Temitope Adeshina heads to NCAA Outdoor Championships

Nigerian high jumper Temitope Adeshina has qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The event is set for June 10 to 13 in Eugene, Oregon, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Adeshina topped the women’s high jump at the NCAA West Preliminary Round on Saturday evening. The event took place at John McDonnell Field, where she cleared 1.87m. Her Texas Tech teammate, Evelyn Lavielle, also performed well, finishing behind her.

Adeshina was one of the only two jumpers to clear all her heights without a miss. She finished first overall, with Lavielle coming in fourth place. This marks Adeshina's third straight NCAA Outdoor Championships. She hopes to win the outdoor title that has been just out of reach since she began her college career.

The Nigerian record holder has had a strong season. She won two indoor titles and three Big 12 high jump championships in a row. Earlier this year, the 27-year-old received the International Student-Athlete Excellence Award for women at Texas Tech’s 2026 Red & Black Gala.

After a breakthrough season in 2024, Adeshina set a Nigerian national record. Since then, she has become one of the top high jumpers in college athletics. She also represented Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This made her only the second Nigerian woman to compete in the Olympic high jump, following Doreen Amata's participation in 2008 and 2016.

Adeshina won her first NCAA title in March 2025. She cleared 1.94m at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This achievement made her the first Nigerian to win an NCAA high jump title.

Now, she aims to add the NCAA outdoor title to her list of achievements when the championships kick off in Eugene later this month.