Nigeria’s rising sprint stars, Kayinsola Ajayi and Samuel Ogazi, delivered historic performances at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships, claiming national titles in the men’s 100m and 400m events respectively at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Trybal News reports.
Representing Auburn University, Ajayi powered to victory in the men’s 100m final with a sensational wind-assisted time of 9.72 seconds, the fastest performance of his career and one of the quickest times ever recorded under all conditions.
Although the mark was aided by a tailwind of +2.2m/s and therefore does not qualify for record purposes, it was faster than the African record of 9.77 seconds held by Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala. The 21-year-old produced a commanding finish to pull away from the field, securing his first NCAA outdoor title after placing fourth a year ago.
Ajayi’s triumph also ended a seven-year wait for a Nigerian winner of the NCAA men’s 100m title, becoming the first athlete from the country to achieve the feat since Divine Oduduru’s victory in 2019.
LSU’s Jaiden Reid finished second in 9.82 seconds, while Arkansas sprinter Jelani Watkins completed the podium places. Ajayi had earlier impressed in the semi-finals, clocking 9.94 seconds into a headwind to comfortably book his place in the final.
While Ajayi’s performance grabbed headlines in the sprint event, Ogazi delivered an even more remarkable display in the men’s 400m, successfully defending his NCAA crown in record-breaking fashion.
The Alabama star stormed to victory in 43.38 seconds, setting both a new NCAA and Nigerian record. His time eclipsed the previous collegiate mark of 43.61 seconds set by American Michael Norman in 2018 and further improved on the national record he established earlier this season.
Ogazi’s stunning run elevated him to fourth place on the all-time world rankings, behind only world record holder Wayde van Niekerk and American legends Michael Johnson and Butch Reynolds.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2026, having already erased Innocent Egbunike’s long-standing Nigerian record of 44.17 seconds earlier this year. That mark had stood untouched since 1987 before Ogazi rewrote the history books.
There was further Nigerian success in Eugene as Auburn’s Israel Okon bounced back from disappointment in the 100m final to claim a silver medal in the men’s 200m. The talented sprinter clocked 19.99 seconds to finish second, recording his best-ever result at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The outstanding performances by Ajayi, Ogazi and Okon provide another indication of Nigeria’s growing strength in global sprinting ahead of a packed international athletics calendar, with all three athletes continuing to establish themselves among the brightest young talents in the sport.
