Ja’Kobe Tharp Sets Stunning 110m Hurdles World Record at NCAA Championships
Auburn junior Ja’Kobe Tharp delivered one of the greatest performances in collegiate track and field history on Wednesday night, breaking the men's 110-meter hurdles world record during the opening day of the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Tharp blazed to a remarkable 12.75 seconds with a legal +1.0 m/s tailwind in the semifinal round, shaving 0.05 seconds off the previous world record of 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012. The 20-year-old's performance also obliterated the NCAA record of 12.98 established by Grant Holloway in 2019.
The historic run capped a sensational season for Tharp, who entered the championships as the reigning NCAA outdoor champion and one of the sport's fastest rising stars. Earlier this year, he captured the NCAA indoor title in the 60-meter hurdles while breaking Holloway's collegiate record, signaling that a breakthrough outdoor campaign was on the horizon.
Despite the magnitude of the achievement, Tharp admitted afterward that even he was surprised by the time. The Auburn standout said he knew he was running fast but expected something closer to the high-12.9 range before looking up at the scoreboard and seeing the world-record mark.
Tharp's performance further elevates a rapidly growing résumé that already includes a World U20 title, a U.S. national championship, and a sixth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. He will now enter Friday's NCAA final as the overwhelming favorite and could potentially lower the world record even further.
In a sport where the 13-second barrier has long represented the standard of greatness, Tharp has suddenly pushed the event into uncharted territory. His 12.75 not only rewrites the record books but also establishes the fastest hurdles performance ever recorded, marking the arrival of a new global superstar in the event.
Men's 110m Hurdles Semi Final Results:
| Place | Athlete | School | Year | Time | Heat (Place) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ja'Kobe Tharp | Auburn | JR | 12.75 | Q | Heat 2 (1st) | PB, CL, MR, WR, CR |
| 2 | Kendrick Smallwood | Texas | JR | 13.02 | Q | Heat 1 (1st) | PB |
| 3 | Demario Prince | Baylor | JR | 13.15 | Q | Heat 2 (2nd) | |
| 4 | Braxton Brann | Ohio State | JR | 13.17 | Q | Heat 1 (2nd) | PB |
| 5 | Jason Holmes | N. Carolina A&T | JR | 13.17 | Q | Heat 3 (1st) | PB |
| 6 | Andre Korbmacher | Florida State | JR | 13.27 | q | Heat 1 (3rd) | PB |
| 7 | Bradley Franklin | Samford | SO | 13.29 | Q | Heat 3 (2nd) | |
| 8 | Matthew Sophia | LSU | SR | 13.30 | q | Heat 2 (3rd) | |
| 9 | Zach Extine | Florida State | SR | 13.36 | q | Heat 3 (3rd) |
More Day 1 Highlights:
Habtom Samuel Reclaims NCAA 10,000m Title:
New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel returned to the top of the NCAA podium, winning the men’s 10,000 meters in 27:51.31. The Eritrean star, who captured the title as a freshman before finishing runner-up to teammate Ishmael Kipkurui last year, unleashed a devastating final 200-meter kick to secure his second NCAA outdoor 10,000m crown.
Samuel continues an extraordinary season in which he has won every distance event he has contested outdoors. The New Mexico standout will return to the track on Friday seeking a distance double in the 5,000 meters after also claiming the NCAA indoor 5,000m title earlier this year.
Dyson Wicker Soars to Pole Vault Gold:
Nebraska’s Dyson Wicker cleared a personal best 5.85 meters to claim the NCAA men’s pole vault title. The winning mark elevated Wicker to No. 10 on the all-time collegiate performance list and secured Nebraska’s first outdoor pole vault championship since 2012.
Wicker was flawless through 5.75m before producing the championship-winning clearance at 5.85m.
Auburn Smashes Collegiate Record in 4x100m Relay:
Auburn delivered one of the performances of the day in the men's 4x100-meter relay semifinals. The quartet of Azeem Fahmi, Kayinsola Ajayi, Austin Kresley, and Tyler Davis stormed to a collegiate-record 37.75 seconds, eclipsing LSU’s previous NCAA record of 37.90 set in 2023.
The Tigers looked smooth throughout the race and now head into the final as overwhelming favorites for the national title.
Nnamdi Finally Captures NCAA Javelin Crown:
After several near misses, Texas A&M’s Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi finally secured his first NCAA title in the men’s javelin.
Competing in his first season with the Aggies after transferring from Baylor, Nnamdi opened with a massive throw of 82.26 meters and followed it with an 81.89-meter effort. No competitor could match either mark as the Nigerian standout completed his long-awaited ascent to the top of the NCAA podium.
The victory comes after finishes of fifth, third, and fourth in his previous NCAA Championship appearances.
Ben Smith Delivers Shot Put Gold for Oregon:
Oregon freshman Ben Smith thrilled the Hayward Field crowd by winning the men’s shot put title with a throw of 21.04 meters.
Smith produced the winning mark on his third attempt, becoming just the third Duck in program history to win the NCAA men’s shot put crown, joining Neal Steinhauer (1965) and Dean Crouser (1982). He is also the first Oregon athlete to win the event on home soil at Hayward Field.
Tafadzwa Chikomba Makes History for Kansas State:
Kansas State’s Tafadzwa Chikomba earned the Wildcats their first men's individual national champion of the Travis Geopfert era with a spectacular victory in the long jump.
Chikomba opened the competition with a wind-legal leap of 8.37 meters, a mark that stood for the remainder of the competition and moved him to No. 11 on the all-time collegiate list. His second-round jump of 8.35 meters also would have been enough to secure the national title.
Angelos Mantzouranis Wins Hammer Throw Title:
Minnesota’s Angelos Mantzouranis became the first individual champion crowned at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships, winning the men’s hammer throw with a season-best mark of 75.78 meters.
The Greek thrower seized control of the competition with a 75.31-meter throw in round four before improving to 75.78m on his fifth attempt. The victory continues Minnesota’s dominance in the event after teammate Kostas Zaltos captured the title in 2025.
Barton Leads Decathlon After Day One:
BYU’s Ben Barton sits atop the decathlon standings after a superb opening day that yielded 4,414 points.
Barton won three of the five events contested Wednesday, taking victories in the 100 meters (10.65), high jump (2.13m), and 400 meters (47.25). He also added a third-place finish in the long jump (7.40m) to establish a commanding lead heading into Thursday’s final five events.
The decathlon resumes Thursday with the 110-meter hurdles, followed by the discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and concluding 1,500 meters.
