Echikunwoke Caps Career With Another All-America Honor

Annette Echikunwoke captured her fifth career All-America honor and the women's 4x100m relay was one place shy of earning the same as action came to a close late Thursday night for the University of Cincinnati track and field program at the 2019 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas.

Opens in a new window Day 2 Results
Echikunwoke Caps Career With Another All-America HonorEchikunwoke Caps Career With Another All-America Honor

CINCINNATI - Annette Echikunwoke captured her fifth career All-America honor and the women's 4x100m relay was one place shy of earning the same as action came to a close late Thursday night for the University of Cincinnati track and field program at the 2019 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas. Five members of the program competed on the day with Echikunwoke leading the way in ninth place in the shot put while the remaining four women - Caisja Chandler, Haisha Bisiolu, Faith Banks and Tiona Lattimore - raced to a 17th-place showing in the 4x100m relay, missing All-America honors by just one place.

// CAREER CAPPED
Echikunwoke, one of two Bearcats that competed in two events on the day, closed her day with the shot put where she sent the ball out to 16.72m on her second attempt to secure a place in the Top 9 and reach the finals. On her final attempt as a member of the Bearcats program, Echikunwoke let the ball go a little further out, this time measuring a toss of 16.78m (55-00.75), her second-best throw at UC and missing her own school record by 1cm (16.79m). Entering with a season-best of 16.55m ahead of the meet, Echikunwoke pieced together a solid series as she recorded a mark in all six rounds with four of those marks measuring out past 53', including two season-bests and one that just shy of (16.53m). This all came after the hammer competition in which she placed 23rd overall with a best of 58.57m (192-02).

With her final NCAA meet behind her, Echikunwoke's career will be remembered as among the best in program history. The program's lone national champion following her victory at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships in the weight throw, Echikunwoke exits Clifton with five All-America honors, including four on the first team and one second team, which makes her the second-most decorated woman in program history behind only Loretta Blaut's six national honors while sitting fourth all-time at UC as both Adrian Valles (2015-18) and Al Lanier (1972-73) earned six for the men as well.

// OH SO CLOSE
The relay was so close to joining Echikunwoke as All-Americans this year as the quartet of Chandler, Bisiolu, Banks and Lattimore combined to run 44.10, finishing 17th overall. In the meet, the Top 8 earn USTFCCCA All-America First Team while places nine through 16 are Second Team selections. The relay, which made history this year by qualifying to the national finals for the first time in program history (men and women included), posted the second-best time in program history, just off their 43.81 run two weeks ago at the NCAA East Preliminary Round meet in Jacksonville, Fla. With tonight's time, the team has recorded five of the Top 11 times in program history this season. Additionally, senior Bisiolu, who also competed for the last time with the Bearcats, is now listed on the Top 9 times ever run in program history while Lattimore, a junior, is listed on seven of those relays.

// FABULOUS FRESHMAN SEASON
In the only other individual event of the day involving a member of the program, Chandler took part in the semifinals of the 200m and turned in a time of 23.41 to finish 22nd overall in her first national appearance. Chandler, who did not advance to the final, saw her season come to a close, a season that saw her shred the record books in her first collegiate outdoor campaign. The 2019 American Athletic Conference Female Freshman of the Year (indoors and out), Chandler posted top times of 11.30 and 22.97 in the 100m and 200m, respectively, giving her four school records as she broke the freshman and the all-time marks in both events. Add to it her running the lead leg of the three fastest 4x100m relays in program history and the school record in the 4x200m relay and the future looks bright for Chandler.

// IN THE BLOCKS
With the completion of today's events, the 2019 collegiate season has come to a close for the Bearcats. Several individuals will continue to compete throughout the summer both nationally and internationally, including the USATF Junior and USATF Senior Nationals Championships.

2019 NCAA Championship Finals
Mike A. Myers Stadium (Texas) • Austin, Texas
June 6, 2019 • Day 2 Results
Women's Results
200m Dash • Semifinal

22. Caisja Chandler • 23.41 (-0.1)

4x100m Relay • Semifinal
17. Cincinnati • 44.10 • UC #2
       Chandler, Bisiolu, Banks, Lattimore

Shot Put • FINAL
9. Annette Echikunwoke • 16.78m (55-00.75) • USTFCCCA All-America Second Team

Hammer • FINAL
23. Annette Echikunwoke • 58.57m (192-02)