(2013 CO-NATIONAL CHAMPIONS)
(TEXAS A&M AND FLORIDA)
This past weekend we saw college track and field at its best. It was the best venue, great conditions and great performances all weekend long. The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship meet is the ultimate team meet on display. This meet introduces many of us to the stars of the future and what programs had just enough to claim the team title. Let's recap an amazing weekend.
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Women:
Each event had it's own unique story line. Oregon superstar English Gardner came in with the nation's top time in 11.00. She also improved her performance in the 200 winning the Pac-12 conference title with a time of 22.62. However in the semi-finals Gardner failed to qualify just running 23.70 and acknowledged an injury she had been suffering all year with her ankle. With the finals the following day there were many doubts going in to day three regarding the hometown favorite Gardner would be able to defend her title. Running out lane 3 Gardner got out to a great start and never led up. Gardner dipped under 11 seconds clocking in at 10.96. Her performance gave the home crowd hope that the Oregon women could women. She then gave a major announcement with plans to go the professional route.
Brianna Rollins has been breaking records all season long. The hurdler from Clemson has spent much of a career facing challenges with injuries. Her talent however has never been a question, her phenomenal speed was noticeable from her freshman year. It took sometime for her technique to come together. This year it was evident all her hard work paid off. She set the indoor collegiate national record in January shocking the world with a time of 7.78. To make sure no one doubted her she broke the outdoor record in the semifinal round clocking in at 12.47 in the 100 meter hurdles. What she did in the finals was even greater, clocking in at 12.39 she has placed her self in truly elite company. She is just .06 off of Gail Devers American record and is one of only 5 American women who have gone under 12.40.
(Brianna Rollins-Clemson)
Men:
Just like the women much of the focus was on the 100 meter dash. There were plenty of big names in the race in with Charles Silmon of TCU, Olympian Isaiah Young of Ole Miss and Dentarious Locke of Florida State. Before the meet started Young had the nations top time with a time of 9.99. His time was the only legal time under 10 seconds. In the first race of the weekend Locke introduced himself to everyone clocking a wind legal 9.97 in the semifinal heat. In the finals however Charles Silmon proved that his wind-aided 9.94 at the beginning of the season was no fluke. Silmon had a great start and fell slightly behind Locke around the 50 meter mark, but in the last 15 meters Silmon surged ahead to surpass Locke for the title with a wind-aided time of 9.89
The 400 has a truly great story. Bryshon Nellum of USC has suffered greatly throughout his track and field career. His freshman year he pulled his hamstring running the third leg of the team's 4x100 relay then before his sophomore season even starts he is shot in the leg months before the season at a Halloween party. With all that behind him Nellum finally was running pain free this season after being granted a 6th year of eligibility Nellum dominated the Pac-12 winning both the 400 and 200. At the outdoor championship Nellum used his superior speed to surpass Deon Lendore of Texas A&M and freshman Arman Hall of Florida down the stretch to win with a time of 44.73.
DISTANCE
Women:
Abbey D'Agostino of Dartmouth has impressed us this season with her amazing times and championship performances. Last season she got her first taste of victory of winning the 5,000 meter run as a sophomore. Early this season she pulled off a distance double winning the 3,000 and 5,000 meter races. D'Agostino joined a very short list of athletes who have successfully defended their titles by winning the 5,000 at the NCAA Outdoor Championship out-kicking Jordan Hasay of Oregon in the last 400 meters to win in 15:43.68. D'Agostino is just a junior and may return to defend her title yet again and further cement herself as a distance legend.
Men:
Lawi Lalang of Arizona has been the story in the distance world all season. He generally dominates his competition and post great times. Lalang who occasionally trains with Olympic Champion Bernard Lagat put on a show this past weekend yet again. Lalang won a hard fought race in the men's 10,000 with a winning time of 29:29.65 over Paul Katam of UNC-Greensboro. In the 5,000 Lalang dominated the race from the gun. His victory was never in doubt as he comfortably ran around the track clocking in at 13:35.19 to defeat Katam's teammate Paul Chelimo who clocked in at 13:40.41.
FIELD
Women:
In the high jump Olympic Silver Medalist Brigetta Barrett of Arizona continued her dominance this season. Barrett early in the season set a collegiate record in the event and used that same magic to claim another NCAA title. Barrett reached a height of 6'4.75, and spent the last remaining jumps of the competition alone.. Barrett did make three attempts another NCAA record but it was not to be. Barrett clearly is the class of any field she competes on the collegiate level. No word yet if she will make the jump to the professional ranks, but with an Olympic Silver Medal already we should more successful performances from Barrett in the future.
Tia Brooks of Oklahoma is another athlete who competed at the 2012 London Olympics who returned to school. Brooks was the defending champion in the women's shot put. Her throw of 62-0.50 proved that her qualification to the Olympic Games was no joke. Brooks was the only athlete to surpass 60 feet and also a NCAA meet record. Many things are expected for Ms. Brooks in the future, including a possible Olympic medal.
Men:
Demar Forbes of LSU has had an outstanding outdoor season his senior year. Forbes has always been at the front and part of the discussion in the men's long jump but has never experienced victory. Forbes shocked the nation defeating indoor champion Marquis Dendy on the last jump at the SEC Outdoor Championships and reach 27 feet. At regionals Dendy failed to qualify for nationals leaving the door wide open for Forbes to claim the NCAA Outdoor title. Forbes won the event on his 2nd jump a wind-aided 27-4.75 mark that leaped Forbes to the top and he was never challenged for the title for the remainder of the competition.
TEAM COMPETITION
Women:
Kansas did not have the depth like many other top teams but they certainly had the championship performances that other teams did not have. The Lady Jayhawks secured the NCAA title well before the women's 4x400 relay and ended up winning the meet with a total of 60 points, 16 more points than runner up Texas A&M.
Men:
Florida and Texas A&M were amongst the top two programs all season. Florida and Texas A&M both had a major loss at Regionals. Texas A&M's number 1 ranked 4x100 relay was disqualified for passing the baton out of the zone. Dendy was the top ranked long jumper and claimed the event at the NCAA Indoor Championship. Dendy who had two fouls early and on his third attempt did not get far enough to reach the regional final or qualify for the NCAA meet. Both team had potentially lost 10 points. In the final event the 4x400 relay Texas A&M does the unthinkable and drops the baton allowing for Florida to win the event in NCAA leading time of 3:01.34 and to tie for the national title.
NEWS: Exciting news about the blog coming in a few weeks....and hopefully some video interviews.
