Aug. 1, 2007

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Incoming track and field freshman Monique Ositelu earned two top ten finishes at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympics, held in Walnut, Calif., this week.

Ositelu finished tenth in the preliminaries of the 800m run with a time of 2:17.44. In the preliminaries of the 1500m, Ositelu finished 11th with a mark of 5:04.83, a time good enough to qualify her for the finals of the event. In the finals, Ositelu finished seventh, improving her time to 4:50.07 and earning a bronze medal. Ositelu qualified for the National Junior Olympics by placing first in the 800m and second in the 1500m at the Region 3 championships.

Ositelu attended James M. Bennett High School, where she holds a school record in the 4x800m relay. She also holds the school record and tied the state record as a senior with a time of 58.6 in the 400m. Ositelu holds Bennett's top time in the 800m with a time of 2:15, and was regional champion in that event as a junior and second in the state as a senior. She broke yet another school record as a senior in the indoor 500m with a time of 1:17, and another in the 3200m as a senior with a time of 11:26.09, good for third place in the state. She placed third at state in the 1600m run as a senior and broke her sixth school record with a mark of 5:08. Ositelu earned all-state honors in 2004, 2006, and an honorable mention in 2007, was named Female Athlete of the Year and Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year. She was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated magna cum laude.