JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Seniors
Avosuahi Albert and
Ohunene Albert of the Saint Peter's University track and field team finished their college careers with numerous victories, personal bests, noteworthy accolades and some of the top times recorded in their respective events over the course of their career in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
But their journey to from the Greater Newark area to Jersey City – and their memorable tenures as NCAA Division I student-athletes – was preceded by a much longer journey the two had endured a decade prior.
The Alberts originally hail from the West African country of Nigeria, where they both began competitively running as they grew up.
Ohunene Albert's fondest childhood memories are running the 100 and 200-meter relays back home with equipment that was a far cry from what she would eventually enjoy as a Peacock.
"I didn't have any running shoes, so I had to run with sandals – but I still won the races," she remarked when catching up with the athletic department recently.
In 2008, when the Albert sisters were 11 years old, they embarked on a journey that spanned well over 5,000 miles from Nigeria to the United States. Their first home in the Garden State was in Newark, where they lived from fifth to sixth grade before moving to nearby Irvington.
It was during sixth grade that
Avosuahi Albert had a brief change of heart and decided to pursue the sport of basketball rather than running. That "career" change at such an early age didn't make a dent on the camaraderie shared between the two sisters, however.
"I feel we always did support each other regardless of what we did, "
Avosuahi Albert noted. "And even when we ran track together, we never outdid each other. I was always a runner but never really dedicated myself like my sister did."
Once they completed middle school, the Alberts moved to Orange, and their family has remained there since. They both attended Orange High School, where Ohunene intended to join the track & field team as a sprinter. She missed her first indoor season, but was ready to join the team for the spring and remembers the early challenges even at the high school level.
"The first practice was tough," Ohunene recalled. "There was so much working out and I was struggling with it and I wanted to give up because the pain was too much."
But despite that initial shock, Ohunene endured and continued to put in the work to the point where that pain began to dissipate. She picked up where she left off in Nigeria and began running the 100-meter dash.
After her early results impressed her teammates and coaches, Ohunene expanded her sprinting repertoire and started competing in the 200-meter dash and relay events. Her sister, meanwhile, was still pursuing basketball but took an unconventional approach to return to the track circuit.
"I got back into running in high school because of a bet my sister and her coach made, and I ended up winning the bet," Avosuahi mentioned.
But perhaps the most important thing that came from Avosuahi's high school career was not a win or a medal: "Orange High taught me how to be a good leader and not think only of myself."
As high school came to a close, the Alberts turned their attention to extending their running careers in college. They didn't necessarily plan to attend the same college, but coincidentally decided to attend Saint Peter's once Avosuahi was accepted.
"[After her sister was accepted], I decided to apply to Saint Peter's and I got accepted the next day," Ohunene recalled. "I was so happy."
Like it was at the beginning of their high school careers, the transition from high school to college was an equal challenge for the twin sisters primarily because of the competition and the far greater depth of the field not only at other schools they competed against, but also here on campus.
"I was still finding out who I was in high school and I just felt like I wasn't ready for college track, but I had teammates who helped me with the transition," said Avosuahi.
With the support of their teammates and the same drive and work ethic that pushed them through their journey from Nigeria to the United States and through their high school careers, the Alberts started to see that hard work transcended their expectations in the form of immediate success that laid the foundation for their impressive careers.
During their freshman year at Saint Peter's, Avosuahi won the 400-meter dash at the Brick City Invitational while Ohunene was part of a women's 4x200-meter relay team that qualified for the Mets Championship. As sophomores, Ohunene was a finalist in the 60-meter dash at the Manhattan Invitational while Avosuahi helped the team earn first place in the 4x400-meter relay at the Wagner Outdoor Invitational.
As the sisters began their transition to upperclassmen, they still provided plenty of highlights as a Peacock student-athlete. Ohunene was a top-three finisher in races at the FDU Knight Classic and Monmouth Invite during her junior campaign, and this past winter, Avosuahi boasted the fastest 400-meter dash in the MAAC with a time of 56.69 seconds and she was a top-three finisher in that event at the 2020 MAAC Indoor Championships. Ohunene, meanwhile, recorded a top-five time in the MAAC in the 200 meters at 25.28 seconds and was victorious in the 60-meter dash at the Ramapo Opener to put a bow on a senior season – and career – that was unexpectedly abbreviated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite how it ended, the Albert sisters have no regrets and are looking forward to graduating this month to begin their next important journey: the start of their professional careers and life as Saint Peter's University alumnae. But they'll always have some favorite moments – and teammates – to look back to.
"My favorite race moments were always the relays," Avosuahi recalled. "The competition was right in my face and felt dangerous."
And although they didn't run an outdoor season, Ohunene is still hopeful to be able to compete alongside freshman teammate
Vernetta Gosier again one day after the two dominated the 200-meter circuit this winter.
"She's my favorite teammate and I am glad our coaches helped us set PRs for our races."
Gosier, who went on to be named the MAAC Indoor Track Rookie of the Meet at the 2020 indoor championships, will now look to carry the proverbial baton from the Albert sisters as a new era for the track & field program begins in earnest.
