COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, February 26–28 — After placing 6th in the World Championships 100 last September (plus running on an NCAA titlist relay team), no one would have begrudged Kayinsola Ajayi if he had turned pro this season. But the Nigerian decided he had unfinished business and returned to Auburn for his junior year.
His reward was a place in the collegiate record book. He easily handled the field in the 60 — no small feat in the sprint-strong SEC — to grab a share of the CR. His 6.45 matches those of Leonard Myles-Mills (BYU, 1999), Christian Coleman (Tennessee, 2017) and Terrence Jones (Texas Tech, 2022). Tying Myles-Mills also gives him a piece of the African record.
He improved his PR from 6.48 at last year’s NCAA meet. This season, his results had mostly been in the mid-6.50s, but technique training finally produced a big result.
“Me and my coach, we’ve been working on my starts,” Ajayi said. “Working on how to perfect my starts. If I perfect my start, I’m going to be able to do what I want in the 60.”
That certainly was the case in College Station. He handled a loaded field like he was in a different class. Arkansas’s Jelani Watkins was closest, well back in 6.53, followed by Ajayi’s teammate and countryman Israel Okon in 6.54.
“That was the reason I came back to college,” Ajayi said of his record.
Will there be a senior season?
“That will depend on my coach and on my performance outdoor.”
The team battle was equally lopsided. Similar to what their women did last year, the Arkansas men were a 113.2-point juggernaut, almost entirely on the track. Ole Miss at 67 and Texas A&M (66.2) had no chance. The Razorbacks even got an unneeded boost in the 4 x 400, when the winning Aggies (3:02.01) were DQed and Arkansas (3:04.21) moved up to the top spot.
The Hogs had 12 points or better in five events, including champions in the 200 (Watkins, 20.28), 3000 (Brian Masai, 7:45.42, followed by teammate Ernest Cheruiyot, 7:46.51) and 5000 (frosh Nick Busieni, 13:31.86).
It was the 28th SEC Indoor title for Arkansas and first for new head coach Doug Case.
“It was a great effort by the whole team, top to bottom, everybody went out and did what they had to do,” said Case. “You see the outcome when you come together, put things together and it really turned out well for us.
“We just kept stacking points up throughout the day. You never know how these meets are going to go. So, we were fighting for every point in every event we were in. The guys did a great job.”
The meet brought one of the most decorated individual careers a little closer to its end. Ole Miss thrower Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan added a third consecutive SEC shot/weight double to his already packed medal shelf. This brings the senior’s tally to three NCAA titles and 11 SEC crowns, indoors and out.
In both events he recorded remarkably consistent series in which his worst throws still would have won. In the weight he hit five legal throws between 76-3½ (23.25) and 75-8¼ (23.07) and in the shot he landed four between 67-9¾ (20.67) and 66-3 (20.19).
Yet, Robinson-O’Hagan wasn’t entirely satisfied.
“Well, I got the job done at the first throw, and then I didn’t get any pleasure for myself in this event today, just going 75 when I should be an 80 guy,” he said after his weight win.
He credited his legendary coaching staff for his success — assistant John Smith has coached four Olympians, 34 U.S. champions and 19 NCAA champions, one of whom is Ole Miss head coach (and Smith’s wife) Connie Price-Smith.
“Everything’s about the athletes,” Robinson-O’Hagan said. “Everything’s about what can we do to make them better without their natural talent. Like, I’m a naturally talented athlete, but I squeezed more out of track & field than I can ever dream of just being with them.”
SEC MEN’S RESULTS
Teams: 1. Arkansas 113.2; 2. Ole Miss 67; 3. Texas A&M 66.2; 4. Florida 58; 5. Georgia 56; 6. Tennessee 51.7; 7. Alabama 42.4; 8. Oklahoma 39.5; 9. Texas 35; 10. Auburn 34; 11. South Carolina 29; 12. LSU 21; 13. Kentucky 18; 14. Missouri 15; 15. Mississippi State 14.
60: 1. *Kayinsola Ajayi’ (Aub-Ngr) 6.45 NR, =CR (=CR 6.45A Leonard Myles-Mills’ [BYU] ’99, 6.45 Christian Coleman [Tn] ’17);
2. **Jelani Watkins (Ar) 6.53; 3. **Israel Okon’ (Aub-Ngr) 6.54; 4. ***Karabo Letebele’ (Ar-SA) 6.58; 5. *Jaiden Reid’ (LSU-Cay) 6.59.
200: I–1. Auhmad Robinson (TxAM) 20.41; 2. *Denzel Simusialela’ (Ky-Zim) 20.47 PR. II–1. Watkins 20.28 PR; 2. Wanya McCoy’ (Fl-Bah) 20.31.
400: I–1. *Jordan Pierre (Ar) 45.06.
