The Nigerian duo of Ezekiel Nathaniel and Samuel Ogazi delivered historic performances at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Track and Field Championships on Friday night
The duo stormed to gold in spectacular fashion; rewriting the record books in the process.
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Nathaniel, just 21 years old, delivered the performance of his life in the men’s 400m hurdles, clocking a blazing 47.49 seconds to not only claim gold but also break the Nigerian national record.
It marked his fourth time lowering the record this year, cementing his rise as a world-class hurdler.
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With this run, Nathaniel became only the second Nigerian ever to win an NCAA 400m hurdles title, following Miles Ukaoma’s 2014 triumph. His time also moved him up to third on Africa’s all-time list, behind only Zambia’s Samuel Matete (47.10s) and Senegal’s Amadou Dia Bâ (47.23s).
Trailing him were Ja’Qualon Scott in second place with 48.29s and Kody Blackwood, who claimed bronze in 48.66s.
Samuel Ogazi strikes gold in the flat 400m
In another moment of glory, 19-year-old Samuel Ogazi proved unstoppable in the men’s 400m final.
He raced to a stunning 44.84 seconds, improving on his silver medal from last year and becoming the first Nigerian to win the title since Clement Chukwu in 1999.
Ogazi’s run was the only sub-45 second performance in the race, finishing well ahead of Gabriel Moronta (45.47s) and William Jones (45.53s).
He also made history as the first University of Alabama athlete to win the title since Olympic champion Kirani James.
Narrow miss in the Men’s 100m final
There was heartbreak for Nigeria in the men’s 100m sprint, as Kanyinsola Ajayi and Israel Okon narrowly missed out on medals. Ajayi, who lit up the semifinals with a wind-assisted 9.92s, came in fourth with a slower 10.13s in the final. Okon settled for seventh in 10.18s.
The gold went to Jordan Anthony in 10.07s, with Max Thomas and Jelani Watkins sharing silver at 10.10s.
More history in the making
In the women’s 100m, Tima Godbless made a strong statement with a 10.91s run in the semifinals—one of the fastest by a Nigerian woman at the NCAA level. She now eyes a possible podium finish in Saturday’s final.
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In the high jump, Temitope Adeshina is on the brink of making history. A win would make her the first Nigerian woman to claim the NCAA outdoor high jump title and only the second to ever win both indoor and outdoor field titles in the same season, after Ruth Usoro.
Another standout performance came from Ella Onojuvwevwo, who clocked a lifetime best of 50.31 seconds in the 400m to book a spot in the final. Should she win, she would become Nigeria’s first female NCAA 400m champion, and possibly the third to break the 50-second barrier.
With the World Championships in Tokyo fast approaching, many will be happy to see the Nigerian athletes doing so well for their colleges and giving so much hope they could stun the world in Japan.
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