A competitor in track and field, Mary Onyali was one of the nation's top performers as a collegian from 1985 to 1990.

Onyali, a sprinter, ran on four Texas Southern University Southwestern Athletic Conferences outdoor track and field championships. She also ran on the TSU indoor track team that won a league title.

Onyali won eight individual events in the SWAC outdoor track championships and was a member of seven TSU relay teams which conference titles. In indoor track, she won four individual events and was a member of three TSU relay teams, which won SWAC titles.

She holds one of the SWAC records in the 100 meters (11.25), and was a member of the TSU 4x100-meter relay team, which holds the SWAC record (43.94). Onyali, a two-time Olympian, owns five NCAA medals, including a national title in the 200 meters.