Joy Udo-Gabriel storms back to national reckoning with 60m title and record-breaking time at NCAA DII Championships
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Former Nigerian sprint queen Joy Udo-Gabriel bounced back to national reckoning after winning the 60m title in a record-breaking time at the NCAA DII Championships on Saturday.
The 25-year-old stormed to a new Personal Best (PB) of 7.11s to win the women’s 60m event at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships with her time lowering her DII record of 7.13s set earlier this month.
Joy Udo-Gabriel (MSSU) 🇳🇬 storms to a PB & NCAA D2 Record of 7.11s to win the women's 60m title at the NCAA DII Championships!!🔥
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) March 15, 2025
🎥 @NCAATrackField pic.twitter.com/m7uU3CVlt0
Her outstanding run saw her easily see off Alexis Brown who ran 7.28s to finish second and E’lexis Hollis was third in 7.36s.
Udo-Gabriel's brilliant mark is the second fastest time by a Nigerian this year behind Tima Godbless’ 7.08s and joint 10th in the Nigerian all-time list with 1999 World Athletics Championships’ 100m finalist, Mercy Nku.
The Missouri Southern State University student-athlete has now put the US collegiate circuit on notice and will be one of the favourites for an exceptional outdoor season.
🚨 NATIONAL CHAMPION 🚨
— MSSU XC & T&F (@MoSoXCTF) March 15, 2025
Joy Udo-Gabriel is the National Champion in the women's 60m dash with a new DII all-time record, National meet record and MSSU School record with a time of 7.11 seconds! Congratulations, Joy! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/6kwstmOSQt
In addition, she has unarguably blazed her way back in the Nigerian national team, as her last outing for the country was at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
At international level, Udo-Gabriel won 100m bronze medal at the 2018 African Championships, a 4x100m bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, as well as 4x100m relay gold medal at the 2019 African Games.
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