LSU Women finish 4th at NCAAs, Armstrong claims national title in 100 meter hurdles

Eugene, Ore.  –  The LSU women’s track and field team closed out the 2022 collegiate season with a fourth place team finish as the Tigers scored a total of 39 team points at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field. Alia Armstrong won the first national title of her career in the 100 meter hurdles as well.

Final Results

Alia Armstrong seized the moment on the national stage with a winning time of 12.57 in the 100 meter hurdles. The time was pretty impressive as the athletes had to deal with some precipitation on the track. Armstrong’s title was LSU’s first in the 100 meter hurdles at the NCAA meet since Joyce Bates did so in 2000 with a time of 12.85.

The product of St. Katharine Drexel Prep in New Orleans has a big summer ahead. Armstrong will have a chance to secure a spot on Team USA at the World Championships that will take place in Eugene in July.

“Surprisingly this was my first time ever running in the rain,” Armstrong mentioned after her win. “Honestly I just locked in and got the job done. I knew everybody was running in the same conditions as me.

“This (win) means the absolute world to me. I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a baby. The fact that I made it and made my mom proud, that’s all that matters.”

Favour Ofili was LSU’s highest point scorer of the meet as she racked up 13.25 of LSU’s 39 team points. Individually, Ofili took silver in the 200 meters with a time of 22.05 and fifth in the 100 meters with a readout of 11.17. Ofili has been superb for the Tigers all season long and she will look to have a big summer ahead as well as she has already qualified to represent her home country of Nigeria in the World Championships in July.

The women’s 4×100 meter relay started the day with a fourth place finish in the event. The quartet of Alia Armstrong, Favour Ofili, Tionna Beard-Brown, and Thelma Davies circled the track in a time of 42.62 for a fourth place finish and five points.

In the women’s high jump, Nyagoa Bayak cleared a bar of 6’ (1.83 meters). That clearance earned her a three-way tie for sixth place which resulted in a sixth place finish. The final scorer of the meet for LSU was Katy-Ann McDonald in the 800 meters; in her final race as a Tiger resulted in an eighth place finish with a time of 2:03.57.

Other Results
Morgan Smalls – 17^th – High Jump – 5’ 9.75” (1.77m)

Point Scorers – LSU
Alia Armstrong – 100m Hurdles – 12.57 – 1^st (10 pts)
Favour Ofili – 200 Meters – 22.05 – 2^nd (8 pts)
Lisa Gunnarsson – Pole Vault – 14’ 7.25” (4.45m) – 3^rd (6 pts)
4×100 Relay – Armstrong, Ofili, Beard-Brown, Davies – 42.62 (5 pts)
Favour Ofili – 100 Meters – 11.17 – 5^th (4 pts)
Morgan Smalls – Long Jump – 21’ 2.75” (6.47m) – 6^th (3 pts)
Nyagoa Bayak – High Jump – 6’ (1.83m) – T6th (2 pts)
Katy-Ann McDonald – 800 Meters – 2:03.57 – 8^th (1 pt)

Team Scores