ONE DOESN’T HAVE TO dig too deep to find what Temitope Adeshina’s dreams were for the outdoor season. During a joyful, yet frustrated interview on ESPN after she won the Big 12 last month, the Texas Tech junior all but cried out, “God, please! I just want to do the 2ms and win nationals!”
Adeshina had the ’25 and ’26 Indoor titles to her name, but she’d been denied winning outdoors (5th in ’24, 2nd last year) and the joy of reaching 2.00. That’s 6-6¾ in Imperial measure and also the Collegiate Record. Eight times in her collegiate career, she’s hit 6-5 (1.96) or 6-5½ (1.97).
Saturday, one of the Nigerian’s dreams finally came true. The other will have to wait for another day.
With a perfect slate of first-attempt clearances over six bars, starting at 5-10½ (1.79) and going through 6-5 (1.96), Adeshina had what it took to defeat her old Illinois (and Ghanaian) rival, Rose Yeboah, who also cleared 6-5.
Neither African star could clear 6-6¼ (1.99), so Adeshina finally had her first outdoor crown and continued an unbeaten ’26, both in and out.
When the Nigerian cleared 6-5, she was clearly pleased, but in a very routine way; it was obviously not yet the ultimate bar for her. By the time Yeboah got over the bar, however, it was the thirteenth of 16 jumps she would take that night. Off an outdoor season of struggles and no meets of even 6-2 after her indoor runner-up finish, she had needed three tries at 6-½ , three at 6-1½ and then, after missing only once over the next two bars, those three attempts at 6-5.
Yeboah’s response with that final clearance was cathartic, rolling around the mat with a mix of joy, disbelief, exhaustion and relief. After all, the senior had 2 years ago set the meet record with Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko at 6-5½ (1.97). This was the culmination of a long road back, even if it ultimately ended in defeat.
Adeshina and Yeboah have met in 11 finals now, with Adeshina winning 6. They first dueled in the African Championships 4 years ago, where Yeboah led their 1-2 finish. In Tokyo last September, Yeboah was asked about their rivalry and said, “She is a very good friend of mine,” while lamenting, somewhat emotionally, how much she missed the fact that Adeshina did not compete there.
But after winning Saturday, Adeshina was clearly struggling to find a balance between expressing the joy and gratitude of finally achieving a competitive goal, while at the same time measuring her responses due to the angst of still not yet ascending to her performance goal:”
“I’m short of words for now, but I just want to say I’m happy to do that; I’m happy to be the indoor and the outdoor champion. I’m so glad I can do that. I’m proud of myself.”
WOMEN’S HIGH JUMP RESULTS
FINAL (June 13)
1. *Temitope Adeshina’ (TxT-Ngr) 6-5 (1.96);
2. Rose Yeboah’ (Il-Gha) 6-5 (1.96);
3. ***Kya Crook (Az) 6-2¾ (1.90);
=4. **Karsyn Leeling (Nb) 6-2¾ (1.90);
=4. **Ela Velepec’ (Nb-Slo) 6-2¾ (1.90);
6. **Valentina Fakrogha (UCLA) 6-1½ (1.87);
7. *Paris Mikinski (Az) 6-1½ (1.87);
8. Alyssa Jones (Stan) 6-1½ (1.87);
9. *Amarianna Lofton (Pur) 6-1½; 10. *Emma Gates (Az) 6-½ (1.84); 11. tie, **Alysa Carrigan (Prin) & **Maria Arboleda Angulo’ (Ar-Col) 6-½; 13. tie, *Annishka McDonald (WV), Macaria Moore-Bastide (Cinc), Celia Rifaterra’ (Va-Spa) & Spirit Morgan (NCAT) 5-10½ (1.79); 17. *Diamonasia Taylor (Al) 5-10½; 18. *Evelyn Lavielle (TxT) 5-10½; 19. tie, Jelese Alexander (Wich), *Jenovia Logan (Rut) & **Kemarah Howard (Ky) 5-10½; 22. *Magdaline Campo’ (Mia-Fra) 5-8½ (1.74); 23. **Amaya Bien-Aime (FlInt) 5-8½;… nh—*Mya Hines (HPt).
| 5-8½ | 5-10½ | 6-½ | 6-1½ | 6-2¾ | 6-4 | 6-5 | 6-6¼ | |
| Hines | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Crook | o | o | o | o | o | xxx | — | — |
| Campo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yeboah | ppp | o | xxo | xxo | o | xo | xxo | xxx |
| Leeling | o | o | xo | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — |
| McDonald | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bien-Aime | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gates | o | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Fakrogha | o | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Mikinski | ppp | o | xo | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Moore-Bastide | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor | xo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lavielle | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carrigan | xo | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Velepec | o | o | o | xxo | xxo | xxx | — | — |
| Logan | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alexander | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lofton | o | o | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Howard | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Morgan | ppp | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rifaterra | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jones | o | xo | xxo | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Angulo | xo | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Adeshina | ppp | o | o | o | o | o | o | xxx |
| 1.74 | 1.79 | 1.84 | 1.87 | 1.90 | 1.93 | 1.96 | 1.99 |
