FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. -- Michigan senior Tiffany Ofili, who was named the outstanding women's performer of the 2009 Drake Relays, and Georgia junior Chris Hill, who was named the outstanding men's performer of the 2008 Drake Relays, captured titles in their respective events during the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Three other performers from the 2009 Drake Relays also won NCAA individual crowns, while the Texas women who won the 4x400 relay at the 2009 Drake Relays also were successful at the NCAA Championship.
Ofili won her third straight NCAA title in the women's 100 hurdles in 12.96 seconds Saturday. She became the first athlete to win three straight NCAA titles in the 100 hurdles since Miami's Gillian Russell accomplished the feat from 1993 to 1995.
Ofili was the only collegian in the 2009 Drake Relays women's invitational 100 hurdles field which included two-time world champion Perdita Felicien and Lolo Jones, who was ranked No. 1 in the world last year. Ofili won the Drake Relays crown in 12.82 which was the second fastest U.S. time in the women's 100 hurdles at the time, while surpassing her previous season best of 12.88 at the Texas Relays. Ofili's time also was the third fastest in the world this year.
Ofili had won the 2008 Drake Relays university-college division 100 hurdles as well as the 2008 NCAA Outdoor title at Drake Stadium.
Hill defended his title in the men's javelin with a throw of 268 feet 4 inches Friday night. Hill set a Drake Relays record in the university-college javelin at 268-1 in 2008 which was the best throw by any collegian in the United States at that time as well as the second best overall throw by an American.
Texas, which won the women's university 4x400 relay at the 2009 Drake Relays, captured the NCAA title in the women's 4x400 relay in 3:28.51. Alexandria Anderson ran a 50.93 split on her third leg. Anderson ran the opening leg on the Longhorns' winning 4x400 relay which was clocked in 3:35.08 at Drake.
Destinee Hooker of Texas won the NCAA crown in the women's high jump at 6-4.75. She failed to clear a height in the 2009 Drake Relays invitational women's high jump. She did set the Drake Stadium record of 6-4 at the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional.
Indiana State junior Kylie Hutson won the NCAA title in the women's pole vault, soaring 14-5.25. She was fourth at the 2009 Drake Relays at 13-1.50.
Scott Sellers from Kansas State won the NCAA men's title in the high jump at 7-5. Sellers failed to clear a height in the men's invitational at the 2009 Drake Relays.
Georgia senior Justin Gaymon, who won four straight Drake Relays university-college 400 hurdle crowns, was third in the NCAA Meet in the 400 hurdles in 49.02.
North Dakota State senior Laura Hermanson, who won the 2009 Drake Relays women's university-college 800 (2:07.12), finished second in the NCAA meet in 2:01.37.
