The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/544673
(indoors) and the 200-meter dash (indoors), establishing a new school record in the 100-meter dash with a semifinals time of 11.39 seconds at NCAAs to better Sierra Hauser-Price's 10-year-old mark of 11.41 seconds. However, her best event and best chance to win an NCAA title is in the 100-meter hurdles, where her long legs and strength provide the opportunity to snuff out her competitors and overcome an off-the- blocks handicap. "She's been settling for an average start," head coach James Henry said. "She's worried about jumping early so she holds back a little bit, and it cost her the win at NCAAs. So that's something we need to continue working on. She has the speed once she releases to close on anyone ahead of her." Ofili's nervousness at the national finals is understandable. At the 2014 outdoor meet, the Ypsilanti native failed to advance out of heat three despite winning the event at the conference championships. This past winter, she won the 60-meter hurdles at the 2015 Big Ten Indoor Championships and placed in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, but then again failed to qualify for the finals at the NCAA Championships in March after hitting a hurdle and falling in a semifinal heat. "She wasn't going to get a do-over, but what we talked about last spring after NCAAs was making something great out of her disappointment," Henry said. "And then in the winter, she was devastated, but we said that there was a purpose to what happened and we're going to turn that purpose into a positive. "During her career, Tiffany had to learn to excel from success, and Cindy is the other way — having to learn from disappointment and failure. "Both ways come with challenges, but Tiffany found a way to get better, and Cindy went out there at Nationals this summer and showed everyone what she is capable of." The youngest of four Division I athlete siblings, following Frank (football, Toledo), Alex (football, Michigan) and Tiffany, Ofili had it in her genes to succeed, but she shares something more important with her brothers and sister — an insatiable work ethic. She also was not scared by the prospect of following in Tiffany's footsteps, knowing the shadow she cast was large. "At first, I looked at other schools, but on my visit to Michigan I fell in love with the team and my future teammates and the team chemistry," she said. "I used to go to my sister 's track meets and something about Coach Henry and Michigan track fascinated me. I saw what Tiffany was able to accomplish athletically, and academically as well, and to see how much she got out of Michigan, it motivated me to come here." A quick study, Ofili had a pair of top-three individual finishes at Big Ten meets in her rookie season, and captured her first conference crown with a win in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2014 indoor meet before claiming the 100-meter hurdles title at the Big Ten's outdoor meet the same year.