GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, April 15-16 — Longtime LSU head Dennis Shaver summed up the environment at the Tom Jones Memorial perfectly. “It was ideal conditions to run fast,” he said after sophomore speedster Favour Ofili blasted a Collegiate Record 21.96 in the 200 on Friday.
Ideal conditions applied to all the events as athletes from powerhouses Texas A&M, Texas Tech, LSU, North Carolina A&T, Florida State and host Florida — plus an abundance of pro talent — gathered in sun-drenched warm conditions for the 2-day event.
Ofili, who had PRed at 11.00 for 2nd to Abby Steiner at LSU last week, ran her first outdoor 200 of the year in splashing fashion. Running out of lane 6, the 19-year-old Nigerian ran an excellent turn and straightway to post the fastest collegiate time ever, taking down the 22.05 set by Florida’s Kyra Jefferson in ’17.
“I would say yes that was unexpected,” Ofili admitted. “Me and my coach have been working on it. I am most thankful to God. One thing is to compete with injury and one thing is to compete without injury. So I am thankful to God to be injury free.”
Shaver expected a time in the 22.2 range for Ofili, but the conditions, taking a bit of a rest prior to this meet and the fact that she has had a full year of training in his program contributed to the fast time.
“Well, she’s been working hard,” said Shaver. “I think the thing is over the last two years we’ve been working more on her speed than running the 400. I think eventually the 400 is her main event,” he said. “But she loves the 200m. This is the opener this season so I’m not surprised. Everybody has to remember that she came to us in January last year so this is the first full year of training and preparing for this season.”
Texas A&M soph Charokee Young faced a strong field in the 400 and posted the first sub-50 performance on Florida’s storied Percy Beard track with her world-leading 49.87. That moved her to No. 4 on the all-time collegiate list. The track record she broke was Sydney McLaughlin’s 50.07 from ’18.
Running out of lane 6 Young made up the stagger on Florida’s NCAA Indoor champ Talitha Diggs in 7 by halfway and kept pressing on her way to her new personal best.
“I saw that I was making up the stagger so I knew I was in good position because she normally takes it out,” said Young, a 21-year-old Jamaican. “I’ve been trying to stay consistent and work on the little technical stuff. That’s important to make you better. It feels awesome to finally achieve something that I’ve had my eyes on. I’m really happy.”
The straightaway featured a pair of fine hurdle races. Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico got her third straight year-leading time, winning the invitational section in 12.39. NCAA 60H winner Grace Stark of Florida PRed twice, running 12.67 in the heats and 12.58 in the final of the university section.
JONES MEMORIAL WOMEN’S RESULTS
100: I(-0.1)–1. **Melissa Jefferson (CCar) 11.00 PR; 2. **Rosemary Chukwuma’ (TxT-Ngr) 11.05 PR; 3. Kamaya Debose-Epps (NCAT) 11.23 PR.
II(-0.8)–1. ***Grace Nwokocha’ (NCAT-Ngr) 11.13; 2. Symone Darius (NCAT) 11.17 PR; 3. Edidiong Odiong’ (FlSt-Ngr) 11.22 PR.
Inv100(0.9): 1. Shania Collins (adi) 10.98 =PR; 2. Kayla White (Nik) 11.15; 3. Xiaojing Liang’ (Chn) 11.18; 4. Ashanti Moore’ (Jam) 11.20; 5. Cambrea Sturgis (adi) 11.26; 6. Tamari Davis (adi) 11.27.
200: I(1.3)–1. **Favour Ofili’ (LSU-Ngr) 21.96 NR, CR (old CR 22.02 Kyra Jefferson [Fl] ’17) (WL);
2. Debose-Epps 22.81 PR; 3. **Jonah Ross (NCAT) 22.91; 4. **Laila Owens (TxAM) 23.00. V(0.2)–1. Nwokocha’ 22.89.
Inv 200: I(0.6)–1. Sturgis 22.40; 2. White 22.50 PR; 3. Natalliah Whyte’ (Jam) 22.57; 4. Davis 22.62.
400: 1. **Charokee Young’ (TxAM-Jam) 49.87 PR (WL, CL) (4, 6 C);
2. *Tierra Robinson-Jones (TxAM) 50.89 PR; 3. **Talitha Diggs (Fl) 51.93; 4. **Latasha Smith (UCF) 52.01 PR; 5. **Jermaisha Arnold (CCar) 52.37 PR. II–1. Delecia McDuffie (NCAT) 51.96 PR.
Inv 400: 1. Shaunae Miller-Uibo’ (Bah) 49.91; 2. Aliyah Abrams’ (Guy) 51.17; 3. Lena Nielsen’ (GB) 51.54 PR; 4. Gabby Scott’ (PR) 52.37.
800: 1. **Sintayehu Vissa’ (Ms-Ita) 2:01.06 PR; 2. *Imogen Barrett’ (Fl-Aus) 2:01.65 PR; 3. Avi’ Tal Wilson-Perteete (TxAM) 2:03.16; 4. Ruby Stauber (FlSt) 2:03.54; 5. **Sydney Steely (MsSt) 2:03.64 PR; 6. *Gabrielle Wilkinson (Fl) 2:04.24.
