Unbeaten Adeshina completes NCAA sweep

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Nigerian record holder Temitope Adeshina capped an undefeated season by claiming her first NCAA outdoor title on Sunday at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

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Adeshina secured her third NCAA crown after clearing 1.96m on her first attempt. She had previously won the indoor high jump titles in 2025 and 2026.

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The Nigerian became the second Texas Tech athlete to win at least three national titles, joining Sally Kipyego. She is also the first Red Raider to win the women’s high jump at the outdoor championships since Zarriea Willis triumphed in Austin in 2019.

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Overall, Texas Tech athletes have now won nine national titles in the event across the men’s and women’s programmes — Adeshina (three), Trey Culver (two), JaCorian Duffield (two) and Willis (two).

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The NCAA Championships marked the end of the Red Raiders’ outdoor season, which yielded two Big 12 team titles and seven first-team All-America honours.

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The 27-year-old enjoyed a remarkable season, remaining unbeaten in every competition she entered.

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Earlier this year, she won the International Student-Athlete Excellence Award in the women’s category at the 2026 Red & Black Gala of Texas Tech.

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Following her breakthrough year in 2024, when she set Nigerian national records, Adeshina went on to claim her first NCAA title in 2025. She also represented Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she finished outside the medal positions.

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She is only the second Nigerian woman to compete in the Olympic high jump after Doreen Amata, who represented the country at the Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 Games.

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