NCAA Indoors: Nigerian star Onojuvwevwo sets African record, tops world list

Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo delivered a stunning performance on the opening day of the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, smashing the African indoor 400 metres record and emerging as the fastest woman in the world this season.

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Competing for Louisiana State University at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Arkansas, the Nigerian star stormed to victory in her heat with a remarkable time of 50.28 seconds, setting both a new African indoor record and an LSU school record in the process.

Her blistering run also ranks among the fastest in collegiate history, placing her among the top performers ever recorded in the NCAA indoor 400m. The time currently stands as the fastest in the world for the 2026 indoor season, further cementing her growing reputation on the global stage.

The 20-year-old dominated the race from the outset, surging ahead within the first 200 metres and maintaining her lead all the way to the finish line. Her commanding display mirrors the form she showed earlier in the season when she clinched gold at the Southeastern Conference Championships.

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Onojuvwevwo’s new mark represents a significant leap from her previous indoor personal best of 50.96 seconds, which she ran during her season debut just two weeks ago. The performance now positions her as a leading contender for the title ahead of Saturday’s final.

Beyond the record books, the Nigerian’s time also places her among the fastest Nigerian women in the history of the event, indoors or outdoors. She is now the quickest Nigerian woman over 400 metres since Falilat Ogunkoya clocked 50.04 seconds in Osaka in 2000.

Others Nigerians impress

While Onojuvwevwo’s record-breaking run grabbed the spotlight, other Nigerian athletes also impressed during the championships.

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Kanyinsola Ajayi qualified for the men’s 60 metres final after finishing second in his heat with a time of 6.51 seconds, despite a relatively slow reaction at the start. He recovered strongly down the track to secure his place in the decisive race.

Meanwhile, Israel Okon produced one of the standout performances of the day in the same event, blazing to a personal best of 6.48 seconds to win his heat convincingly.

Okon’s time now places him joint second on Nigeria’s all-time list for the indoor 60 metres, alongside Deji Aliu, whose long-standing national mark dated back to 1999.

With Onojuvwevwo chasing history in the women’s 400m final and both Ajayi and Okon advancing in the 60 metres, Nigeria’s collegiate athletes have set the stage for a potentially historic conclusion to the championships.