Monday, June 15, 2009 "
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Fi
CONSECUTIVE
CHAMPIONS
BETH HALL/AP
Senior Geena Gall celebrates after her second consecutive National Championship
in the 800-meter race this weekend. Michigan finished seventh in the nation.
Seniors Ofili and Gall
grab consecutive
national titles
By FELIX CARREON
Daily Sports Writer
Seniors and co-captains Tiffany
Ofili and Geena Gall capped their
collegiate careers with a pair of
individual NCAA titles this week-
end, helping the Wolverines grab a
seventh place national finish.
The duo will likely be remem-
bered as two of the best athletes in
the history of the Michigan wom-
en's track and field team. But the
seniors' relationship started before
they ever wore the maize and blue.
As high school seniors, Gall and
Ofili were members of the same
track club that competed at the
2005 Nike Indoor National Meet in
Landover, Md. To get to know one
another better, the members of the
team asked each other's goals for
the meet. Gall told Ofili that all she
wanted was to win.
"This girl is very confident," Ofili
told herself. "Who is this girl? I
was really surprised by it because I
wasn't expecting that answer."
The next day, Ofili watched
as Gall earned a second straight
national title in the 800-meter run
in record-setting fashion.
And this past weekend, the two's
journey reached its climax during
the NCAA Championships in Fay-
etteville, Ark.
As Ofili approached the finish
line of the 100-meter hurdles final,
the usually reserved senior starting
celebrating with a sizable lead over
the rest of the field. The celebration
was almost enough to knock the
pink shades off of her face.
The victory marked Ofili's third
NCAA title in the event and fifth
overall counting the Ypsilanti's
native winsinthe 60-meterhurdles.
See CHAMPS, Page 12