Ochonogor shines on outdoor NCAA debut

Nigeria’s Prestina Ochonogor delivered an impressive outdoor NCAA debut performance for Tarleton State, securing second place in the women’s long jump at the prestigious Texas Relays with a leap of 6.48m (nwi) on her second attempt.

The promising athlete finished just one centimetre behind event winner American Jasmine Akins, who narrowly claimed victory with a jump of 6.49m.

With this result, Ochonogor has set a new long jump school record in her Texas Relays debut.

Competing at one of the biggest meets of the outdoor season, the 18-year-old showcased remarkable composure under pressure, demonstrating her technical prowess against established collegiate competitors.

Ochonogor has rapidly risen through the ranks as one of Nigeria’s brightest athletics talents.

The Paris 2024 Olympics finalist began her 2025 season in spectacular fashion, claiming a dominant win at the Southwest Athletics Conference Pre-National Sports Festival Meet in Ile-Ife with a remarkable jump of 6.85m in February.

Her performance at the SWAC Pre-NSF Meet surpassed her previous personal best of 6.79m, though official ratification depends on the meet’s inclusion in the World Athletics Calendar. The 6.79m mark stands as the African U-20 record, which she set at the MTN Champs grand finale in Calabar, breaking the record previously held by Olympic medallist Ese Brume.

Ochonogor’s international breakthrough came at the 2023 African Games in Ghana, where she leaped a windy 6.67m to claim bronze and help Nigeria secure a 1-3 finish alongside Brume. She built on this momentum at the CAA Region II Championships, winning gold before delivering another standout performance at the Nigerian Athletics Championships, securing her first national title with a leap of 6.75m.

Despite narrowly missing out on a podium finish at the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, where she placed fourth, Ochonogor qualified for the Paris Olympics, making history as part of a Nigerian trio that reached the women’s long jump final alongside Brume and Ruth Usoro.

Her impressive 12th-place finish in Paris and subsequent fifth-place result at the World U-20 Championships in Lima, Peru, capped off a remarkable breakthrough season for the young athlete.

With her strong NCAA debut at the Texas Relays, Ochonogor continues to build an impressive trajectory in her burgeoning career, positioning herself as a name to watch in both collegiate and international athletics competitions.