Divine Oduduru has won his first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title in the men’s 200 meters final with a time of 20.28s at Hayward Field, Eugene.
Despite running from lane 8, Oduduru secured the win for his school Texas Tech, winning by a one-hundredth of a second. Florida State’s Andre Ewer was 2nd in 20.29s, while Kendal Williams finished 3rd in 20.32s
The NCAA organises national championship among tertiary institutions in the United States of America (USA).
Divine Oduduru joins other Nigerian athletes to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title, which includes Blessing Okagbare and Oluwatobiloba Amusan.
In the words of Divine Oduduru:
“Today when I found out I was in lane 8, I was like I have to do something because 2014 I was here for the World Juniors and I ran from lane 8 also and I qualified. So I said okay, if I could do that at the World Juniors, I could do that here too.
So that was part of my encouragement, and I encouraged myself, and I beat myself up and said okay it’s time to go. I just had to do what I have been doing at practice and I got the result.
I told God, ‘if you make me win this race, I’m going to dance a dance that shows that I’m grateful to you’.”
Divine Oduduru is the first Texas Tech athlete ever to win a 200 meters National Title.
