As effortless and routine as Dayspring Christian Academy graduate Eboselulu Omofoma makes the art of collecting state track titles or snatching rebounds and pouring in points on the basketball court look, she never really expected to be in this position.
Weeks before she packs her bags for Division II Biola University in Southern California where she will study nursing and film production — and compete on the Eagles’ track and field team — Omofoma is fresh off one of the most decorated athletic careers in Dayspring Christian history.
This past spring, she won the ninth, 10th and 11th Class 2A individual state titles of her stellar high school track career, defending her championships in the 100-meter hurdles, the high jump and the triple jump.
She also was the anchor of Dayspring’s state champion girls 1,600 relay team.
A few months earlier, she led the Eagles girls basketball team to an 18-5 record and a trip to the regional stage of the postseason.
She recorded team highs of 18 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game, while shooting 56% from the field.
With another history-making campaign during her senior year of high school, Omofoma is the Greeley Tribune’s Girls Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year.
And, perhaps, the only person who is even a tad bit surprised by such news is Omofoma herself.
Omofoma is as humble as can be, and she’s taken nothing for granted during her incredible athletic career.
Recently, Tribune sports reporter Bobby Fernandez sat down with Omofoma to chat about Omofoma’s vast athletic, and academic, accomplishments, as well as her bright future.
Question — With all the things that you’ve done throughout your high school career, I’m sure you really were focused on putting the proverbial cherry on the top and making sure you went out with style. Do you feel like you got everything that you wanted out of your senior year?
Answer — Yes. One hundred percent. It was my bow out. And I’m really glad that it was very successful. I reaped a lot from the last four years — actually, the last seven years of track that I’ve been a part of.
Q — What were some of your highlights from this past year, both on the basketball court, as well as on the track?
A — In basketball, we had six seniors, and five of them were starters. One of them was also on varsity.
That was absolutely incredible, to share this experience with them. We had a lot of fun, on and off the court.
Oftentimes, we would be left to shoot by ourselves. And rebounding can be really hard when you can’t take anything seriously. So we would just have a lot of fun doing the most random things.
We have a really young class coming up. And hopefully we set a good example that they can take with them.
Q — Obviously, you closed your year out with another great state track meet, getting three more individual titles and a relay title. Was it everything you wanted out of your final track season, as well?
A — It was more than I wanted. It was way more than I wanted.
I was really nervous to run a 4-by-4 (relay). It’s the most nerve-wracking race, and it’s the last race of the last day.
I was so scared that I was going to be just terrified. And you can’t get it over with — it doesn’t end until state is over.
But I have an amazing team. And we closed with something that we weren’t even expecting (a state title).
Q — With all your incredible athletic accomplishments, I think it’s sometimes easy for people who read about you or see you out at these athletic events to almost overlook the fact that you’re such an incredible student, as well.
What have been some of the academic highlights you’re most proud of during your four years here at Dayspring?
A — I was invited to the National Honor Society my sophom*ore year. I really liked doing that. There were a lot of upperclassmen, so I kind of admired that.
My junior year, as the seniors were finishing their rule, they said that I should be the (NHS) president. And I was like, “No, no.”
But they encouraged me, and I was the president this year. That taught me a lot. It showed me a lot of places in which I need to improve on.
But it also was an incredibly demanding task.
I was doing sports. I had school. I had NHS responsibilities. So it made me a better leader.
Q — Obviously, some very exciting news from a couple months ago, signing with Biola (University).
How excited are you for that next chapter, competing in track at a very prestigious school? And what are some of the things that you’re looking forward to the most about this next chapter?
A — Well, college track is a completely different field of competition.
Yeah, I’m really excited to get to know all my competition, excited to see how college track needs to be run, excited for my teammates.
The workouts that I’m already receiving are pretty intense. So, I’m excited to see how I do and perform athletically there. And I’m excited to just focus on one sport.
Q — Do you know what you’re going to study out there?
A — I’m majoring in nursing and minoring in film production.
Q — What is it about those two areas of study? They are very contrasting in many ways — nursing and film.
What do you hope this ultimately leads to career-wise?
A — I hope to get into the nursing program. That’s always a challenge. I want to become an L&D (labor and delivery) nurse, like a midwife.
My mom was a midwife.
So, we’ll see if I can handle that career. If not, there’s many other branches you can go with nursing.
As for film … I’m just obsessed with the film industry and that entire world.
I kind of thought that acting isn’t the best thing to enter into. But if I were to become a film director or a producer, those are much more stable positions, and I get to have more control of everything.
Q — Speaking of Biola, what was it about the campus, the area, and what was it about the track program, that attracted you? I’m sure you had many options (as far as colleges go).
But what were some of the things about Biola that really attracted you the most?
A — They reached out. And the (hurdles and sprint coach Justin Johnson), after that, never stopped reaching out.
It was very clear that they wanted me, and even some other coaches who (showed interest) — it just wasn’t the same.
When I walked on the campus, there were birds chirping and singing. So I was like, ‘This is a really cool place.’
It was just gorgeous. It was nice. I could see myself being there for a while.
Q — As exciting as your future is and as much as you’re looking forward to what’s next, I’m sure there are certain things you’re gonna miss about high school. What do you think are going to be the things you’re going to miss most about this place (Dayspring), and what are you going to miss the most about high school life?
A — Well, I’ve been here since I was 4, so it always feels like more than just high school. It’s like I’m moving out of a home, really.
I already kind of started to miss that I won’t be able to play on this court ever again or really rep DCA as a track athlete or as a student.
I’ve already started missing the teachers. I kind of just miss walking the halls.
Q — Is there anything you wanted to add about your awesome four years — or, as you said, more than four years here?
A — I never thought I would get to this point at all. It’s simply by the grace of God that I’m here.
It really takes a village to raise a child. But it also takes a whole state to create an athlete.
A lot of people say this, but it’s so true. And they say it a lot, because it’s true. I was so privileged to be put with this amazing competition, who I have had such a great time with. They keep me wanting to run this sport.
And I have great teammates who pushed me, and a great coach — just so much encouragement from field masters, from brands of people who just want to see you do well.
I want to make them proud.
I guess the last thing I’d want to say is: I’m going to work hard.
Getting to know Eboselulu Omofoma
- Dayspring Christian Academy graduate
- Standout in track and field and in girls basketball
- Favorite color: Purple
- Favorite food: Rice and stew
- Favorite TV show: Adventure Time
- Favorite movie(s): The Madea series
- Favorite book: Wonderstruck
- Favorite school subject: English
- Dream job: Professional basketball player (perhaps overseas)
- One person to spend a day with: Scottie Vines, a standout track and field athlete from De Beque High School, who qualified for the Olympic Trials.
