Conference Championship Weekend

(BRYSHON NELLUM-USC)

This past weekend is one of the more important weekends in collegiate track and field, conference championship weekend. A host of major conferences such as the SEC, Pac-12, Big 12, MAC, Conference USA and many others held their annual championship meet. The performances during this particular weekend helps to highlight the top athletes who will be competing for a national title and the next up and coming athlete.

In the  women sprints the SEC ruled the weekend as expected. LSU's Kimberlyn Duncan continues to be the headliner. Duncan defended her 100 and 200 meter titles. Her 200 meter time vaulted her to the top spot in the NCAA with a time of 22.35. Her race was typical of Duncan, a strong run on the curve followed by a powerful finish down the last 100 meters. Duncan has not ran as many races a last season but she will be in solid shape for what will be great NCAA meet.

On the men's side the PAC-12 took the shine away from the SEC, specifically USC. The past couple of years USC has not had that dominant sprint presence that we were so accustomed to. All it took was a strong set of recruiting classes of the past two seasons for them to put together such a solid team.

Coming back from a horrific leg injury Bryshon Nellum is starting to live up the hype that followed him to USC after a sensational high school career. This past weekend Nellum put up some eye-popping numbers in the long sprints. Nellum completed a successful double winning the 200 in 20.23 and the 400 44.76. His 200 time places him number 2 in the NCAA while his 400 time puts him at number 1 and the number 1 time by an American this season. With it only being Mid-May we can expect big things from Mr. Nellum.

In the hurdle events Kori Carter of Stanford showed why she was considered the number 1 prospect in the hurdles coming out of high school. Carter had a record breaking meet with a time of 54.21 in the 400 hurdles and a time of 12.76 in the 100 hurdles to complete the hurdles double. Her time in the 400 hurdles is the 2nd fastest time during the regular season. Carter has improved significantly under new hurdle coach Jody Stewart and is inline to become the next great 400 hurdler from the United States.

(Kori Carter-Stanford) 

The field events saw a national record snapped again by high jump star Brigetta Barrett from Arizona. Barrett ended her 2012 campaign with an Olympic Silver Medal and is rising superstar in the event. She proved why she is alone at the top at the PAC-12 Championships with her leap of 6-6 1/4. Her mark surpassed the NCAA record held by Amy Acuff of UCLA, Destinee Hooker of Texas and Kasja Bergvist of SMU. Whether or not Barrett stays, she has given us so many great performances. There is still a month left in the scene and there is more time for Barrett to break the record again.

(Brigetta Barrett-Arizona)

At the SEC Championships the men's long jump had a battle of major heavy weights. The talk of the season has been Florida's Marquis Dendy who dominated his competition indoors by leaping 27 feet. Dendy entered the meet with number one mark in the nation. During the first three jumps Dendy was sitting comfortably in 2nd when in the 4th round Dendy claimed the lead with a personal best of 27-2 1/2 surpassing senior Demar Forbes of LSU. However in Forbes final jump he roared down the runway and hit a personal best and NCAA leading mark of 27-4 1/2 to surpass Dendy for the win.

For the distance events as usual we turn to the Big 10. Leah O'Connor of Michigan State had a solid weekend. O'Connor defended her title in the women's steeplechase that started with a fast pace. O'Connor clocked in a time 9:53.53, her time ranks her number 5 in the nation. O'Connor also claimed in the women's 5,000 title with a time of 16:09.46. O'Connor just a redshirt sophomore at Michigan State, should produce more great performances for the Spartans in the future. With her number 5 ranking in the steeplechase, she may not be finish with her solid performances with a month of the season left.

Lawi Lalang of Arizona has become a distance household name. Lalang constantly stays at the top of the rankings in the distance events. Lalang who trains with Olympic Gold Medalist Bernard Lagat proved this past weekend why he is the next great distance runner. Lalang a native of Kenya had two very strong races. His performance in the men's 1,500 gained him the number 1 ranking in the country with his time of 3:38.53. He stepped up the volume competing in the men's 10,000 finishing with a winning time of 28:14.63. His time ranks him 2nd in the country and strong position for a distance double come nationals.

(Lawi Lalang-Arizona)

This first step of the post season has now been completed, we learned that the Florida men have enough championship power to defend their national title but not enough depth to win the SEC title. Texas A&M women made moving to the SEC look easy with their solid performances over the weekend. The championship picture is becoming more clear, the next major hurdle is the regional meets conducted during Memorial Day Weekend. The top 12 from each region (East and West) in each event will be selected to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. The athletes above should all be able to stamp their tickets for the NCAA Championships in June.