Kanyinsola Ajayi Leads Okon, Fakorede into SEC 60m Final

Auburn University sprinter Kanyinsola Ajayi stormed into the men’s 60m final at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Bryan-College Station, Texas, clocking a season’s best of 6.52 seconds on Friday.

Ajayi, a World Athletics Championships 100m finalist and Olympic semifinalist, won his heat to headline a strong Nigerian presence in Saturday’s final.

He will be joined by compatriots Israel Okon of Auburn and Adekalu Fakorede of Mississippi State, who also advanced.

Okon, who owns the facility record of 6.51 seconds, finished second in his heat with 6.53, while Fakorede ran a personal season’s best of 6.58 to secure his spot. Arkansas’ Jelani Watkins matched Ajayi’s 6.52 to win his heat, setting the fastest time of the round alongside the Nigerian star.

Elsewhere, LSU’s Joshua Caleb ran 6.66 to place third in his heat but missed out on qualification. Despite the strong performances, Okon’s facility record remained intact heading into the final.

The Nigerian trio will now look to convert their impressive qualifying runs into podium finishes when the SEC 60m final takes place on Saturday.