Sprinter Favour Ofili entered herself into the NCAA top 10 in two separate events over the weekend in the 60 meters and 200 meters at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
On Friday night, Ofili clocked an African record of 22.71 seconds in the 200 meter dash to win the event; the time converts to 22.78 for NCAA ranking purposes and is No. 3 on the national list.
The time (22.71s) is however the second fastest in the world by any woman and is bettered only by the 22.68 seconds reigning Olympics 100m hurdles champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran late January at the
South Carolina Indoor Track and Field Complex in Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
It was Ofili’s second sub 23 seconds performance over the distance this year and she remains the only Nigerian sprinter to race inside 23 seconds in the event indoors and the second African ever after Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure (22.80s).
In the 60m, the Nigerian’s 7.17 seconds lifetime best performance is ranked the 12th best in the world so far this season.
A two-hundredth of a second addition was factored in for the NCAA rankings since times are slightly faster at altitude in the sprints, and the converted mark of 7.19 seconds ranks her No. 5 on the national list.
The time is however the fastest time by an African so far this year with Rosemary Chukwuma’s 7.25 seconds also achieved at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque ranked second while Ghana’s Sefia Bright is third ( 7.41s).
