Sakari Famous warmed up for the upcoming Southland Conference Championships in the best possible way after securing the gold medal in the women’s high jump at the ULM Warhawk Classic, which was hosted by the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

The McNeese State University senior cleared the bar at 1.75 metres, which was good enough to earn top spot on the podium at the final track meet of the NCAA Division I regular season.

The former Junior Female Athlete of the Year award winner, six-times Carifta Games champion and Commonwealth Youth Games bronze medal-winner’s comeback from a stress fracture which prevented her from competing at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, last October has been nothing short of remarkable.

Famous received a huge confidence boost after being named on the 2024 Southland Conference Women's Indoor Track and Field All-Conference First Team and was awarded the outdoor Conference Athlete of the Week accolade last month.

The 24-year-old made the All-Conference First Team after successfully clearing 1.80 metres indoors at the LSU Purple Tiger meet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in January, which eclipsed her school (1.79 metres) and national record (1.77 metres).

She then lowered those marks after successfully clearing 1.81 metres at the McNeese State Indoor Meet in Lake Charles, Louisiana, also in January.

Famous has since carried her sparkling indoor form outdoors, earning Athlete of the Week accolades after claiming the gold medal with a season-best outdoor effort of 1.80 metres at the ULL Louisiana Classic, which was hosted by the University of Louisiana last month.

It was the talented athlete’s second successive victory having also claimed the gold in the Cowboy Relays Bob Hayes Louisiana Challenge the previous weekend after clearing the bar at 1.60 metres.

Famous earned another trip to the podium last month after picking up bronze with a best effort of 1.70 metres in the Victor Lopez Classic hosted by Rice University, and will now look to end her college career on a positive note competing in the Southland Conference Championships to be held at Holloway Field in Houston May 9 to 11.