Efekoro Leads UVA on Opening Day of NCAAs
June 6, 2018
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EUGENE, Ore.- Redshirt junior Oghenakpobo Efekoro. (Brooklyn, N.Y.) opened competition for the Virginia men’s track and field team on Wednesday (June 6) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field with a first-team All-America honor in the shot put.
Efekoro qualified for the finals on his last attempt in the semifinal round, after faulting on his two previous attempts. In the finals, he posted two marks beyond 20-meters with his best mark reaching 20.28m (66’6.5″). The season-best effort placed him sixth in the finals, earning first-team All-America honors.
Graduate student Mike Marsella (Hope Valley, R.I.) extended his college career, advancing to the finals on Friday of the 1500m. He ran a time of 3:48.01 to capture the seventh-best time of the day. He will race in the finals on Friday at 8:42 p.m. Eastern.
“Pobo (Efekoro) again proved why he has been one of the best shot putters in the NCAA for the last two years,” assistant coach Martin Maric said. “To come back from two fouls in the toughest shot put fields in the history in the NCAA and get a season best speaks volumes about him. It’s been a great privilege to coach him so far. It’s exhilarating to know he has one more year.”
Virginia finished the day in 25th place with three points. After the first day of competition, Georgia leads with 20 points, followed by Mississippi State in second with 18 points and Akron in third with 16 points.
Also competing during the day, junior Hilmar Jonsson (Reykjavik, Iceland) recorded a mark of 69.94m (229’5″) in the hammer throw. He finished 11th in the event to earn second-team All-America honors.
Freshman Alfred Shirley III (Chesapeake, Va.) ran a time of 46.06 in the 400m dash. He finished 15th for second-team honors.
The Virginia women’s team will open competition tomorrow. Redshirt junior Bridget Guy (Greensburg, Pa.) will compete in the pole vault, while sophomore Andrenette Knight (Morant Bay, Jamaica) will race in the 400m hurdles.