… marks Tarleton debut records
EDWARD OSEGHE
Nigeria’s long jumper, Prestina Ochonogor announced her arrival in the American Colliagiate Games with an impressive jump of 6.64m on her debut performance for Tarleton State University.
Tasting her first competition Friday at the 2025 WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships Ochonogor who arrived in Texas USA, barley two weeks ago set two different records to make her presence felt.
Her fourth jump of 6.64m, became Tarleton State University all-time records and also the sixth-best jump in the NCAA this season.
Each of her first five leaps were the top five in school history, breaking a 10-year-old school record set by Euphemia Eden in 2015. Ochonogor broke The Podium facility record set by 2020 Olympian Quanesha Burks in 2022 of 6.55 meters.
Ochonogor who will be 19 in July was discovered at the first edition of the Princess Mabel Madojiemu Schools Athletics Championships in 2023 and from there has gone to represent Nigeria at the Africa Games in Accra where she won bronze with 6.79m. She, Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro became the first three Nigerians to be in the final of the Olympics long jump. She was placed 12th overall with 6.24m in her Olympic debute at the 2024 Games in Paris.
Three weeks ago, she competed at the SWAC Pre-NSF Athletics Meet held at the Obafemi Awolowo University Sports Complex, Ile-Ife and warmed her way to the top position with a personal best-setting 6.85m.
