Prior to qualifying for two events in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions this past winter and again this spring, Miriam Okwudibonye could sum her track & field career up in one paragraph.
“Last year was my first year doing track,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was good at or what I liked last year, and Monty (coach Dan Montferrat) put me in the 400 meters; my first ever four dash. I got a 64 in that. That was not bad at all. I felt like this was my event and a big part of myself, and I felt like I could do more. During the summer I worked hard. And I told myself this year I really need to come out and show the world who I am.”
She did just that, not only in the 400 meters, but also the 400 intermediate hurdles and 200 meters this spring. The things she accomplished after using last season as basically an introduction to the sport, is pretty mind blowing.
“She’s just a hard worker,” said Danny Johnson, who returned to coach Ewing this year after a stint at Hopewell Valley. “She’s a competitor. She doesn’t like to lose at all, so she just puts it in each day at practice and puts it together come meet time.”
Okwudibonye was never really an athlete growing up. The closest she got to any sport was cycling, which didn’t last long. But in the summer of 2020 her cousin, Mykeal Okwudibonye, suggested she give track a shot. Mykeal, a year older than Miriam, had been doing it since middle school and had some success at Ewing. He’s currently in the military and will be headed for Rutgers in the fall.
“He’s really good at track and thought I should try it,” Okwudibonye said. “He just had this idea that I’d be good at track. He’s like my role model. I showed up and I was good at it.”
She was good for a beginner, putting up decent times for someone doing her first year of track. She did not do the 400 meters or 400 hurdles in the Colonial Valley Conference Championships, but did take fifth in the 110 hurdles and was 12th in the long jump.
Miriam didn’t even do those events much this season, focusing on the 200 and 400 meters and intermediate hurdles. With just one year left, it didn’t look like she had much time to make an impact. But, the rising senior was not going out without a fight.
“My cousin helped me out in the summer,” Okwudibonye said. “I was kind of lazy last year, but he woke me up every morning saying ‘Go to the track!’”
Upon returning this year, Johnson saw Miriam’s potential and had a conversation with her.
“We talked about it indoor season and she just bought into what I was saying; and it pretty much went from there honestly,” Johnson said. “I told her she could be great. I asked her whether she wants to be good or wants to be great, and she wants to be great.”
It was the kind of discussion that instills confidence, which means the world to an athlete.
“It speaks volumes for them,” Johnson said. “I think it allows her to approach each meet like she’s one of the best runners out there and compete at a high level each time.”
Okwudibonye absorbed her coach’s words in a big way.
“Johnson is really the best,” she said. “He helped me out during my journey. He pushed me past my comfort zone. He was the one that actually put me in the four hurdles and thought I’d be good at it. In winter track he actually had been telling me ‘You’re gonna be good in the four hurdles.’ I was like ‘No, I’m not doing it.’ He said “Nope, you’re doing it.’ So I gave it a try and was good at it.”
There are not 400 hurdles during indoor meets but Miriam experienced her first real success this past winter in other events.
At the Mercer County Championships she finished fourth in the 400 in 62.87. In the Central Jersey Group II meet (Ewing is Group II in winter, Group III in spring), she was fourth in the 400 (61.92) and second in the 55 (7.47). Miriam then took a third-place medal in the 400 (61.14) and fifth-place medal in the 55 (7:49) at the Group II state meet.
Although finishing 13th in the Meet of Champions, Akwudibonye produced an indoor PR of 60.27 in the 400.
Not bad for a first true season of taking what she learned the previous year and actually applying it to competition.
“Her winter season was phenomenal,” Johnson said. “I told her she didn’t even peak indoors and that was the great part about it. She hit the 60 mark and wasn’t even peaking yet. I told her she’ll hit sub-60 outdoors and she did it right away.”
Akwudibonye’s outdoor season was even more impressive.
It started with the Mercer County meet, in which she won the 400 (58.43) and 400 hurdles (64.03); and took second in the 200 (25.79).
“I really did surprise myself in that meet,” Miriam said. “I was scared of this one girl (West Windsor-Plainsboro South’s Anastasia Kudin), but I was really proud of myself beating her in the four dash. I felt really accomplished.”
That was followed by strong showings in Central Jersey Group III, where she took second in the 200 (26.27) and 400 hurdles (62.73) and third in the 400 (58.63). She was also part of the third-place 4×100 relay team (50.20) along with Sydney Smith, Jade Smith and Aynisha McQuillar.
Miriam was not surprised at advancing in four different events.
“I felt like I was really prepared for sectionals,” she said the week between sectionals and states. “I put in a lot of hard work for that. I didn’t really accomplish what I wanted, but I was really proud of myself. I would have liked to win at least one event but I’m still really glad I qualified for all my events.”
She was hoping to improve in states and be a state champ in the 400 hurdles, but ended up second in a PR 62.72. Okwudibonye also reached the Meet of Champions – which took place Jan. 18 – in the 400 by running a fourth-place PR time of 58.10. Her second-place finishes in sectionals and states are her only losses in the 400 hurdles this season.
“She’s just a strong athlete,” Johnson said. “To watch her go over hurdles, she just maintains her rhythm very well. Going over, she’s able to switch legs, she doesn’t stutter and she just finishes very well.”
The marks Okwudibonye has put up in just her second year of track have been magnificent, and begs the question of how good she could be had she started earlier in life.
“I really do wonder,” she said. “If I started earlier I’m pretty sure I would have been great. If I started my freshman year I would have had good times; maybe I would have a school record; I don’t know. I wish I started earlier but it’s OK.”
It’s more than OK. In just having this one year of state-wide success – going against girls who have run in track clubs and have been training for years – Okwudibonye has drawn interest from colleges.
“It’s really amazing,” she said. “St. Peter’s has reached out, Stockton, a few others. I haven’t chosen where I want to go, but it’s nice to have those options.”
It’s pretty safe to say that in discussing Miriam’s potential future, it might take more than a paragraph to sum up.
Ewing track team members Mekhi Gibson (left), Miriam Okwudibonye and Sydney Smith after medaling at the State Championships Group 3 in June.,
