2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships: Can Oghenebrume and Onwuzurike live up to prediction?

Nigerian duo of Godson Oghenebrume and Udodi Onwuzurike have been tipped to run away with the 100m and 200m titles respectively at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor
Championships which start Wednesday at the Mike Myers stadium in Austin, Texas.

Oghenebrume has been tipped by NCAA.com website analyst, Stan Becton to become the third Nigerian and seventh African man to win the blue ribband event in
Austin.

Becton believes Oghenebrume is the most consisten sprinter in the NCAA this season and that the 20 year old will make it first to the finish line.

‘It seems like everyone was running a sub-10 second time or close to it at NCAA prelims (impressive even with the wind).

‘You can take your pick after those races as to who will win the 100-meter title, but I’m going with LSU’s Godson Oghenebrume.

‘He’s been the most consistent sprinter, never running slower than
a 10.18 this year,’ Becton wrote.

The Nigerian holds a 10.04 lifetime best achieved last month to win his first SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships ahead of fellow Nigerian, Favour Ashe.

He ran a wind-aided 9.94 to to qualify for the championships.

Onwuzurike, who made history as the third Nigerian man to run inside 20 seconds when he sped to a 19.91 finish to win the Pac 12 Men’s and Women’s Track and
Field Championships title last month is tipped by Becton to run away with the 200m gold.

‘There might not have been a better sprinter in the 100 and 200 meters combined during conference championships and NCAA prelims, with Onwuzurike running a
sub-10 second 100 and sub-20 second 200, both wind-legal.

No athlete has run faster than Onwuzurike in the 200 meters, with the wind being legal. That’s why he’s my pick here,’ Becton wrote about the former World
U20 champion.

If he wins, he will become the third Nigerian after Olopade Adeniken and Divine Oduduru to be crowned the NCAA 200m king.