Nigeria's and UTEP's Blessing Okagbare concluded her illustrious collegiate career with a double win in the sprints and women long jump at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Okagbare, who said she "was hoping, wishing and praying" for the double, soared to a mark of 6.79m in her second attempt of the day to secure the fourth NCAA title of her career and the second at this year's outdoor national meet. The four national crowns are the most ever by a UTEP woman.
The Sapele-born 2006 Olympic medalist completed an undefeated year and later said the day "was ok, that's all I had to win for today, I'm ok with it" .
"I had my best season. I'm really happy. I finished the year well for UTEP so I'm happy with it. Right now I'm the NCAA champion, everything came together," she added.
A day earlier, Okagbare blazed to a windy 10.98 seconds (+2.8m/s) in the women's 100m, which was a personal best and the best time posted by any NCAA athlete this season, but for the high wind, would have been the fastest time in the world for an African woman this year.
Middle Tennessee's Stanley Gbagbeke, from Nigeria, finished runner-up in the men's Long Jump with a recorded mark of 7.96m.
Gbagbeke, the 2009 NCAA runner-up in the event, becomes the eighth athlete in his school history to earned multiple long jump All-American awards.
Sam Chelanga of Kenya won the 10,000m in 28:37.40 and finished second in the 5,000m in 13:45.35.
Selected Results
100m women
- Blessing Okagbare (UTEP) 10.98
- Porscha Lucas (Texas A&M) 11.12
- Jeneba Tarmoh (Texas A&M) 11.13
Long Jump Men
- Marquise Goodwin (Texas) 8.15m
- Stanley Gbagbeke (Middle Tennesse) 7.96m
- Reindell Cole (Northridge) 7.90m
Full Results below:
Complete Results - NCAA 2010
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