II–1. *Samuel Ogazi’ (Al-Ngr) 44.72 (9, x W; 6, 7 C);
2. ***Jonathan Simms (Ga) 45.23; 3. **Josiah Wrice (SC) 45.34 PR; 4. *Justin Braun (Fl) 45.58.
800: 1. ***Peter Narumbe’ (TxAM-Ken) 1:47.83; 2. Rivaldo Marshall’ (Ar-Jam) 1:47.97.
Mile: 1. *Drew Rogers (Mo) 4:02.42; 2. ***Oussama Allaoui’ (Fl-Mor) 4:02.80; 3. *Jaouad Khchina’ (SC-Mor) 4:02.99; 4. *Ryan Olree (Ga) 4:03.66.
3000: 1. Brian Masai’ (Ar-Ken) 7:45.42; 2. *Ernest Cheruiyot’ (Ar-Ken) 7:46.51; 3. ***Kelvin Cheruiyot’ (Fl-Ken) 7:48.32; 4. **Zouhair Redouane’ (Tn-Mor) 7:49.12 PR;… 6. ***Nick Busienei’ (Ar-Ken) 7:52.87.
5000: 1. Busienei’ 13:31.86 PR; 2. **Dismus Lokira’ (Al-Ken) 13:36.33; 3. K. Cheruiyot’ (Fl-Ken) 13:40.75; 4. Aiden Britt (Ms) 13:41.31 PR.
60H: 1. *Ja’Kobe Tharp (Aub) 7.48; 2. Ja’Qualon Scott (TxAM) 7.50; 3. Kendrick Smallwood (Tx) 7.56; 4. Vashaun Vascianna’ (Ar-Jam) 7.57.
Heats: I–1. Scott 7.46 PR (=9, x C); 2. Smallwood 7.46 PR (=9, x C).
4 x 400: III–1. Arkansas 3:04.21 (Cruzan 46.97, Pierre 45.89, Taylor 45.95, Wright 45.40);
2. Georgia 3:04.60 (Simms 45.68, Ricks 46.37, Floyd 46.26, Adoini 46.29); 3. LSU 3:04.60 (Austin 45.65);
… dq—Texas A&M (3:02.01 [Jacobs 45.34, Hemphill 45.83, Farquharson 45.41, Robinson 45.43]).
IV–1. Florida 3:04.65 (Braun 46.85, McCoy’ 45.40, Spikes 46.41, Horton-Mims 45.99).
DisMed: 1. South Carolina 9:30.08 (Lecrivain’ 2:55.82, Salvodon 45.49, Burroughs 1:49.39, Khchina’ 3:59.38); 2. Mississippi 9:30.34 (Thornton-Sherman 3:55.35); 3. Arkansas 9:30.84 (Masai 3:56.77); 4. Texas A&M 9:33.59.
Field Events
HJ: 1. *Kimani Jack’ (Ga-GB) 7-5¾ (2.28) PR; 2. *Tyson Ritz (Ok) 7-4½ (2.25) PR; 3. *Kyren Washington (Ok) 7-4½ =PR.
PV: 1. *Ismaila Sawaneh’ (Tn-Fra) 18-11½ (5.78) PR; 2. Cade Gray (Tn) 18-9½ (5.73) PR; 3. Aleksandr Solovev’ (TxAM-Rus) 18-7½ (5.68).
LJ: 1. Kelsey Daniel’ (Tx-Tri) 26-11¼ (8.21) NR; 2. Jordan Turner’ (LSU-Jam) 26-7 (8.10); 3. **Jayden Keys (Ga) 25-8¾ (7.84); 4. Cade Gray (Tn) 25-8¾ (7.84); 5. *Kennedy Stringfellow (Ok) 25-8 (7.82).
TJ: 1. Theo Mudzengerere’ (Ky-Zim) 54-10 (16.71) PR; 2. Brandon Green (Ok) 54-3¼ (16.54); 3. Daniel’ 54-2 (16.51) PR.
SP: 1. Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan (Ms) 67-9¾ (20.67); 2. ***Jarno Van Daalan (Fl) 66-1 (20.14) PR; 3. *Roury McCloyen (MsSt) 65-11¾ (20.11) PR.
Wt: 1. Robinson-O’Hagan 76-3½ (23.25); 2. Henry Zimmerman (TxAM) 74-11¼ (22.84); 3. Bryson Smith (Ms) 73-1¾ (22.29) PR; 4. Sam Innes (Mo) 72-10¾ (22.22); 5. *John Leonard (Aub) 72-3 (22.02) PR.
Hept: 1. Blake Harris (TxAM) 5969 PR; 2. **Maximus Tucker’ (Ga-Can) 5600; 3. John Landers (Al) 5588; 4. Sacha Rifflart (MsSt) 5518.
