Nigerian sprinter Israel Okon delivered an impressive performance at the NCAA First Round after storming to victory in Heat 1 of the men’s 100m event.
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Sports247 gathered that Okon powered through the field to clock a brilliant 10.02 seconds, comfortably securing automatic qualification for the next round with a composed and confident display.
The Nigerian athlete showed excellent acceleration and control throughout the race, maintaining his advantage from the early stages before crossing the finish line strongly ahead of the competition.
Malaysian sprinter Azeem Fahmi finished second in the heat with a season’s best time of 10.13 seconds to also qualify automatically.
Zimbabwean athlete Denzel Simusialela secured the final automatic qualification spot after finishing third in 10.16 seconds.
The heat proved highly competitive, but all three athletes safely progressed to the next stage of the championships.
Israel Okon’s performance continues Nigeria’s strong showing in the sprint events at the NCAA championships this season, with several Nigerian athletes consistently producing impressive times across the men’s 100m and 400m events.
With qualification secured, Okon will now shift focus to the next round as he aims to continue his strong form and challenge for a place among the top collegiate sprinters in the United States.
