LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY & FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS, May 27–30 — The expression of overwhelming surprise and joy on Justin Braun’s face was priceless. The contrast between that and the all-business countenance of Samuel Ogazi, nearly as much so.
Alabama junior Ogazi had lowered his 400 PR to 43.82 in the NCAA East Regional quarters, his second straight sub-44. But Braun’s 43.99 was a revelation; the Florida junior is used to finishing right behind his rival, as he did at the NCAA Indoor, but his previous PR was 44.67 from the under-a-roof champs. With the Georgia frosh duo of Sidi Njie and Jonathan Simms hitting 44.24 and 44.35, respectively (Simms already has a 44.02), there are now half a dozen who have run 44.29 or better this spring.
Auburn speedsters provided many of the fireworks in Lexington. A pair of Nigerian Tigers qualified fastest in the 100 and 200, with Kayinsola Ajayi speeding 9.84, just 0.02 off the CR, while Israel Okon motored to a 19.94. Over barriers, Ja’Kobe Tharp roared to another 13.05 (0.3). But Texas’s Kendrick Smallwood one-upped him in the West, his 13.04 into an 0.2 supplanting Tharp as No. 5 all-time collegian. Tharp last lost a 110H in the ’25 SECs — to Smallwood by 0.02. Their rematch should be very special.
The West Regional long jumps saw two stunning one-and-dones. Kansas State’s Tafadzwa Chikomba, who had never jumped 27 feet until 6 weeks ago, rode a 3.2 wind to a jaw-dropping 28-8½ (8.75). The Zimbabwean, 3rd at NCAA indoors in his first year as a Wildcat coming over from the JC ranks, had slipped into the top spot on our formchart after his winning 27-1¾ (8.27) at Big 12s. Now he’s an overwhelming favorite.
The next day it was Alyssa Jones’ turn on the runway. The Stanford senior has a combined six silver and bronze NCAA finishes, but this could finally be the year after a stunning 23-3¼ (7.09) first round jump— into a 0.2 wind — good for No. 2 all-time collegian.
In the women’s middle and long distances, Sanu Jallow-Lockhart and Jane Hedengren both impressed in Fayetteville. Running for the final time as a Razorback on her home track, the Gambian powered to a 1:57.74, just 0.01 shy of Athing Mu’s CR. The time established some separation between herself and a throng of other sub-2:00 NCAA performers this year.
Hedengren, meanwhile, won a stirring 10,000 battle over New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei, 31:27.30 to 31:27.58 (much faster than either had to run). Two days later, the BYU frosh won her 5000 quarterfinal in 15:17.93. In Lexington, Alabama’s Doris Lemngole showed strong 5K fitness with her winning 15:08.45. The Alabama junior is bypassing a steeple title defense this spring with eyes on avenging her NCAA indoor loss.
The men’s 800 is hot, too. The number of 2026 sub-1:45 performers went from 5 to 9, with Penn State’s Allon Clay (1:44.63), Texas A&M’s Peter Narumbe (1:44.65), Michigan’s Miles Brown (1:44.68) and Georgetown’s Tinoda Matsatsa (1:44.75) joining a tight group to put pressure on formchart leader Colin Sahlman and Arkansas’s NCAA Indoor 1-2 duo of Tyrice Taylor and Rivaldo Marshall.
Oregon senior Aaliyah McCormick was a 12.74 hurdler with that crazy 12.43 from Big 10, sailing with a 4.9 wind. Now the defending NCAA champ has a legal 12.44 (2.0) after her West quarterfinal that gives her a quarter-second on the rest of the nation.
The most impressive statement in the throws came from Florida’s Alida Van Daalen, looking for her first NCAA discus title after two runner-up finishes and a 3rd. She followed two modest efforts with a mighty 227-4 (69.31), surpassing even her heave from Ramona in April to strengthen her position as No. 3 all-time collegian.
