EUGENE, Ore. — Vanderbilt’s Divine Oladipo once again earned All-America honors on the final day of the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the campus of the University of Oregon.
“I am extremely proud of this group of young ladies and the team this year,” Althea Thomas, director of cross country and track and field, said. “Today the greatest thrower to ever wear the V had a hard fought competition in the rain and showed her resilient spirit after each of her throws. Divine has done something for this program that will prove to be the foundation for Vanderbilt throws for years to come.”
The lone Commodore in competition Saturday, Oladipo battled into the top 10 after a misfire on her first throw in the second flight of discus. Her second effort landed at 50.5 meters with her third, and final, attempt at 53.74 meters.
She would conclude the event in 10th overall, just shy of the final round of competition, to be selected second-team All-America. On Thursday, Oladipo’s effort of 17.74 meters in the shot put placed her sixth overall, earning first-team All-America accolades, with the graduate transfer also recording a second-team All-America performance in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
“Divine’s leadership and professionalism has been a catalyst for the growth the entire team has had this year,” Thomas said. “We have progressed in every discipline on the team. We have rewritten seven indoor school records and six outdoor school records this season. We know progress is power, this team and our staff have fought for progress every day, every practice and in every competition.”
Vandy also featured competitors in the 1,500 meters, 400 meters, and 4×400-meter relay on Thursday night. Grace Jensen (4:17.07) finished 11th overall in the 1,500 and Taiya Shelby (51.64) concluded the 400 in 12th place as both Commodores garnered second-team All-America honors. In the final event of the night, the 4×400-meter relay of Madison Fuller, Shelby, Haley Bishop, and Kaira Brown finished with a time of 3:62.62.
