Nigerian athletes delivered a strong showing at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Champs in Eugene, with Temitope Adeshina, Samuel Ogazi, Kanyinsola Ajayi and Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi all winning gold medals in their respective events, www.aclsports.com reports.
At Hayward Field, Temitope Adeshina claimed the women’s high jump title after clearing 1.96 metres in a closely contested final. The Texas Tech jumper and Ghana’s Rose Yeboah both cleared the same height, but Adeshina won on countback after a flawless series, clearing every height on her first attempt. Kya Crook finished third. The victory marks her first NCAA Outdoor title, adding to her indoor titles in 2025 and 2026. She remained unbeaten in the high jump throughout the season, from the start of the indoor campaign in January through to June’s NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Samuel Ogazi, defending his NCAA 400 metres title, produced a historic performance to win in 43.38 seconds. The University of Alabama athlete set a personal best while breaking the NCAA collegiate record of 43.61 seconds previously held by Michael Norman, as well as new meet and championship records. The run also set a Nigerian national record, placing him as the fourth-fastest athlete in world history.
In the men’s 100 metres final, Kanyinsola Ajayi delivered a commanding performance to win the title in 9.72 seconds. The Auburn sprinter produced one of the standout runs of the championships under a legal tailwind of +2.2 m/s, pulling away from a competitive field to secure victory. The time ranks among the fastest collegiate performances of the season and further strengthens his standing among Nigeria’s top NCAA Champs sprinters. He becomes only the third Nigerian man to win the NCAA 100 metres title after Olapade Adeniken (UTEP, 1992) and Divine Oduduru (Texas Tech, 2019).
Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi made history in the men’s javelin, becoming the first Nigerian man to win the NCAA title in the event. The Texas A&M thrower produced a winning mark of 82.26 metres in the second round, a distance that proved decisive throughout the final. He also registered multiple throws beyond 80 metres, underlining his consistency in a historic victory for Nigerian throwing events at NCAA level.
Israel Okon secured silver in the men’s 200 metres, finishing in 19.99 seconds after a strong race. The Auburn sprinter battled through to claim second place behind Jaiden Reid of LSU, who won in 19.63 seconds while setting meet and championship records.
Vincent Ugwoke earned bronze in the men’s discus throw after producing a personal best of 63.89 metres in the fourth round at the NCAA Champs. The effort marked his first top-three finish at the competition and a major breakthrough on the NCAA stage. His throw is the best by a Nigerian in the event since 2004, when Chima Ugwu recorded 64.53 metres.
