Austin, Texas (June 10) – Britton Wilson of Arkansas arrived at the NCAA Championships with aspirations of an historic double, but fell well short of her goal after finishing as the runner-up in the 400m and fading to seventh place in the 400m hurdles within a span of less than 30 minutes.
Rhasidat Adeleke Defends Home Track
In the women’s 400m final, Wilson, the collegiate record holder, entered as the favorite. However, she was unable to overcome a determined Rhasidat Adeleke from Texas, who surged to victory with a personal best and Irish national record time of 49.20 seconds, delighting her fans.
Adeleke’s winning time not only secured the title but also improved the meet and facility record of 49.36 seconds, previously set in the semifinals by Wilson, who had to settle for the silver medal, finishing in 49.64 seconds. – Read more: Maia Ramsden sets PB, wins 1500m at NCAA Championships; Tuohy fades to 7th
Notably, Adeleke became the first Texas athlete to win the women’s 400m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.
Nickisha Pryce of Arkansas took second place with a time of 50.23 seconds, while her teammate Rosey Effiong finished fourth in 50.77 seconds.
Britton Wilson Well Beaten By Savannah Sutherland in 400m Hurdles
Wilson’s challenges continued in the 400m hurdles. Starting off slowly, she struggled to keep up with the leaders and experienced a significant decline in performance during the home straight, ultimately finishing seventh with a disappointing time of 55.92 seconds.
The collegiate leader appeared fatigued throughout the race and was unable to match the fresh legs of Savannah Sutherland from Michigan. Sutherland took control of the race at the midway point to take a lead in the final 100m before powering home to claim victory with a personal best time of 54.45 seconds.
Masai Russell from Kentucky, the silver medalist in the 100m hurdles earlier in the evening, finished second with a time of 54.66 seconds, while Chastity Pickett from Campbell took third place in 54.86 seconds.
