ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KXAN) — When Texas Longhorn sprinters Julien Alfred and Rhasidat Adeleke walk into the Albuquerque Convention Center, their eyes have to light up with happiness.
For the second time this indoor track and field season, and a little more than a month away from the NCAA championships in the same building, both speedsters blazed to school records and improvements on their world-leading times this year.
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Julien Alfred shaved .02 seconds off her already top time in the world in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.00 seconds at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. It’s the world’s fastest time this year, the fastest in Texas program history and it’s the St. Lucia national record, Alfred’s home nation. Alfred also finished second in the 200 with a time of 22.56 seconds, .01 seconds behind winner Favour Ofili of Louisiana State.
Adeleke ran the 400 in 50.45 seconds to set the third-fastest time in NCAA history and set the national record of Ireland, her home nation. It’s the world’s fastest time this year in the event, and it broke the 2016 Texas record set by Courtney Okolo, an 11-time All-American.
Adeleke ran the world-fastest time this year in the 200-meter dash earlier in the season in Albuquerque. She sped to a time of 22.52 seconds to set the Ireland record as well.
The NCAA women’s indoor track and field championships are set for March 10-11 in Albuquerque.
