Weekend Recap, the end of April

12.57!

(Janeek Brown-Arkansas)

The regular season is winding down. We are heading towards May and the post season is almost here. We were treated this past weekend to some truly great performances. The world’s largest Relay Carnival and most attended event on American soil the Penn Relays gave us some noteworthy performances. Let us recap not only our new number one performances but the big headlines from this weekend.

Grant Holloway retakes the number one ranking in the 110 hurdles on his home track. The talented junior looked smooth in victory clocking in a time of 13.25 at the Tom Jones memorial. The race was wind legal and solidified him as the world number one as well. His rival and fellow SEC counterpart Daniel Roberts of Kentucky perhaps had the more not worth performance. Although his time of 13.28 was wind assisted he did beat defending Olympic Gold Medalist Omar McLeod at the Drake Relays in cold, rainy weather. Their battle at the SEC Championships along with Isaiah Moore of South Carolina will be great.

Janeek Brown of Arkansas by way of Jamaica also had a impressive weekend over the hurdles. She clocked the world leading time of 12.57 in the 100 hurdles en route to victory at the National Relay Championship and followed that up with the number two ranked time in the 200 with 22.67. The only athlete that claim that impressive sprint hurdle double in history is Jackie Joyner-Kersee, impressive company to be with.

No relay of the week but let us give credit to what the Houston men did this past weekend at the Penn Relays. The men swept the sprint relays winning the 4x1, 4x2 and the 4x4 in a NCAA leading time of 3:02.61. Senior Mario Burke was a part of all three and add his fourth gold medal by winning the 100 quite the impressive weekend for him and the Cougars. This is only the sixth time it has ever happened.

The University of Pennsylvania experienced their first Penn wheel in the Distance Medley Championship of America race. The prestigious Ivy League university held off Notre Dame traditional distance power Villanova to win the title on their home field. Their winning time was 10:59.44 and was the only sub 11 minute performance in the entire field. 

The USC women’s 4xx100 relay of Dior Hall, Angie Annelus, Lanae Tava Thomas and Twanisha Terry improved their national leading time with a win over rival UCLA in their annual dual. Their time of 42.77 further cements them as the favorites to win the NCAA title as they are still the only team under 43 seconds.

Mondo Duplantis of LSU reclaimed his number one ranking in the Pole Vault. The superstar dominated the field on his track winning with a mark of 19 feet 5 ¾ inches. That is the second-best mark in NCAA history and world number one. Duplantis is truly having one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA history.

Aliyah Whisby of Georgia had tied the NCAA lead in the long jump last week. This past weekend she became the sole number one leader in the long jump by leaping to 22’2 ¼ at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial on her home track. The talented sophomore is now currently the only athlete over 22 feet in the women’s long jump and looks to continue that great jumping tradition at Georgia.

Portious Warren of Alabama has now put her name in the shot put as a national contender. The senior became the first woman over 60 feet this season with her winning throw of 61’0 ¾ in the shot put. She has nearly a five foot lead over the SEC conference giving her plenty of time to continue her win streak.

Bryce Hoppel of Kansas continues to have an impressive year. The junior clocked in at 1:45.87 to win the open 800 at the National Relay Championships at the University of Arkansas. He is currently ranked number two in the NCAA but with a indoor NCAA title and his ability to perform at the highest level he seems to be in great position to add to his trophy case.

Daniel Michalski of Indiana gave us another reason to celebrate all that is the Penn Relays. The senior ran a dominating race in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in less the ideal weather conditions. He clocked a NCAA leading of 8:34.26 over a quality field. His lead was more than 16 seconds ahead. If there were any doubts about Indiana’s ability to develop great distance runners, they have been answering the bell all season long.

A THOUGHT…

With the creation of the National Relay Championships and the withdrawal of many premier colleges from the Penn Relays the meet has lost some of it’s luster. It cannot be ignored and what is truly sad is that this meet is the United States premier annual meet on its home soil. The Jamaicans have come and conquered this meet not only in the high school division but in the professional division as well. The absence of many elite programs adds to that sting. It is as if the colleges take the meet for granted since national exposure is no longer needed because of web streaming and social media.

As a fan of the meet who attended in 2017 and 2018 the atmosphere is hard to bead. The constant energy that flows and the excitement does not happen anywhere else. It is truly disappointing that premier universities are so into themselves and desire to be spoiled or given special treatment decided to withdraw. The sport needs to continue to grow and college track and field can truly help. M hope is that the university coaches get over themselves and return to this great meet. This is not to step them from attending the Drake Relays but the fan fare that comes with the Penn Relays cannot be ignored or replaced.

Weekend Recap

9.94! 19.76!

A weekend to remember. We are drawing closer and closer to the post season, but many collegiate athletes used this past weekend to make some serious noise. There are several new number one performances and all-time marks.

