Godbless drawn in 60m heat of ‘death’ at NCAA Indoor Championships; Ajayi, Okon drawn apart
Tima Godbless may be the fastest woman in the NCAA going to this weekend’s Division 1 Track and Field Championships in Virginia, but the Nigerian has been placed in a heat where she will probably have to repeat the 7.08 lifetime bestGodblessshe ran last month or even faster to secure one of the two automatic tickets on offer for the final.
Godbless has been drawn to run alongside her schoolmate and defending champion, Brianna Lyston who though holds a 7.13 personal season best but ran a 7.03 lifetime best to win the title last year.
The Nigerian will also run against Indya Mayberry who has raced inside 7.20 five times this year including the 7.11 lifetime best she ran last January.
There also Victoria Cameron and Akexis Brown who have both ran 7.14 this year and are definitely in the mix for the two automatic tickets on offer.
In the second semifinal heat, the other Nigerian in the event, Success Umukoro is also up against some really fast sprinters.
She will compete against two student athletes, Dajaz Defrand (7.10) and Kaila Jackson (7.12), who have ran faster than her 7.13 this year as well as Samirah Moody and Jadyn Mays who have ran 7.15 this season but hold a 7.07 lifetime best.
Godbless and Umukoro are seeking to become the first Nigerian since Blessing Okagbare in 2010 to be crowned NCAA indoor champion in the 60m.
In the women’s 400m, Ella Onojuvwevwo will not be running to place first in her heat but run as fast as she can to be among the eight fastest over the full lap race to qualify for the final where her focus will now be to make history as the first Nigerian to win the event.
The same scenario may likely play out in the men’s version when the start list is released. Nathaniel Ezekiel, the pre-Championships leader, is expected to be among the eight fastest that will qualify for the final.
Like Onojuvwevwo, Nathaniel will also be seeking to become the first Nigerian to win the event in the history of the Championships.
In the 60m hurdles, Adaobi Tabugo will run in the second semifinal heat where she will looking to run faster than her 7.99 lifetime best to secure one of the two automatic tickets for Saturday’s final.
In the men’s 60m, Kanyinsola Ajayi will be the lone Nigerian in the second semifinal heat while the Nigerian duo of Adekalu Fakorede and Israel Okon will run in the first semifinal heat.
The Nigerians will be battling for the two automatic tickets on offer in each of the heats or gets picked among the four non-automatic qualifiers across the two heats.
