Ofili elevates to No. 2 all-time collegiate indoor competitor, Florida’s Diggs ascends to No. 25 in 200 after edging LSU star in 60 meters; Austin grabs NCAA lead in men’s 800 for Gators, Davis-Woodhall wins women’s long jump, Anderson takes women’s high jump, Ellis and Mulla triumph in pole vault

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Favour Ofili continues to chase her first NCAA Division 1 title, and another collegiate record might just fall along the way.

The LSU senior, representing Nigeria, became the No. 2 collegiate indoor competitor in history and the No. 6 all-time performer in the world Saturday at the Tyson Invitational by winning the 200 meters in a world-leading 22.36 seconds at Randal Tyson Track Center, with Florida’s Talitha Diggs placing second in 22.61.

Ofili has previously been a collegiate record holder, only to have her outdoor 200 mark of 21.96 from the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville in April surpassed by former Kentucky standout Abby Steiner in their final showdown as collegiate standouts at last year’s NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships in Oregon.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Steiner boasts collegiate all-time 200 marks of 21.80 outdoors and 22.09 indoors, but Ofili – who achieved meet and facility records Saturday by equaling the No. 14 performance in global indoor history – now ranks second in the NCAA in both events and will have another opportunity to race Feb. 24-25 at Randal Tyson Track Center at the Southeastern Conference Championships, before competing March 10-11 at the Division 1 Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M.

Diggs, the reigning NCAA and U.S. champion in the 400 meters, demonstrated her versatility by edging Ofili 7.143 to 7.150 in the 60-meter dash final Friday night, before elevating into the top 25 in collegiate indoor 200 history with her runner-up effort Saturday.

Diggs didn’t deliver the only memorable performances on the track for Florida, with sophomore Sam Austin running a lifetime-best 1:46.06 in the men’s invitational 800 to take over the collegiate lead and ascend to the No. 16 performer in NCAA indoor history.

Iowa State teammates Jason Gomez (1:46.53) and Cebastian Gentil (1:46.75) elevated to Nos. 3 and 7 this season.

The Florida trio of Robert Gregory, Jacory Patterson and Ryan Willie swept the top three spots in the 200.

Gregory edged Patterson 20.571 to 20.576 and both rank in the top 10 nationally, with Willie clocking 20.84.

The Gators also won the men’s 4x400 relay in 3:02.18, with Willie anchoring in 44.59. Arizona State was runner-up in 3:03.09.

Justin Robinson won the men’s 400 in 45.87 ahead of Willie (46.13), then led off the Sun Devils’ 4x400 in 45.81.

Kurt Powdar added a victory in the men’s 60-meter hurdles in 7.75 for Florida, holding off De’Vion Wilson of Houston in 7.76.

Florida also showcased its depth in the horizontal jumps, with Jasmine Moore winning the women’s triple jump at 46-9 (14.25m) and placing second in the invitational long jump by a 22-1.75 (6.75m) to 22-1.50 (6.74m) margin behind Lululemon professional athlete and former Texas star and collegiate record holder Tara Davis-Woodhall.

Malcolm Clemons won the men’s invitational long jump for the Gators with a leap of 25-8.75 (7.84m), holding off a late surge by Arkansas’ John Baker and his sixth-round effort of 25-5.50 (7.76m).

Sean Dixon-Bodie, an LSU transfer, finished second in the men’s triple jump for Florida at 54-3.75 (16.55m), with former Tennessee standout Jah-Nhai Perinchief representing Bermuda as a professional athlete and winning with a pair of 54-11.25 (16.74m) performances.

Arkansas welcomed the return of Britton Wilson for the first time since Jan. 13 and the junior helped the Razorbacks sweep the top four spots in the women’s 400.

Rosey Effiong won the race in a lifetime-best 51.02, with Wilson clocking 51.14. Wilson produced a 50.59 split on the third leg of the 4x400 relay, as Arkansas was edged by a 3:28.37 to 3:28.43 margin against the professional quartet from Hurdle Mechanic.

Branson Ellis, a senior at Stephen F. Austin, capped the meet Saturday by winning the men’s invitational pole vault with a first-attempt clearance at 19-0.75 (5.81m), improving his position as the No. 12 competitor in collegiate indoor history.

Ellis is the third male vaulter this season to surpass the 19-foot mark, joining Princeton’s Sondre Guttormsen and Texas Tech’s Zach Bradford.

South Dakota’s Marleen Mulla, the Estonian national record holder, won the women’s invitational pole vault by clearing 14-4.50 (4.38m) on her first attempt, with Rutgers’ Chloe Timberg finishing second at 14-2.50 (4.33m).

Mulla cleared a lifetime-best 14-10 (4.52m) on Feb. 4 at the South Dakota Alumni meet in Vermillion and now ranks No. 14 in collegiate indoor history. Amanda Fassold of Arkansas, who didn’t compete Friday, is the NCAA leader and No. 12 all-time indoors at 14-10.75 (4.54m).

Rylee Anderson, a Kansas sophomore, cleared a personal-best 6-2.75 (1.90m) to prevail in the women’s high jump against Nebraska sophomore Jenna Rogers, who also achieved a lifetime-best 6-1.50 (1.87m). Anderson ranks second in the country, with Rogers tied for fifth overall.

Axelina Johansson, the Swedish indoor record holder in the shot put, secured the victory for Nebraska with a sixth-round performance of 61-2.75 (18.66m).

Johansson ascended to the No. 3 indoor competitor in NCAA history with her 63-4 (19.30m) effort Feb. 3 at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.

LSU’s John Meyer emerged victorious in an exciting battle against Nebraska’s Jonah Wilson in the men’s invitational shot put showcased on the infield in the main arena.

Meyer produced a personal-best 66-9.75 (20.36m) in the fourth round, with Wilson delivering a sixth-round mark of 66-9.25 (20.35m).

Christoff Bryan, a three-time Jamaican national champion, triumphed in the men’s high jump with a 7-4.25 (2.24m) clearance, with Kansas’ Devin Loudermilk placing second at 7-3 (2.21m).

Campbell’s Dorcus Ewoi edged Houston’s Kelly-Ann Beckford in the women’s 800 by a 2:04.62 to 2:04.63 margin.

Houston’s Devin Vallejo won the men’s mile in 4:01.12, with Kansas State’s Sydney Burton taking the women’s mile in 4:42.36.

J.T. Smith of Texas A&M-Commerce elevated to the No. 3 indoor competitor in NCAA Division 2 history by winning the men’s 60-meter dash in 6.56.

Alexis Holmes, a Nike professional and former Kentucky All-American, ran a personal-best 36.71 to win the women’s 300.

Arkansas graduate Jada Baylark won the women’s open 60 in 7.23.

Jamaica’s Amoi Brown earned the victory in the women’s 60 hurdles in 8.04.

Nate Osterstock, a former Southern Utah standout, won the men’s 3,000 in 7:58.58 and Kansas’ Lona Latema prevailed in the women’s 3,000 in 9:29.37.

Iowa’s Amanda Howe and Nebraska’s Taylor Latimer both produced marks of 71-5.50 (21.78m) in the women’s weight throw. Howe secured victory based on a better second throw at 70-10 (21.59m).

LSU’s Johnathan Witte emerged victorious in the men’s weight throw with a 71-1.50 (21.68m) performance.