Nigerian high jumper, Temitope Adeshina has secured her place at the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, qualifying for the third consecutive year after a dominant showing at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.

The Texas Tech athlete topped the women’s high jump standings at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Saturday evening, clearing 1.87m alongside her teammate Evelyn Lavielle to advance to the national finals.

What set Adeshina apart from the rest of the field was not just the height she cleared, but the manner in which she did it. She was one of only two jumpers in the entire competition to clear all her heights without a single miss, finishing first overall while Lavielle, who matched her clearance, placed fourth. It was the kind of composed, technically assured performance that has become Adeshina’s trademark, and it confirmed her status as the standout collegiate high jumper heading into the national championships.

The qualification adds further shine to what has already been an exceptional season for the 27-year-old Nigerian record holder. She entered the outdoor campaign having won two indoor titles earlier in the year, including a second consecutive NCAA Indoor Championship in March, where she cleared 1.97m in Fayetteville to become the only athlete in the field to register a first-attempt clearance at both 1.94m and 1.97m. She also claimed her third straight Big 12 indoor high jump crown during the same stretch, establishing herself as one of the most decorated collegiate field athletes of her generation.

Adeshina now heads to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, scheduled for June 10 to 13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon widely considered the spiritual home of American athletics. The outdoor title remains the one prize that has so far eluded her at collegiate level, and with her form, consistency, and personal best of 1.97m firmly in hand, the Nigerian arrives in Eugene as one of the clear favourites to finally complete that collection. Earlier this year, her excellence beyond the track was also recognised when she was named the recipient of the International Student-Athlete Excellence Award in the women’s category at Texas Tech’s 2026 Red and Black Gala.