Ajayi aims for first NCAA title in Oregon

New Nigerian record holder in the men’s 100m, Kayinsola Ajayi, is set to compete for his first NCAA title on Friday. He will run in the final of the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Ajayi had a slow start but still won his semi-final with a time of 9.94 seconds (-1.1m/s). He managed to hold off LSU’s Jaiden Reid, who matched the Cayman Islands national record with a time of 9.95 seconds.

This marks Ajayi’s ninth legal sub-10-second performance. It is also the fastest time in the semi-finals, securing his spot in the 100m final.

The 21-year-old will be joined in the final by his fellow Nigerian and Auburn teammate, Israel Okon.

As he prepares for the title race on Friday, Ajayi is hoping to overcome the disappointment from last year. He finished fourth then, despite running a personal best of 9.92 seconds in the semi-finals.

Since that time, Ajayi has rewritten Nigeria's record books. He broke the long-standing national record set by Olusoji Fasuba in 2006.

Ajayi clocked 9.84 seconds at the NCAA East Regional Championships two weeks ago. This time erased Fasuba’s 20-year-old record of 9.85 seconds, which qualified him for the NCAA Championships.

Fasuba’s record was also the African record when it was set at the Doha Grand Prix in May 2006.

Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala now holds the continental record. He ran 9.77 seconds in Nairobi on September 18, 2021. Fasuba believes Ajayi can reclaim the African record for Nigeria.

“What excites me most is not just the record itself, but what it represents,” Fasuba said.

“It shows that Nigerian sprinting is progressing and that our athletes can compete with the very best in the world. The possibility of Nigeria taking back the African record is now realistic once again, and Kayinsola has shown that he has the talent to chase that target.”