Ajayi, Nathaniel, Adeshina on the edge of NCAA Division 1 Indoor Track and Field Championships history

The Nigerian trio of Kanyinsola Ajayi, Nathaniel Ezekiel and Temitope Adeshina will be the cynosure of all eyes Saturday in Virginia, USA, when they file out for the men’s 60m and 400m finals respectively as well as the women’s high jump at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Ajayi blazed to his first indoor final in a record-equaling fashion, running 6.48 to equal the Nigerian record set by Deji Aliu in Lievin, France, in 1999.

In the process, he became only the third Nigerian man to run inside 6.50 after Deji and Olusoji Fasuba (6.49).

Ajayi will be seeking to achieve what no Nigerian man has done over the 60m.

The only Nigerian man to win a short sprint title indoors is Augustine Olobia, but he achieved the feat over 55m in 1991.

Ajayi has been drawn to run from Lane 2, just inside Adekalu Fakorede while the Jordan Anthony (6.47) and John Stevenson (6.46), the two fastest in the heats in lanes 3 and four.

Waiting to pounce if Ajayi stumbles are the Nigerian duo of Israel Okon and Fakorede who are drawn in lanes 1 and 5.

In the 400m, Nathaniel cruised to the final in 45.44, the fastest qualifying time in the heats.

The 21 year old is also the fastest (44.74) in the NCAA so far this season and will be aiming to become the first Nigerian student athlete in Collegiate history to win the 400m title. Adeshina will be hoping to be lucky this time after finishing fourth last year.

The Nigerian high jump queen and record holder will need to jump higher than her 1.93m personal season’s best and probably soar higher than her 1.97 Nigerian record to win the title ahead of reigning champion, Rachel Glenn, who is the only high jumper in the cast who has cleared 2.00m and holds a 1.98m personal season’s best, the best by any Collegiate athlete so far this season.

Nigerian student athletes have not mounted the NCAA indoor championship podium since Ruth Usoro did in 2021 when she won the triple jump title, a feat she also repeated outdoor.