Topal off to US for track, field c’ships

TEAM Papua New Guinea athlete Annie Topal heads to Alabama, United States, this week for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division Two National Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The Pacific Games gold medallist will represent New Mexico Highlands University.
The East New Briton, who last year won the NCAA Division Two Outdoor national title and Pacific Games gold in the triple jump, is in fine form and won the recent Rocky Mountain Conference Championship for the third year in a row with a jump of 12.92m.
She is the only athlete from the school to qualify for the nationals and will again face stiff competition from West Texas A&M’s Fatim Afessi who is ranked No.1 nationally in the second division this season with a jump of 12.94m.
Afessi, a former teammate of PNG jumps record holder Rellie Kaputin, has had some great competition with the PNG pair in the last two years.
Topal just edged Afessi on countback in a thrilling triple jump competition at the outdoor championships last year after both girls jumped 13.02m.