MIAMI, FL — The 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships, taking place this week in Albuquerque, N.M., promise to be an exciting competition as two of the top female sprinters in the nation go head to head for the 60m and 200m titles. LSU’s Favour Ofili and Texas’ Julien Alfred are set to continue their rivalry at the championship event.
Previous Indoor Meetings: Favour Ofili vs Julien Alfred
Although both athletes have competed against each other three times in the 60m, with Alfred winning all three matchups including this season’s high-quality clash at the 2023 New Mexico Collegiate Classic where she set a collegiate record of 7.00 seconds last month, they have never met in the 200m.
Their anticipated head-to-head encounter is expected to be among the highlights of the entire championship.
Ofili achieved her best times in both the sprint events at the Tyson Invitational in February, where she posted a personal-best time of 7.15 seconds in the 60m, placing her eighth in the nation.
In the same meet, the Nigerian clocked 22.36 seconds in the 200m, the second-fastest time recorded in the world this season and a program record for LSU.
Julien Alfred is out of class?
However, Alfred has set the standard for the collegiate short sprints this season, dominating the 60m with the seven fastest collegiate women’s times to date.
At the Big 12 Conference Championships last month, Alfred won both the 60m and 200m titles, with her 6.97 seconds in the 60m being the fastest ever by a collegiate woman. Her 22.33 seconds in the 200m ranks behind only the collegiate record of 22.09 seconds set by Abby Steiner, as well as the 22.16 seconds clocked by Steiner.
Other competitors to watch in the women’s sprints include USC’s Samirah Moody, Clemson’s Kiara Grant, Texas Tech’s Rosemary Chukwuma, as well as Oregon’s Jadyn Mays and Georgia’s Kaila Jackson.
As the two athletes prepare to compete in Albuquerque, fans and spectators alike are eagerly awaiting the outcome of this thrilling matchup. The question remains: Will Ofili keep up with Alfred’s lightning-fast speed and come out on top, or will Alfred prove once again that she is a true champion of the track?
The meet, scheduled for March 10-11 at the Albuquerque Convention Center, is the final indoor collegiate competition of the season.
Only time will tell as these two talented young sprinters race towards the finish line in search of glory.
