Samuel Ogazi has now joined just three other Nigerians in history who have made it to the finals of the Bowerman Award, following the University of Alabama runner being selected as one of the top three contenders for college track and field's highest individual honor, announced by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Tuesday.
A sprinter from Kaduna has been selected following what many consider one of the finest 400-meter college seasons in history. The 21-year-old made headlines by breaking NCAA records and establishing himself as one of the most promising talents in international athletics.
Ogazi claimed both the NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor 400-meter championships this year, then delivered the standout moment of his college athletic journey at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, where he ran an impressive 43.38 seconds, breaking Michael Norman's longstanding collegiate mark of 43.61 seconds established in 2018.
His performance earned him the title of the quickest 400m runner in NCAA history and represented the fourth instance where he broke the Nigerian record within 2026, following previous times of 44.02, 43.95, and 43.82 seconds. Additionally, he was the first college athlete to achieve more than one sub-44-second run in this event.
Previously during the indoor season, Ogazi won the NCAA indoor championship with a time of 44.57 seconds, matching the officially recognized indoor world record and sharing third place on the all-time indoor world rankings. His outstanding performance has also earned him the distinction of being the first male athlete from Alabama to advance to the Bowerman finals.
He has now joined Blessing Okagbare, who made it to the final in 2010, Divine Oduduru from 2019, and Ezekiel Nathaniel, who was a contender last year, as one of the few Nigerians to have appeared at the closing phase of the awards.
Ogazi will encounter strong opposition from New Mexico’s long-distance athlete Habtom Samuel and Auburn’s hurdle specialist Ja’Kobe Tharp, as the victor will be revealed at the USTFCCCA Convention in Grapevine, Texas, on December 17.
Samuel concluded his undefeated college career by securing victory in all 13 competitions against NCAA competitors, capturing both the 5,000 meters and 10,000-meter championships at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, and setting a new collegiate best for the 5,000 meters with a time of 12 minutes 57.22 seconds.
Meanwhile, Tharp delivered one of the most remarkable hurdle performances ever seen in the sport, shattering Aries Merritt's world record in the 110-meter hurdles with an impressive 12.75 seconds during the NCAA Outdoor Championships semifinals, then coming back to claim the national championship with a time of 12.90 seconds. Earlier in the season, he had also surpassed Grant Holloway's university record in the 60-meter hurdles by clocking 7.32 seconds indoors.
The selection of Ogazi as a finalist occurs during an impressive year for Nigerian athletes within the American college sports scene. Kanyinsola Ajayi from Auburn had an exceptional running season, securing both the NCAA indoor 60-meter and outdoor 100-meter championships. He matched Christian Coleman's university record of 6.45 seconds in the 60 meters indoors, then achieved a legal-with-wind time of 9.84 seconds in the 100 meters—shattering the 20-year-old Nigerian mark previously held by Olusoji Fasuba since 2006—and subsequently clocked a wind-supported 9.72 seconds, which stands as the second-quickest overall result in collegiate history under any conditions.
Chinecherem Nnamdi from Texas A&M created history by claiming the NCAA javelin championship following a seasonal best distance of 84.68 meters, securing a spot in the top four on the overall college record list. In the women's category, Temitope Adeshina from Texas Tech dominated the NCAA indoor and outdoor high jump events throughout an undefeated collegiate campaign, achieving heights of 1.97 meters indoors and 1.96 meters outdoors, although she fell just short of qualifying for the women's Bowerman final trio.
Together, the three Bowerman nominees achieved seven NCAA championships, set four university records, and recorded 13 career top-10 finishes throughout the 2026 indoor and outdoor campaigns, highlighting the exceptional level of competition Ogazi faces in winning the award. The voting process involves the Bowerman Advisory Board, chosen journalists, college officials, past recipients, USTFCCCA participants, and the general public.
Regarding Ogazi, who has recently declared his intention to go pro, this nomination marks yet another achievement in an extraordinary year where he has broken numerous records. He is now just one step closer to being the first Nigerian to claim college track and field's top individual honor.
Supplied by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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