1500: 1. *Imogen Barrett’ (Fl-Aus) 4:14.55 PR; 2. **Gracie Morris (TCU) 4:14.59 PR.
100H(1.9): 1. **Grace Stark (Fl) 12.58 PR (AL, CL) (10, x C; 7, x AmC); 2. **Alia Armstrong (LSU) 12.61 PR (=8, x AmC);
3. Paula Salmon (NCAT) 12.63 PR; 4. Kaylah Robinson (TxAM) 12.71 PR; 5. **Rosealee Cooper’ (MsSt-Jam) 12.93 PR; 6. **Rayniah Jones (UCF) 12.99; 7. Deshae Wise (TxAM) 13.05 PR.
Heats: I(1.5)–1. Stark 12.67 PR (CL).
Inv 100H(-0.1): 1. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn’ (PR) 12.39 (WL);
2. Nia Ali (TumTC) 12.59; 3. Kaylor Harris (unat) 13.16 PR.
400H: I–1. Rhonda Whyte’ (Jam) 55.59; 2. Yanique Haye-Smith’ (TKS) 57.15; 3. **Vanessa Watson (Fl) 57.86. II–1. Wise 56.19 PR; 2. **Shani’a Bellamy (CCar) 57.92 PR.
4 x 100: I–1. Tumbleweed TC 42.33 (WL) (Liang’, Collins, Whyte’, Anderson); 2. North Carolina A&T 42.83 (=#10 school) (Darius, Nwokocha’, Debose-Epps, Ross);
3. LSU 43.18 (Armstrong, Davies, Mason, Ofili’); 4. Texas Tech 43.19 (Kerley, Scott, Roswell’, Chukwuma’); 5. Florida State 43.85; 6. Alabama 43.86. II–1. Coastal Carolina 43.58; 2. UCF 43.92; 3. Ole Miss 44.36.
4 x 400: 1. Tumbleweed TC 3:27.83 (Nielsen’, McDonald’, Collins, Whyte’); 2. LSU 3:30.52; 3. Texas Tech 3:33.01; 4. Alabama 3:34.16; 5. Oklahoma State 3:34.80. II–1. UCF 3:31.88.
Field Events
HJ: 1. *Lamara Distin’ (TxAM-Jam) 6-2¼ (1.89); 2. ***Elena Kulichenko’ (Ga-Rus) 6-1¼ (1.86); 3. Jamari Drake (Ga) 6-1¼; 4. **Nyagoa Bayak (LSU) 6-0 (1.83) =PR; 5. **Morgan Smalls (LSU) 6-0; 6. **Claire Bryant (Fl) 5-10¾ (1.80).
PV: 1. **Lyndsey Reed (Ms) 14-5½ (4.41) PR; 2. Chloe Wall (TxT) 14-1¾ (4.31); 3. Mackenzie Shell (Bell) 13-9¾ (4.21).
LJ: I–1. Anna Keefer (NC) 21-0 (6.40) PR. II–1. Deborah Acquah’ (TxAM-Gha) 22-2½w (6.77) (21-11¾/6.70); 2. **Claire Bryant (Fl) 21-2½ (6.46); 3. Smalls 21-1¼ (6.43); 4. **Shayla Broughton (MsSt) 20-10½ (6.36).
TJ: 1. **Jasmine Moore (Fl) 46-2 (14.07) (out AL, CL);
2. Natricia Hooper’ (Fl-Guy) 46-½ (14.03) NR; 3. Imani Oliver (unat) 43-7 (13.28); 4. Adja Sackor (Jack) 43-5¾ (13.25);
5. ***Kennedy Marable (Cinc) 43-3¼ (13.19) PR.
SP: 1. *Ana da Silva’ (Ga-Bra) 57-7½ (17.56) PR; 2. Kayli Johnson (TxT) 56-½ (17.08); 3. **Thea Jensen’ (Fl-Den) 53-6½ (16.32); 4. *Jalani Davis (Ms) 53-6½ (16.32); 5. Amber Hart (LSU) 52-10¾ (16.12).
DT: 1. Obi Amaechi (NC) 186-6 (56.85); 2. Seasons Usual (TxT) 185-7 (56.57); 3. Jane Sensibaugh (Cinc) 180-11 (55.15) PR; 4. Hart 180-3 (54.95) PR; 5. Tedreauna Britt (Ms) 177-6 (54.11).
HT: 1. Annette Echikunwoke’ (Ngr) 238-7 (72.72); 2. Jillian Shippee (NC) 222-4 (67.77);
3. *Jalani Davis (Ms) 216-0 (65.84) PR; 4. *Jasmine Mitchell (Ms) 209-4 (63.80); 5. ***Marie Forbes’ (Clem-Jam) 207-5 (63.22) PR.
JT: 1. *Madison Wiltrout (NC) 187-4 (57.11) PR (CL);
2. **Rhema Otabor’ (FlInt-Bah) 184-6 (56.25) PR; 3. ***Lianna Davidson’ (TxAM-Aus) 182-7 (55.66) PR;
4. ***Katelyn Fairchild (TxAM) 179-2 (54.62) PR (8, x AJ);
5. Kelechi Nwanaga’ (FlSt-Ngr) 170-6 (51.98).