By Monica Iheakam
Nigeria track and field sensation, Grace Anigbata opened her indoor season with a winning leap at the winter invitational in Manhattan, Kansas State.
The 2019 African Games gold medalist made a stunning leap of 13.07m in the women’s triple jump event to finish ahead of the competition favourite, Chintoba Bright of Guyana who came second with a 12.89 leap.
The Manhattan winter invitational is Anigbata’s first major competition in 10 months since the COVID -19 pandemic started.
Anigbata, formerly with Cloud County Community College, was among the 31 students signed on by the Kansas State track and field team in June 2020 for the 20-21 season.
The 22 -year-old, was the 2019 National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) indoor and outdoor triple jump champion.
Anigbata made history in 2016, when she became Nigeria’s high jump champion at 18 years with a jump of 1.70m. She boasts of personal records of Triple Jump (14.02m/46-0.00), Long Jump (6.01m/19-8.75).