Nigerian sprinters Kayinsola Ajayi and Samuel Ogazi delivered standout performances at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships, claiming the men’s 100m and 400m titles respectively at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, United States.
Representing Auburn University, Ajayi powered to victory in the men’s 100m final with a blistering wind-assisted time of 9.72 seconds. Although the mark was faster than the African record of 9.77 seconds held by Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, a tailwind of +2.2m/s meant the performance could not be recognised for record purposes.
The 21-year-old secured his first NCAA outdoor title after finishing fourth in the event a year ago. His triumph also made him the first Nigerian since Divine Oduduru to win the NCAA men’s 100m crown.
Ajayi produced a commanding performance in the final, pulling away from the field in the closing metres. LSU’s Jaiden Reid finished second in 9.82 seconds, while Arkansas’ Jelani Watkins claimed third place.
The Nigerian had earlier overcome a sluggish start in Wednesday’s semi-final, winning his race in 9.94 seconds despite a headwind of -1.1m/s.
While the wind-assisted nature of his final run denied him a place in the record books, the performance ranks among the fastest ever recorded under any conditions and further cements his status as one of the world’s leading sprinters this season.
In the men’s 400m, Ogazi successfully defended his NCAA title in emphatic fashion, clocking a national and collegiate record of 43.38 seconds.
The Alabama athlete shattered the previous NCAA record of 43.61 seconds set by American Michael Norman and moved to fourth on the all-time world list behind South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk and Americans Michael Johnson and Butch Reynolds.
“This performance shows the remarkable progress Ogazi has made over the past year,” athletics observers noted after the race.
The 20-year-old improved significantly on his previous personal best of 44.02 seconds, set during Alabama’s regular-season finale against Georgia last month.
That earlier mark had already broken Innocent Egbunike’s Nigerian record of 44.17 seconds, which had stood since August 1987, ending a 38-year wait for a new national benchmark in the event.
Elsewhere, Auburn University’s Israel Okon recovered from disappointment in the 100m final, where he pulled up late and finished ninth, to claim a silver medal in the men’s 200m.
Okon crossed the line in 19.99 seconds, recording the best NCAA Outdoor Championships finish of his career and adding another impressive result to Nigeria’s successful outing at the championships.
