Godson Oghenebrume has dethroned Favour Ashe as the Southeastern conference 100m champion after running a new 10.04 lifetime best in the final of the 2023 SEC Championships final at the Baton Rouge in Louisiana.
Ashe was looking to become the conference’s first repeat winner since Kentucky’s Tim Harden who won three straight years from 1994-96 but Oghenebrume, denied twice by a tail wind after two huge performances (9.97 and 10.01) had other ideas.
The 19 year old proved he was the athlete in form as he edged his fellow Nigerian (10.04 to 10.08) to win his first SEC title, a huge improvement on his fifth place finish last year.
Oghenebrume had earlier anchored his school, Louisiana State University to win the 4x100m relay in an incredible 37.90, the second fastest time in the world so far this year.
In the women’s version, Favour Ofili failed to succesfully defend the title she won last year as she placed fifth in a new personal season’s best time of 11.17 in a race Tennessee’s Jacious Sears ran huge 10.96 lifetime best to win.
Ofili ran her personal best of 10.93 to win the title last year but the 20 year only returned to action at the end of April after going off for over a month ostensibly due to injury.
The Commonwealth Games 200m silver medalist however helped her school, Louisiana State University to win the 4x100m in an impressive 42.92. The time catapaults the team to 10th in the 2023 top list.
In the women’s 1500m, Ramat Jimoh failed to make it to the podium in her debut in the championships. The 19 year old who set a new lifetime best in qualifying for the final ran 4:30.62 to place 10th overall.
