Making of Champions quartermiler Ifunanya Muoghalu ended her campaign at the Commonwealth Games Trials held at the Abuja National Stadium by running to a 3rd place finish, not in her trademark event, but in the women’s 200m final on Day 3 of the competition.
Muoghalu had earlier competed in the 400m on Day 1 where she finished 5th in the heats and didn’t advance to the final. She however shifted her attention to the half-lap race on Day 2 and stormed to 2nd position in Heat 2, clocking a then Personal Best (PB) of 24.27s to finish behind Isoken Igbinosun.
In the final, the UNIPORT student gave the race her all as she pursued Igbinosun down the home straight, with the latter taking the race in 23.33s while Mercy Ntia-Obong returned a PB of 23.82s in 2nd place. Muoghalu lowered her PB by 0.02s to finish 3rd as another MoC athlete, Moyosore Badejo settled for 4th in 24.75s. The former Unilag athlete had previously won her heat with 24.45s.
Moughalu also competed in the women’s 4x100m relay on the final day of competition where she ran the third leg, having teamed up with Joy Udo-Gabriel, Badejo and Chiamaka Egbochinam to finish 3rd in a time of in a time of 46.21s, as the Customs team and CDA came 1st and 2nd respectively.
Muoghalu wasn’t the only MoC athlete in action on Day 3 of the competition. Jerry Jakpa who won his heat and semifinal race, also sped to 3rd place in the men’s 200m with a time of 21.32s, joining Joy Udo-Gabriel who finished 3rd in the women’s 100m the day before, clocking a time of 11.70s.
Shell-sponsored Chiamaka Egbochinam who opened her 2018 season at the Commonwealth Games Trials, also enjoyed an impressive outing at the competition. The 16-year old was inspired to a PB as Rosemary Chukwuma won the race in 11.67s while Egbochinam clocked a lifetime best of 12.01s in 2nd place. She then raced to another 2nd place finish in the semis to advance to the final where she placed 7th.
Emmanuel Ojeli and teammate Segun Akhigbe competed in the men’s 400m event, with the former racing to 2nd place behind Isah Salihu in the heats clocking 48.46s, while the latter settled for 3rd in his own heat with a time of 49.81s. Ojeli then ran in the semis where he placed 3rd, with Orukpe Erayokan winning the race. However he finished 9th overall in the rankings, narrowly missing a place in the final.
Akhigbe also ran in the 200m, finishing 3rd in his heat and then 5th in the semis, while Edwin ran in Heat 5 of the men’s 100m where he placed 5th in his heat. He then shifted focus to the 200m where he was 2nd to Ogho-Oghene Egwero in his heat and then finished 5th in the semis.
16-year old Ekpekpe was also in action in the men’s 200m, racing to 2nd place behind Chibuike Egbochinam in his heat where he clocked a PB of 22.18s, before settling for 4th position in the semis.
ND Western-sponsored Bowofoluwa Egbeyemi also opened his season at the Commonwealth Games Trials and was pitted against Men’s 100m National Champion Seye Ogunlewe in his heat.
Ogunlewe easily won the race in 10.31s, while eventual champion Enoch Adegoke followed in 10.43s as Egbeyemi settled for 4th position. He also competed in the 200m where he secured a 3rd place finish in his heat.
Bowofoluwa who is being sponsored by ND Western, opened his 2018 season at the Commonwealth Games Trials in Abuja where he competed in the 100m and 200m.
MoC’s 4x100m men’s quartet of Edwin, Jakpa, Ekpekpe and Ojeli ran in Heat 1 of the men’s 4x100m event where they finished 4th, with the Nigerian Police team and Team NSCDC racing to 1st and 2nd positions respectively.