LSU track and field’s senior sprinter Ella Onojuvwevwo made history to conclude the Tigers’ indoor season — again.
Onojuvwevwo, a few weeks after earning gold in the SEC indoor championship, broke her 400-meter dash record on the first day of this year’s NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Tigers’ head coach Dennis Shaver has said time and time again that Onojuvwevwo has something outside of track that he cannot coach: the drive to be great.
Onojuvwevwo clocked a 50.28-second 400-meter to set the fastest women’s collegiate time this season during the championship. Not only was this the fastest dash time out of all collegiate sprinters, but Onojuvwevwo clocked the fastest time in the world for this indoor season.
On the first day of the championship, in the heat prior to Onojuvwevwo’s, Georgia’s senior sprinter Dejanea Oakley ran a relaxed 51.43-second 400-meter to win her heat and hold the fastest time so far in the day. Oakley was the runner-up behind Onojuvwevwo in the SEC championship. All Onojuvwevwo had to do was beat Oakley’s time to place first in the event once more.
To begin the second heat, Onojuvwevwo faced three other runners: USC’s Madison Whyte, Arkansas’ Sanaria Butler and BYU’s Sami Oblad. Whyte was the Big Ten 400-meter champion and previous 2026 collegiate leader in the dash with a 50.82-second time.
Onojuvwevwo started in the fifth lane, quickly easing around the turn of the track to take a lead ahead of Whyte about 21 seconds into the heat, Butler and Oblad not far behind. Whyte challenged Onojuvwevwo the entire race, a consistent step right behind her as she moved over into the second lane to try and take a lead ahead of the senior.
Despite the competition being close, Onojuvwevwo pushed even harder to build a gap as the heat neared the finish line at the 50-second mark. Her composed pace and determination led to her 50.28-second finish to advance to the finals. Whyte inched behind her with a 50.68-second time and Butler ran a 50.70-second 400-meter to go below the 51-second mark.
This time saw Onojuvwevwo record a career-best 400-meter time, and the fastest time clocked in LSU’s program history. This record places her No. 5 in all-time collegiate history.
She also became the fastest sprinter in African indoor track and field history, a record that had not been topped in 28 years.
In the championship finals, Onojuvwevwo earned a bronze medal to bring back home to Baton Rouge. She placed third with a time of 50.76 seconds in what was only her second meet running the 400-meter this season. Onojuvwevwo finished behind Oakley, who placed first at 50.47 seconds, and Whyte, who clocked 50.68 seconds.
In addition to Onojuvwevwo, a few other Tigers competed in two other events to close out the indoor season as well.
Junior Justine Jimoh competed for the Tigers in the men’s high jump, his first-ever appearance in the NCAA indoor championship. Jimoh placed ninth in the event with a clearance of 2.15 meters.
The Tigers also competed in the men’s 4×400-meter relay with a newer set of sprinters: junior Grant Buckmiller, senior Shakeem McKay, sophomore Amal Glasgow and redshirt freshman Malachi Austin. The four finished ninth overall on the final day with a time of 3:05.28, aided by Glasgow’s 400-meter split of 45.92 seconds.
With LSU’s indoor season now concluded, the Tigers look ahead to what will be a competitive outdoor season beginning March 21 with the LSU Opener at Bernie Moore Track Stadium.
