Nigerian athletes delivered impressive performances on the American collegiate athletics circuit over the weekend as Blessing Ogundiran and Queen Usunobun won gold medals at the NAIA and NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, respectively, with four Nigerians finishing on the podium across the two competitions, Sports Extra reports.
Competing for Warner University Royals, Ogundiran continued her remarkable indoor season by winning the women’s 60m title, clocking 7.31s to secure the national crown and confirm her status as one of the fastest sprinters in the association.
The victory capped an outstanding campaign for the sophomore, who went unbeaten in the 60m throughout the indoor season and also matched the long-standing NAIA record of 7.20s during the Sun Conference Indoor Championships in Florida.
Her 7.20s in February in build up to the conference title equalled the NAIA record set in 2010 by Kimberly Smith, placing her among the fastest athletes in the history of the competition.
Ogundiran had earlier been named NAIA Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week following a record-breaking debut for Warner University at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in January.
Another Nigerian athlete, Surprise Babalola, also reached the podium in the NAIA championships after winning silver in the men’s 60m for Dillard University.
The freshman sprinter ran a personal best of 6.71s in the heats before improving further in the final with a 6.67s finish.
The time marked the first occasion Babalola had dipped below 6.70 seconds and earned him his first national collegiate medal.
At the NJCAA championships, Usunobun successfully defended her women’s 400m title while representing Hillsborough Community College.
The Nigerian ran 54.07s in the final to retain her national crown and secure back-to-back titles in the event.
Another Nigerian, Mary Laha, also impressed at the NJCAA championships, winning bronze in the women’s 60m hurdles.
The freshman representing Iowa Western Reivers clocked 8.53s in the final to earn a place on the national podium in her debut season.
Meanwhile, Grace Nwokocha also featured in the women’s 60m final, finishing sixth after running 7.43s, having earlier posted 7.49s in the heats.
The performances underline the growing influence of Nigerian athletes in the American collegiate athletics system, with the headliner NCAA finals set to come this coming weekend, several emerging talents already making their mark on the national stage.