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≡ NCAA T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
What would Ja’Kobe Tharp do?
After his world-record 12.75 on Wednesday in the qualifying, the Auburn junior faced Texas junior star Kendrick Smallwood on Friday to defend his NCAA Championships title from 2025.
Tharp was in lane five and Smallwood in six and Smallwood had the best start. But Tharp got going and was in the lead by the second hurdle. Smallwood kept the pressure up and was chasing, but Tharp was calm and in form and held on through the line. Smallwood pressed on the run-in, but Tharp got it at 12.90 (wind: -0.2 m/s) with Smallwood at 12.95, a lifetime best. Ohio State junior Braxton Brann got a lifetime best at 13.07 for third.
Tharp’s winning mark is the equal-8th performance in U.S. history and Smallwood is now no. 2 in the world for 2026.
The 100 m was the next race and Auburn teammate Kayinsola Ajayi (NGR) was in front by 15 m and kept up the pressure right to the line and won in a wind-aided 9.72 (+2.2 m/s). LSU’s Jaiden Reid held off Arkansas’ Jelani Watkins for second, 9.82w to 9.87w.
Only six other men in history have run as fast – under any conditions – as Ajayi: Usain Bolt (JAM: 9.58), Tyson Gay (USA: 9.69), Yohan Blake (JAM: 9.69) and Asafa Powell (JAM: 9.72) with legal wins and wind-aided marks for Obadele Thompson (BAR: 9.69w) and Canada’s Andre De Grasse (9.69w).
A third world leader, Alabama’s defending champion Samuel Ogazi (NGR), was in lane six in the 400 m final, and was slightly behind Florida’s Justin Braun around the final turn. But Ogazi was much stronger on the home straight and ran away to win in a sensational 43.38, a collegiate record, shattering the 43.61 by USC’s Michael Norman in 2018.
He’s now no. 4 in history (and the no. 4 performance): only Wayde van Niekerk (RSA: 43.03 in 2016), Michael Johnson (USA: 43.18 in 1999) and Butch Reynolds (USA: 43.29 in 1988) have ever run faster!
Reid came back in the 200 m and ran the curve hard and was in the lead into the straight and rolled to a brilliant, world-leading 19.63 (+1.5)! That’s a world-leader and a collegiate record, erasing Walter Dix (Florida State: 19.69 in 2007)!
Auburn’s Israel Okon (NGR) pulled up with about 12 m left, but still limped in and finished second in 19.99, with Indiana’s Trelee Banks third in 20.02. Reid, a junior, is now equal-12th on the all-time list and equal-8th all-time U.S.!
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Friday’s meet started with a shock on the track in the 4×100 m relay, as SEC champ Arkansas failed to connect on the first pass because of an injury and collegiate-record holder – and two-time defending champ – Auburn failed on the final pass. But the race was still an SEC affair, with Tennessee’s Elijah Clark anchoring the win in 37.98, ahead of LSU at 38.05.
The 800 m had a 50.57 first lap from Penn State’s Allon Clay, then Arkansas’ Rivaldo Marshall (JAM) and Tyrice Taylor (JAM) took over and Northern Arizona star Colin Sahlman running down the straight after both … and stole it at the line in a lifetime best of 1:44.22. Sahlman ran 52.94 on the last lap and came from fifth into the straight and ran in lane three for a clear lane to the line. Taylor (lifetime best 1:44.30) was second and Marshall third at 1:44.93. Clay was fourth in 1:44.98.
Collegiate-record holder Simeon Birnbaum of Oregon, seventh last year, was the overwhelming favorite in the 1,500 m and he ran like it. Second at the bell, he blew away the field with a 52.08 last lap and the last 800 m in 1:51.62 to win in a safe and sane 3:36.05. Michigan junior Trent McFarland got second in 3:37.19, with Gary Martin (Virginia) third in 3:37.21.
National leader and 2025 runner-up Geoffrey Kirwa (KEN-Louisville) was in front for most of the Steeple, but was challenged at the end by Silas Kiptanui (KEN-Tulare), with Kirwa hanging on to win, 8:17.46 to 8:18.20.
Five men were in the lead pack at the bell in the 5,000 m, with Villanova’s Marco Langon in front. But 10,000 m winner Habtom Samuel (ERI-New Mexico) moved to the lead on the back straight with Wake Forest’s Rocky Hansen in hot pursuit and they were 1-2 to the finish. Samuel finished the 5-10 double in 13:38.93, with Hansen in 13:39.91.
Florida sophomore Vance Nilsson was out in lane nine in the 400 hurdles and had the lead on the final turn and into the straight., He was being chased by Texas’ Kody Blackwood and the lead was shrinking, but Blackwood fell on the 10th hurdle and Nilsson rolled to the line in 48.06, the fastest time in the nation in 2026 and ninth in the world this year. Texas A&M’s Ja’Qualon Scott was second – for the second straight year – in 48.82. Blackwood did get up and finish in 53.32 for ninth.
Only four could clear 2.25 m (7-4 1/2) in the high jump, then Georgia junior Kimani Jack (GBR) popped over 2.28 m (7-5 3/4) to take the lead and that was good enough to win. Arkansas’ Scottie Vines finished second, then Tennessee’s Grant Campbell and Jordan Wenger (Oral Roberts).
Kansas State’s Selva Prabhu (IND) jumped 16.92 m (55-6 1/4) in round two of the triple jump and led throughout the remainder of the event as a sophomore. Kenyan Kevin Kemboi (Oklahoma State) got out to 16.84 m (55-3) in round two for second.
The discus was a repeat win for Jamaican Ralford Mullings (Oklahoma), who reached 65.81 m (215-10) in the fourth round to take the lead back from Texas Tanner (Air Force), who threw 63.75 m (209-2) in the second round. USC senior Vincent Ugwoke (NGR) moved ahead of Tanner in round four and teammate Racquil Broderick (JAM) moved into second in the final round at 64.15 m (210-5). Tanner ended up fourth.
The team race came down to the 4×400 m relay, with Arkansas leading Tennessee, 50-44 and Oregon at 40, but without a team in the relay. So the Razorbacks could clinch the title with a fourth-place finish or better. National leader LSU was in the lead after the second pass and Malachi Austin had a big lead on anchor. But Georgia’s Jonathan Simms stormed into contention and ran Austin down at the line in 2:57.93 to 2:57.96! Simms’ split on anchor was a stunning 42.99!
Arkansas finished third in 2:59.87 and claimed their first men’s NCAA championship since 2023, scoring 56 points to 49 for Georgia and Tennessee at 46. Wow.
Saturday will be the final day, devoted to the women’s finals.
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