Mary Laha has continued her rapid rise in collegiate athletics, delivering a statement performance to open her outdoor season at the Bobcat Invitational in the United States.
The Iowa Western freshman clocked a personal best of 13.82 seconds (+1.1 m/s) in the women’s 100m hurdles, marking her first time dipping below the 14-second barrier.
The performance not only secured her a standout finish in Section B but also underlined her growing status as one of Nigeria’s emerging sprint hurdle prospects.
Laha’s progression has been consistent since the start of the year. During the indoor season, she impressed at the Washburn Open, improving from 8.78 seconds in the heats to 8.68 seconds in the final of the 60m hurdles.
That performance currently places her among the top-ranked athletes in the NJCAA this season, reflecting both her competitiveness and steady development.
She also showcased her speed at the Iowa State Cyclones Invitational, where she ran 7.74 seconds in the heats before lowering it to a personal best of 7.67 seconds in the final.
These performances across multiple events highlight her versatility and technical improvement, particularly in her hurdle clearance and race execution.
Remarkably, Laha’s rise comes just months after arriving in the United States, making her swift adaptation to collegiate competition even more impressive.
Her ability to consistently improve times in both indoor and outdoor events suggests a strong work ethic and effective coaching environment at Iowa Western.
With her latest breakthrough, Laha has firmly positioned herself as a talent to watch this season.
As she continues to build momentum, attention will turn to how she translates these performances into bigger meets.
For now, her sub-14 run stands as a defining moment—one that signals the arrival of a promising new force in Nigerian athletics.
