Nigerian athletes Ajayi and Ogazi win NCAA titles in 100m and 400m

Representing Auburn University, Ajayi won the men’s 100m in a wind-assisted 9.72 seconds. This performance, while not eligible for record purposes due to a +2.2m/s tailwind, would have surpassed the African record. It marks Ajayi's first NCAA outdoor title and makes him the first Nigerian to win the NCAA men’s 100m since Divine Oduduru in 2019.

In the men’s 400m, Ogazi, from Alabama, successfully defended his NCAA title with a national and collegiate record of 43.38 seconds, breaking the previous NCAA record set in 2018. This time also improved on his personal best of 44.02 seconds, which had already broken Innocent Egbunike’s 38-year-old Nigerian record. Additionally, Ajayi’s Auburn teammate, Israel Okon, finished second in the 200m with a time of 19.99 seconds, achieving his best finish at the championships.