The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Surging ahead
Ofili is excelling in college
By Dave Merchant, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 10, 2008
Excelling in track and field was never a doubt for Tiffany Ofili.
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The Ypsilanti High School alumni and current University of Michigan hurdler and sprinter has amassed quite the collegiate career since her glory days as a Brave.
Last month she won the 60-meter hurdles setting a personal best time of 7.94 seconds at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
This also helped her to make history when the Wolverines took third place for its best ever indoor finish in the program. Winning is something she is accustom to as she won the 100-meter hurdles national championship at last year's NCAA Outdoors.
"I love to run and I love to compete," Ofili who is a junior and co-captain of the team said. "I love the short hurdles and I love the long jump."
In high school, Ofili preferred the 300-meter hurdles better than the 100-meter hurdles but she also loved the long jump, the sprints and both the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays.
Tom Micallef, her former coach at Ypsilanti High, said he knew he had a special athlete when he coached her.
"I knew she had potential," Micallef said. "And I knew she had the potential to go to that elite level. She has been well coached at every level."
Another one of her coaches at Ypsilanti High was Chris Jonik who she gives a lot of credit to as well. Micallef also said her coach at the University of Michigan, James Henry, also has done a superb job.
"She has the work ethic and she works hard," Micallef continued. "I am not surprised with how well she has done. She was one of maybe two or three girls who had that kind of talent that I coached over the years."
Micallef said one of the keys to succeeding in college is constantly working hard and making your self get better.
"We knew she was definitely a player in the Big 10," he said. "One thing about being a national champion in the NCAA is that your time may be good enough to win it one year and the talent so deep you may take third. She has gotten better every year and her times right now rank her in the top five in the world."
It sure looks like Ofili is busy. When she isn't practicing or participating in the indoor and outdoor seasons of track and field she is working hard in the pre-pharmacy program at the University of Michigan.
"I really like chemistry a lot," she said. "And I want to work in the health profession."
Going to the University of Michigan to run was something she had dreamed of since the sixth grade. It was not a difficult decision for her to make once she knew the Wolverines wanted her to run track.
"I signed early with them after only two visits," she said. "I have been able to travel all over the country with them and the University of Michigan is a top notch program."
She said that track at the collegiate level has really opened her eyes to a lot of fun experiences. Ofili has gotten to run in other countries as well. In the past since high school she has competed in Beijing, China and El Salvador.
"Every time I go out I try to raise the bar," she said. "There is always room to get better."
One of her main points of the sport is to go out and have fun and not always take it too seriously.
"You have to keep it in perspective," she said. "You are not always going to win every race that you should. You have to love to run and keep believing in yourself."
She stressed how important believing in yourself is stating that things will bring you down but you have to move press forward and work hard.
Recently she went back and visited her old stomping grounds at Ypsilanti High School and she spoke with some of the athletes at the school.
For her, the academic as well as athletic portion of high school proved to be very important in making her who she is today.
"Coach Mick was a great coach," she said. "He really inspired me and believed in me."
Her parents, Felix and Lillian, also are a big part of her success and support system.
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