a sophomore, his first year running track, he finished second in the state in the 400m, and traveled later that year to Morocco to compete in the World Youth Championships, finishing third in the 400m. <\/span>Over the next three years Nellum became the first athlete to take six state track titles, including the 200m and 400m both his junior and senior years. <\/span>In his senior year, he ran the nation’s fastest times in both races, and his 200m time (20.43) is not only the fastest time in the history of the California, it’s only a little more than a second off of Usain Bolt’s world record set in Beijing—and Nellum recorded the time as a 17-year old. <\/span>His accomplishments earned him Gatorades’ 2007 Track Athlete of the Year award, a scholarship to USC, and a potential spot on the US Olympic team—while he didn’t qualify this year, his 2012 hopes remain strong, provided he fully recovers from the shooting.<\/span><\/p>\n This kind of news is never easy to read or report, and regardless of your school or team affiliation, we at LBPOSTSports hope that you will join us in keeping Nellum and his family in your good thoughts over the next few days. <\/span>We will update you as we hear more about his progress.<\/span><\/p>\n This article contains information reported in the LA Times.<\/i><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n