NCAA REGIONALS WINNERS
(best marks achieved by quarterfinal/Q round section top finishers; *** = frosh; ** = soph; * = junior; all others are seniors; ‘ = ineligible for U.S. national teams)
East Men
100—*Kayinsola Ajayi’ (Auburn-Nigeria) 9.84 (WL) (2, 2 C); 200—**Israel Okon’ (Auburn-Nigeria) 19.94; 400—*Samuel Ogazi’ (Alabama-Nigeria) 43.82 (WL, CL) (3, 3 C); 800—Allon Clay’ (Penn State-Japan) 1:44.63; 1500—*Trent McFarland (Michigan) 3:38.04; Steeple—**Silas Kiptanui’ (Tulane-Kenya) 8:18.09 (7, x C); 5000—*Marco Langon (Villanova) 13:27.93; 10,000—***Elsingi Kipruto’ (Louisville-Kenya) 28:30.21; 110H—*Ja’Kobe Tharp (Auburn) 13.05 (x, =6 C); 400H—*Isaiah Taylor (North Carolina A&T) 48.71; 4 x 100—Auburn 38.20 (Fahmi’, Ajayi’, Kresley’, Davis); 4 x 400—Georgia 2:59.75 (Ricks 45.78, Njie 44.45, Simms 43.28, Costen 46.24);
HJ—10 cleared 7-1 (2.16); PV—7 cleared 17-10½ (5.45); LJ—***Temoso Masikane’ (Florida-South Africa) 26-5 (8.05); TJ—Roman Kuleshov’ (Louisville-Russia) 53-8¼ (16.36); SP—**JL Van Rensburg’ (Tennessee-South Africa) 64-5 (19.63); DT—*Shamar Reid’ (Florida State-Jamaica) 210-8 (64.22); HT—*Jeremiah Nubbe’ (Virginia-Canada) 231-2 (70.47); JT—Jordan Davis (Georgia) 257-1 (78.37);
West Men
100—Louie Hinchliffe’ (Houston-Great Britain) 10.01; 200—*Ian Dossman (Cal State Fullerton) 20.15; 400—***Jack Stadlman (USC) 44.79; 800—Tyrice Taylor’ (Arkansas-Jamaica) 1:44.35 (8, 8 C); 1500—*Simeon Birnbaum (Oregon) 3:37.00; Steeple—**Joash Ruto’ (Iowa State-Kenya) 8:26.87; 5000—*Habtom Samuel’ (New Mexico-Eritrea) 13:38.12; 10,000—Samuel’ 28:42.53; 110H—*Kendrick Smallwood (Texas) 13.04 (WL) (5, 5 C); 400H—**Josiah Johnson (Northern Arizona) 49.07; 4 x 100—Arkansas 38.56 (Letebele’, Williams, Hogans, Watkins); 4 x 400—Texas A&M 3:01.14 (Hemphill 46.12, Isah’ 45.43, Escobar 45.15, Farquharson’ 44.44);
HJ—9 cleared 7-2½ (2.20); PV—5 cleared 17-11¼ (5.47); LJ—*Tafadzwa Chikomba’ (Kansas State-Zimbabwe) 28-8½w (8.75) (a-c—8, x W; 2, 2 C) (a-c WL); TJ—Brandon Green (Oklahoma) 54-11¼ (16.74); SP—***Ben Smith (Oregon) 67-3¼ (20.50); DT—Ralford Mullings’ (Oklahoma-Jamaica) 211-7 (64.51); HT—Texas Tanner (Air Force) 244-4 (74.49); JT—Chinecherem Nnamdi’ (Texas A&M-Nigeria) 260-6 (79.41);
East Women
100—Jassani Carter (Georgia) 10.88 (=10, x C) [Heats—***Adaejah Hodge’ {Georgia-British Virgin Islands} 10.90 {x, 10 C}]; 200—Hodge’ 22.09; 400—Dejanea Oakley’ (Georgia-Jamaica) 49.48; 800—Makayla Paige (North Carolina) 1:58.98; 1500—***Claire Stegall (Florida) 4:09.33; Steeple—Sydney Masciarelli (North Carolina) 9:39.51; 5000—*Doris Lemngole’ (Alabama-Kenya) 15:08.45; 10,000—Hilda Olemomoi’ (Florida-Kenya) 32:31.21; 100H—*Emmi Scales (Kentucky) 12.69; 400H—*Akala Garrett (South Carolina) 53.87; 4 x 100—South Carolina 42.32 (#7 school) (Brown, James, Hamilton, Ford); 4 x 400—Georgia 3:24.60 (Oakley’ 50.79, Smith’ 51.18, Springer’ 51.80, Maisvorewa’ 50.83);
HJ—7 cleared 5-11½ (1.82); PV—10 cleared 14-0 (4.27); LJ—**Maeva Tahou’ (Charleston Southern-Switzerland) 21-4¼ (6.51); TJ—Georgina Scoot’ (Princeton-Great Britain) 44-10¼ (13.67); SP—***Jessica Oji’ (Penn-Nigeria) 59-11 (18.26); DT—*Alida Van Daalen’ (Florida-Netherlands) 227-4 (69.31) (3, 3 C); HT—**Marie Rougetet’ (Mississippi State-France) 230-2 (70.16); JT—*Evelyn Bliss (Buck) 200-2 (61.02).
West Women
100—**Brianna Selby (USC) 10.83 (7, 8 C); 200—Camryn Dickson (Texas A&M) 22.13 (=9 AmC); 400—*Kaylyn Brown (Arkansas) 49.77; 800—Sanu Jallow-Lockhart’ (Arkansas-Gambia) 1:57.74 (out WL) (2, 2 C); 1500—**Rosemary Longisa’ (Washington State-Kenya) 4:07.38; Steeple—*Taylor Lovell (BYU) 9:38.36; 5000—***Betty Kipkore’ (IaSt-Ken) 15:14.28; 10,000—***Jane Hedengren (BYU) 31:27.30 (x, 9 C); 100H—Aaliyah McCormick (Oregon) 12.44 (9, 9 C); *Amelliah Birdow (Texas) 54.95; 4 x 100—USC 42.54 (Mallard, Defrand, Whyte, Selby); 4 x 400—Arkansas 3:21.83 (4 C) (Butler 51.31, Batista 51.06, Brown 49.88, Jallow-Lockhart’ 49.58);
HJ—12 cleared 6-1½ (1.87); PV—10 cleared 14-6¼ (4.43); LJ—Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 23-3¼ (7.09) (WL, AL, CL) (2, 2 C); TJ—**Sharifa Davronova’ (Oregon-Uzbekistan) 45-8w (13.92); SP—Axelina Johansson’ (Nebraska-Sweden) 60-9½ (18.53); DT—Inés López’ (AzSt-Spa) 198-8 (60.57); HT—**Valentina Savva’ (Cal-Cyprus) 227-0 (69.18); JT—Valentina Barrios’ (Missouri-Colombia) 188-2 (57.35).
