Ramat Jimoh Narrowly Misses SEC Championships 800m Final by 0.38 Seconds

Ramat Jimoh of Mississippi State University came agonizingly close to qualifying for the women’s 800m final at the SEC Indoor Championships, missing out by just 0.38 seconds.

The Nigerian student-athlete clocked a season’s best of 2:06.74 to finish third in the opening heat. She opened with a 30.04 split through the first 200m, reached 400m in 1:02.39, and crossed 600m at 1:34.68 before closing strongly.

Her time fell just short of Arkansas runner Ainsley Erzen, who finished second in the same heat and secured the eighth and final qualifying spot with 2:06.36.

Another Nigerian representing Mississippi State, Adisa Rhoda, also impressed with a lifetime best of 2:06.90 in the second heat, finishing fourth.

Despite the personal milestone, she too missed out on a place in the final. Rhoda had previously held an indoor best of 2:07.73, making her performance a significant improvement.

Both athletes have shown promising form indoors, with Jimoh owning a personal best of 2:04.97 over the distance.