Tobi Amusan inducted into University of Texas Hall of Fame

Nigerian track and field star Tobi Amusan, renowned for her prowess in the 100m hurdles, has been inducted into the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Hall of Fame.

This honour comes seven years after her graduation from the institution.

The world record holder was celebrated alongside athletes Beto Bautista (men’s basketball), Izabela Piekarska (women’s basketball), Tony Tolbert (football), and Brandon Wolfram (men’s basketball) during UTEP’s 21st induction ceremony on October 15.

In a heartfelt announcement on Sunday, the 27-year-old expressed her pride: “I humbly introduce to you the youngest female miner to be inducted into UTEP’s Hall Of Fame Class of 2024. Three semesters as a miner and the rest is…great is God’s faithfulness.”

Reflecting on her time at UTEP from January 2016 to August 2017, Amusan thanked her coaches, teammates, and the university staff for their support. “I received a full-ride scholarship that allowed me to focus on maximizing my athletic abilities while studying full-time. It truly took a village; I cherished every moment of being a student-athlete,” she shared.

Amusan’s collegiate career was remarkable. She won the 100m hurdles title at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a time of 12.57 seconds, earned three All-American titles, and was the NCAA runner-up in 2016. She also became a five-time Conference USA champion and still holds UTEP records in the indoor 60m hurdles (7.98 seconds) and outdoor 100m hurdles (12.57 seconds).

Her honours extend beyond UTEP, including her induction into the Conference USA Hall of Fame in 2023. Currently, Amusan is the 100m hurdles world record holder, achieving a historic 12.12 seconds at the 2022 World Championships, where she also became Nigeria’s first-ever world champion in athletics.

Over her career, Amusan has represented Nigeria in three Olympic Games and secured titles as a four-time African Games champion, five-time African champion, three-time Diamond League winner, and two-time Commonwealth Games champion.