St. John's University Athletics
Blessing Egwu To Compete At The African Championships
8/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
Red Storm track and field alumnus will throw against Africa???s best athletes.
St. John???s track and field alumnus Blessing Egwu will participate at the 15th Africa Senior Athletics Championships at the Germain Commarmond Stadium in Bambous, Mauritius. The competition will run Wednesday through Sunday. Egwu is a member of the Nigerian national team and will compete in the hammer throw and the shot put.
"We are very pleased and proud of Blessing???s accomplishments as a track and field student-athlete here at St. John???s," said St. John???s head coach Jim Hurt. "We wish her all the best at the African Games this week."
The African Championships will feature more than 450 of Africa???s finest athletes from 49 countries. Athletes are vying for a place on the African team to participate at the World Cup in Athens, Greece from Sept. 16-17.
Egwu was a member of the Red Storm track and field team from 2002-06. She holds the school record in the hammer throw with a mark of 196???6". During her senior campaign this past spring, Egwu won the hammer throw at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships for the second straight year and took third place in the shot put. She also finished second at the ECAC Championships and placed eighth at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships in the hammer throw. She also qualified and competed at the NCAA Championships in the hammer.
"Blessing, with Coach Virginia Coleman???s tutelage, has developed her ability to the international level and we appreciate all her hard work and dedication over the past five years," said Hurt. "From Hillcrest High School to St. John???s and now to Africa, Blessing epitomizes what can be accomplished in the sport and joins a long line of St. John???s track and field athletes who have competed on the international stage."
