2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships: Onyali hopes Ofili can repeat her 35 year old feat

Former African queen of the track, Mary Onyali believes Nigeria’s 200m record holder indoors (22.11) and outdoor (21.96) will rise up to the big ocassion the
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships represents by stepping up from the 200m silver she won last year to gold this time.

Onyali ran 22.70 to win the 200m title at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon in June 1988 and the 1996 Olympics 200m bronze medalist is desirous of seeing Ofili become the second Nigerian woman to mount the NCAA Championships podium as champions in the event.

‘It’s been 35 years (1988) since I won the 200m at the NCAA championships in Eugene, oregon and my prayer is for Ofili to win it this year,’ began Onyali in an interview with our correspondent.

The flamboyant sprinter is worried the 20 year old Ofili has not been in the same form that saw her scorched to a 21.96 finish last year to set a Nigerian
outdoor record in the event and a 22.11 clocking to rewrite her own African 200m indoor record last March.

Onyali

‘I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have not seen the kind of performances she has put up in the recent past lately but I am sure there must be a reason for
it,’ said Onyali.

Ofili must have been injured after her indoor heroics as she was out of the Collegiate circuit for over a month. She returned to run a personal season’s best of 22.58 in her first 200m race of the ongoing outdoor season but has struggled to even match that standard since then.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games 200m silver medalist will be up against some formidable athletes led by University of Texas’ Julien Alfred who denied the pretty
Nigerian of the 200m indoor gold at the NCAA indoor championships in New Mexico last March.

Onyali is however confident Ofili could regain her form at the championships and spring a surprise.

‘I want to see her come out fighting in Austin. I believe her coaches must have worked on her to attain the great standard she has set for herself. I am
hopeful she can fulfil expectations at these championships.’