Gainesville, Fla. – LSU track and field star Favour Ofili broke the collegiate record in the 200 meter dash with a world leading time of 21.96 on Friday night at the Tom Jones Memorial at James G. Pressly Stadium.
“My body felt great going into the race,” Ofili said after her record setting performance. “Coach {Dennis} Shaver told me before the race to just ‘Stay relaxed and execute the race plan’, and that’s what I did.
“I can’t really recall too much of the race because it was such a blur, but I knew I was the first to cross the finish line by a wide margin. When I saw the time, I was very happy and excited because it was an expectation that came to pass on God’s word proclaimed in my life. I give all the credit and glory to God.”
With the time of 21.96, Ofili achieved a multitude of feats in addition to the collegiate record. She became only the second woman in African history to go sub 22 in the 200 meter dash joining Olympic silver medalist Christine Mboma (Namibia), who owns a personal best of 21.78. Ofili’s lifetime best also broke Blessing Okagbare’s Nigerian national record of 22.04 that had stood since 2018.
In addition to those laurels, Ofili shattered Dawn Sowell’s LSU school record of 22.04 that had stood since 1989. The collegiate record was previously held by Florida’s Kyra Jefferson with a time of 22.02 that she ran at the 2017 NCAA Championships. The time also meets the standard for the 2022 IAAF World Championships that will take place in Eugene, Oregon, during the month of July and Ofili will be considered a favorite to make the finals in the at event.
You might as well call LSU track and field the short sprints capital of the world in considerations to women’s sprints at the collegiate level as LSU holds the current collegiate records in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4×100 meter relay. Ofili owns the 200 meter collegiate record, Sha’Carri Richardson’s 10.75 in the 100 meters from 2019 still stands as the collegiate record, and the foursome of Mikiah Brisco, Kortnei Johnson, Rachel Misher, and Aleia Hobbs still own the 4×100 meter collegiate record that they ran at the 2018 SEC Championships.
Tom Jones Memorial Live Results
Morgan Smalls leapt out to a season best mark of 21’ 1.25” (6.43 meters) in the long jump to take bronze in the event and move up to No. 8 on the NCAA list this season; it also put her in a three-way tie on the all-time LSU list at the No. 9 slot.
Amber Hart and John Meyer both competed in the discus on Friday. Hart registered a personal best for the second straight meet with a throw of 180’ 3” (54.95 meters) to finish fourth and move up three spots on the all-time LSU list into the third slot. Meyer launched the discus 162’ 11” (49.67 meters) for a personal best himself.
Adam Wise collected himself a big personal best of 3:47.19 in the 1,500 meter run to place seventh, and Garriel White also placed seventh in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 58.65. In the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase, Garrett Hamilton (9:28.85) and Cade Martin (9:32.41) steepled their way to a two-three finish in the event to close out day one of action in Florida.