Nigerian Stars Shine in Oregon as Ajayi, Ogazi Clinch NCAA Titles in Record-Breaking Fashion

Nigerian athletes Kayinsola Ajayi and Samuel Ogazi delivered outstanding performances at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships, capturing the men’s 100m and 400m titles respectively at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, United States.

Representing Auburn University, Ajayi blazed to victory in the men’s 100m final with a sensational 9.72 seconds. However, the performance, which would have shattered the African record of 9.77 seconds held by Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, was aided by a tailwind of +2.2m/s, making it ineligible for official record recognition.

Despite the setback, the 21-year-old secured his maiden NCAA outdoor title, becoming the first Nigerian since Divine Oduduru in 2019 to win the prestigious men’s 100m crown.

Ajayi dominated the race in impressive fashion, pulling away from the field in the closing metres. LSU’s Jaiden Reid finished second in 9.82 seconds, while Arkansas’ Jelani Watkins settled for third place.

The Nigerian sprinter had earlier displayed his class in the semi-finals, overcoming a sluggish start to clock 9.94 seconds (-1.1m/s) ahead of Reid, whose 9.95-second effort equalled the Cayman Islands national record.

Although the wind-assisted mark will not stand as an official African record, Ajayi’s remarkable 9.72 seconds ranks among the fastest times ever recorded under all conditions, further cementing his reputation as one of the world’s elite sprinters this season.

In the men’s 400m final, Samuel Ogazi produced an equally historic performance by successfully defending his NCAA title with a stunning 43.38 seconds.

Competing for the University of Alabama, the 20-year-old shattered the previous NCAA record of 43.61 seconds, set by American Michael Norman in 2018, while also establishing a new Nigerian national record.

The breathtaking run propelled Ogazi to fourth place on the all-time world rankings, trailing only Wayde van Niekerk, Michael Johnson, and Butch Reynolds.

Ogazi improved significantly on his previous personal best of 44.02 seconds, recorded in May during Alabama’s regular-season finale against Georgia. That performance had already erased Innocent Egbunike’s long-standing Nigerian record of 44.17 seconds, which had stood unchallenged since 1987.

Elsewhere, Ajayi’s Auburn teammate, Israel Okon, bounced back strongly from disappointment in the 100m final, where he pulled up late and finished ninth. The Nigerian sprinter responded with a career-best outing in the 200m, claiming second place in 19.99 seconds to secure his highest-ever finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The impressive performances by the Nigerian trio underscore the country’s growing influence in collegiate athletics and provide a significant boost ahead of future international competitions.