NCAA Championships Women's Preview

(Deajah Stevens- Oregon)

Well we have finally made it here. The NCAA Outdoor Championships. This is one of the best weekends on the track and field calendar. There are quite a few story lines at this meet, the team battle, those who did not make it and the individual battles as well. This preview we will focus on who is competing and how they affect the overall team competition.

SPRINTS

Mikiah Brisco of LSU leads a strong contingent of sprinters at LSU. Brisco early this season wowed the country with her time of 10.85 in the 100-meter dash on her home track. Her time is the second fastest time in NCAA history and the fastest low-altitude time ever. Brisco has been dominant this outdoor season and will look to continue her string of 100 meter wins. Ariana Washington the defending champion from Oregon may have different plans. She did not win a major race all last season until the NCAA Championships and will look to do it again this go around. 

In the 200 Deajah Stevens of Oregon is also a record breaker. The talented junior ran the second fastest 200-meter time in collegiate history with a time of 22.09. She like Brisco also broke the low altitude record. Stevens is also being relied upon even more than expected due to the 4x100 relay failing to qualify. Stevens still may have more in the tank and we should not be surprised if she dips under 22 seconds.

Senior Shakima Wimbley began the outdoor season as the favorite to win the NCAA title and then she hit a bit of a rough patch early in the outdoor season. She lost races against athletes not of her caliber. Win the ACC Conference Championships rolled around she returned to dominate form in the 400. Her time of 50.40 is still the top time in the NCAA but a familiar foe will be there to challenge. USC’s Kendall Ellis has been sensational this outdoor season and has not lost a race since losing the Indoor title to Wimbley. Ellis has a season best of 50.45 setting for another close final between the two.

DISTANCE

Raevyn Rogers is no stranger to being a headliner, in fact when is the last time she has not been considered a headliner. She is the new NCAA record holder at 800 meters and has been unstoppable all year long. With her personal best of 1:59.10 early in the season it’s quite possible we may see her lower her time to a 1:58. Rogers is expected to provide Oregon with valuable team points and anchor their top ranked 4x400 relay.

Karisa Nelson of Samford is the top entrant in the 1,500. Nelson’s path to an NCAA Championships got easier after Elise Cranny of Stanford failed to qualify. Nelson has a season’s best of 4:10.91 that will likely have to be improved upon for her to win the 1,500. Although Nelson is form a small school she has proved herself to be ready against more challenging competition by winning the mile at the Indoor National Championships.

Elinor Purrier of New Hampshire is the top returnee from last outdoor season in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Purrier has proven to be quite the adept distance runner being ranked amongst the elite in two events this outdoor season, the 1,500 and the steeplechase. She has a pretty sizable lead in the ranks with her season best time of 9:43.65. No other competitor has run under 9:50. Purrier at this point in the game is a heavy favorite.

Alli Buchalski of Furman keeps the trend of top tier distance runners from small schools going. Buchalski is the number two ranked 5k runner but the top entrant heading into the championships final. She was the number one ranked competitor however for majority of the season and is in great position to win the event.

The 10k perhaps one of the most grueling events on the track. Freshman Anna Rohrer of Notre Dame leads the way. Rohrer the latest long distance prodigy from Notre Dame has already taken the reigns early in her career. The NCAA leader with a time of 31:58.99 is the only athlete running under 32 minutes currently. Rohrer must prove herself however since she is a freshman but has proven to be solid so far.

HURDLES

Talented sophomore Tobi Amusan from UTEP returns from her All-American freshman campaign to lead the NCAA in the 100 meter hurdles. She has been ranked number 1 or 2 all outdoor season long and clocked a NCAA leading time of 12.57 at the Western Preliminaries to earn the top qualifying mark. Amusan’s time already places her amongst the best in collegiate history but she must face off against defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Kentucky who has the speed to beat anyone.

The 400 hurdles is perhaps the most challenging event to complete on the track. The 400 is painful enough but add hurdles to that is just madness. Senior Sage Watson of Arizona has proven to not be phased by it however. She is the latest hurdler to come out of Arizona competing for a NCAA title. Her leading time of 55.01 will likely be improved upon thanks to her outstanding speed. She is one of the few Olympians competing this weekend and is great position to earn her first NCAA title.

FIELD EVENTS

Long Jump- Quaneesha Burks of Alabama has been dominant all season long. She has defeated Indoor Champion Sha’Keela Saunders of Kentucky and has placed herself in great position to win back her NCAA crown.

Triple Jump- Keturah Orji of Georgia is the most dominant triple jumper in NCAA/American history. Orji is also an Olympian and barely missed getting a medal. Orji has a personal best of 48-3 but will likely not need that mark to win the crown. Old rival Yanis David of Florida will be ready to compete and push Orji hard.

High Jump- Perhaps the deepest competition ever for High Jumpers there are a total of 16 women who have season’s best of 6-0 or better and Kaysee Pilgrim of UNLV leads them all with her mark of 6-2 ¾. Pilgrim will likely have to jump a personal best to beat this deep field.

Pole Vault- Annie Rhodes of Baylor is still the number one athlete in the field with a season’s best mark of 15-1 1/2 that currently ranks her as number one. She must be at her best to face off against the talented Weeks sisters from Arkansas.

Shot Put- This will be short, Raven Saunders of Ole Miss the defending champion. She is the best NCAA thrower ever. DONE.

Discus- Shadae Lawrence of Kansas State enters ranked number one in the NCAA.

Hammer Throw- Maggie Ewen of Arizona State looks to restore the throwing dominance that led to multiple team national titles at Arizona State. She is currently the only thrower in the field with a mark over 70 meters.

Javelin- Senior Irena Sediva of Virginia Tech is the latest throwing prodigy at one of the nation’s best field event schools. Sediva is currently chasing 60 meters and is great position to do it and win the title at the same time.

Heptathlon- Senior Kendell Williams of Georgia is the greatest collegiate heptathlete ever. That just about sums up the preview. To be honest Williams has proven to be one special athlete the only thing she needs to do besides defending her title is break the NCAA record.

RELAYS

4X100- This relay took a big hit when Oregon failed to qualify out Western Preliminary Regional meet. Oregon has broken the record twice this season and currently shares it with LSU. LSU who looks to retain their NCAA record outright will be without the challenge of Oregon but still will have a tough field to compete against and may even surprise everyone with a sub 42 performance.

4x400- Oregon is still loaded in this event. They even have quality back up depth if someone gets injured. Oregon talked of breaking Texas’s NCAA record of 3:23.75 that has stood since 2004. If any team in recent memory can challenge that mark it will be this Oregon group. 

TEAM BATTLE

Oregon took perhaps the biggest hit coming out the Western Preliminary. Not only was Hannah Cunliffe out due to a tight hamstring but so was there 4x100 relay. That is quite a few points missing from their dominant group. They still are bringing a bevy of talent and should only see competition coming from LSU and USC. Both teams have a lot of depth but not the variety of depth that Oregon has.