Ofili gets Alfred, Ezinne Abba in NCAA Championships semifinal heat

Nigeria’s record holder in the 200m, indoors and outdoor, Favour Ofili will have to rewind her clock to last year when she ran a 21.96 lifetime best if she
is to make it to her third straight NCAA outdoor championships 200m final.

The Nigerian, 20, has been drawn in the same semifinal heat as the University of Texas duo of Julien Alfred and Ezinne Abba as well as Mississippi State
University’s McKenzie Long.

The three athletes have ran faster than the Nigerian so far this outdoor season and only two will qualify automatically for the final with two others in
three semifinal heats justling for two non-automatic qualification slots.

Alfred, the Saint Lucia athlete, looks on paper to be the untouchable following her incredible indoor and outdoor season and she holds a 21.91 lifetime best
which she set this season in Florida in April.

Abba, the former Nigerian athlete who recently changed allegiance to the USA has also been on fire, running a 22.47 lifetime best just last month over the
distance.

Long has also ran faster than Ofili’s 22.58 personal season’s best after scorching to a 22.31 lifetime finish in Florida in April.

Meanwhile, Rosemary Chukwuma will also have to contend with three athletes who have ran faster than she has so far this season if she is aiming for a place
in the 100m final.

Chukwuma, with an 11.09 personal season’s best has to run faster than two out of the trio of Dajaz Defrand (11.05), McKenzie Long (11.00) and Yanique Dayle (11.05) to seal the one of the two automatic qualification slots.