Onwuzurike storms to 10.07 finish in first individual outdoor race of season
Chukwuma runs wind-aided 11.08 in Texas, Abba sets 4x100m meet record with University of Texas
Former World U20 200m champion, Udodi Onwuzurike has stormed to the top of the Nigerian 100m outdoor list after scorching to a 10.07 finish to win the blue ribband event at the 2023 Stanford Invitational held at the Cobb Track & Angell Field in Palo Alto, California.
The Nigerian, 20, hinted of a possible sub-10.10 seconds run in the semifinal when he ran 10.15 to win and qualify for the final.
It is the fastest time by a Nigerian so far this outdoor season and the joint fifth fastest in the world. It is also Onwuzurike’s joint second fastest time ever after running his 10.05 lifetime best May in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Onwuzurike first served notice of his immense talent at the 2021 World U20 championships in Nairobi, Kenya where he ran 20.21 to win the 200m title. Last year he fulfilled expectations by improving his personal best to 10.03 in the 100m and 20.08 in the 200m.
This season, the Nigerian ran 20.17 indoors to set a new lifetime best and second fastest in Nigerian all-time list.
At the Texas Relays, former African U18 and U20 champion, Rosemary Chukwuma ran a wind-aided 11.08 to also open her individual outdoor camapign on a promising note.
The time is the second fastest qualifying time for Saturday’s final behind McKenzie Long of University of Mississippi who stormed to an incredible but wind aided 10.80 finish.
Also at the Relays, sprinter Ezinne Abba ran the second leg for the University of Texas in their historic 4x100m run in their semifinal heat.
The team led by NCAA 60 and 200m indoor queen, Julien Alfred clocked a blistering 42.38 to set a new meet record.
The time is also the fastest qualifying time of the event, the fastest pre-April mark in collegiate history and the fourth fastest time in University of Texas history.
