Nigeria's Temitope Adeshina has capped a flawless 2026 season with another major triumph, winning the NCAA outdoor high jump title and completing an unbeaten campaign in the United States collegiate circuit.
Competing at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the 27-year-old secured victory with a first-attempt clearance of 1.96m, adding the outdoor crown to the NCAA indoor titles she won in 2025 and 2026.
The achievement gives Adeshina three NCAA national titles and places her among the most successful athletes in Texas Tech history. She becomes only the second Red Raider to win at least three national championships, joining Sally Kipyego.
Her victory also ended a seven-year wait for Texas Tech in the women's outdoor high jump, making her the first Red Raider to claim the title since Zarriea Willis in 2019.
The Nigerian now accounts for three of Texas Tech's nine national high jump titles across its men's and women's programmes. The others were won by Trey Culver (two), JaCorian Duffield (two) and Willis (two).
Adeshina's latest success is the continuation of a rise that began gathering pace in 2024 when she set Nigerian national records and earned a place at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Although she finished outside the medals, she became only the second Nigerian woman to compete in the Olympic high jump after Doreen Amata, who represented the country at the Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 Games.
Since then, her progress has been remarkable. After claiming her first NCAA title in 2025, she elevated her performances further, remaining undefeated throughout the 2026 season.
Earlier this year, Texas Tech recognised her achievements with the International Student-Athlete Excellence Award in the women's category at the university's 2026 Red & Black Gala.
The NCAA Championships also concluded a successful outdoor season for Texas Tech, which produced two Big 12 team titles and seven first-team All-America honours.
For Nigeria, Adeshina's unbeaten season and growing collection of titles underscore the country's continued ability to produce athletes capable of excelling on some of the world's biggest sporting stages. Her latest victory is not just another championship, it is further proof of a career steadily reaching new heights.
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