Divine Oduduru has been blazing the track since last season. The talented sprinter from Nigeria gave us a performance for the ages this past weekend. He won the 100-meter dash at the Michael Johnson Invitational and clocked in at 9.94. A new number one in the event and the first time a Nigerian has ran under 10 seconds since 2006. He followed that up with a jaw dropping 19.76 in the 200 becoming the second fastest 200-meter sprinter in NCAA history a new Nigerian record. Please keep in mind this was all done the same day. His performance not only signals his status at the favorite to double at the NCAA Championship, but he will be a serious threat later this year at the World Championships.

Oliver Hoare of Wisconsin is one of the many distance stars on their top tier program. The junior has been one of the milers in not only the Big Ten Conference but also in the NCAA and is coming off an All-American indoor season. At the Bryan Clay Invitational last Wednesday, he claimed the 1,500-meter title in a NCAA leading time of 3:37.20. The race was rather spectacular and literally came down to the line with him edging out a stumbling Carlos Villarreal of Arizona who finished in 3:37.22, the number two ranked mark. His time is impressive for it to be mid-season and it remains to be seen what he will bring during the postseason.

The 400-meter hurdles number one ranking changed twice this past weekend. Cameron Samuel of USC held the number one ranking after winning the event at the Mt Sac Relays on Thursday. On Friday at the Michael Johnson Invitational Norman Grimes of Texas Tech and Infinite Tucker ran a tight race to finish 1-2. Grimes now holds the NCAA lead with his time of 49.75, Tucker is second with 49.78 and Samuel is now third with 49.79. Grimes is coming into his own and defeating a strong Texas A&M group is a great sign of his potential.

Chris Nilsen of South Dakota continues has taken the reigns as the top vaulter in the NCAA. He currently has the only mark over 19 feet this outdoor season with his Beach Invitational winning mark of 19 feet 1 inch. He competed against some of the top competition in the NCAA and came away the victor. Duplantis debuted this weekend but his mark places him seventh. For now, all eyes are on Nilsen.

Jordan Scott of Virginia claimed the indoor NCAA title in the triple jump and debuted his outdoor season with a personal best mark of 56 feet even. He has nearly a foot and a half on his closest competitor and with no current triple jump threat from Florida it is clear who the obvious favorite in this event is. Scott has been so consistent this season it is not likely he will lose at all this season.

Denzel Comenentia of Georgia is the defending NCAA Champion in the Hammer Throw. The senior this weekend took on Nike sponsored pro in Marcel Lomnicky who has competed at the Olympic Games. Their battle was close with Lomnicky winning by a foot however Comenentia’s mark of 252 feet is the new lead in the NCAA. He is currently over 6 feet ahead of his closest competitors.  

Our last men’s number one mark comes from a very talented freshman at USC, Ayden Owens. Owens is one of only two athletes that have now surpassed the 8,000-point total this season. The talented freshman had quite the performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational that saw him win four the ten events in the competition. He defeated a quality field that included a previous All-American. His mark is impressive, but it remains to be seen if he be consistent in the post season.

On the women’s side there was a grand total of eight individual number ones and a new number one mark in the 4x100 relay. The hurdles are where we start with Tonea Marshall of LSU rounding into great form this season. The talented junior was one of the fastest hurdlers in high school history and in past years had yet to make a dent on the national level in college. She has been solid this season routinely going under 13 seconds. On her home track at the LSU Alumni Gold invitational she claimed the number one mark in the nation with a time of 12.81. This is Marshall’s second time this season being ranked number one and is testament to the great start she has had this outdoor season.

The 400 hurdles has had a slow start on the women’s side. We have yet to see an athlete dip under 56 seconds and until this weekend no one has gone under 57 seconds. At the Michael Johnson Invitational senior Ranae McKenzie of Kansas State ran a dominant race that saw her clock a winning time of 56.11. McKenzie is an All-American and the defending Big 12 Champion. She is undefeated this season and is great position for a strong post-season run.

The 800 is starting to heat up with many top tier athletes jockeying for position and ranking. Avi’Tal Wilson-Perteete of UNLV is only a sophomore but has been a top ranked athlete since her freshman year. She just missed out on the final qualifying spot at last years National Championship and is clearly motivated by the missed opportunity. She has been solid this outdoor season competing in events as low as the 400 and high as the 1,500. At the Bryan Clay Invitational she challenged professional Nikki Hiltz and a quality collegiate field. At the end of the race Perteete was the top collegian with a time of 2:02.41 and finished second overall losing only to Hiltz.

The 1,500 is a wide-open event this outdoor season and each time a new athlete takes the number one ranking they are legitimately a contender. Jessica Harris a senior from Notre Dame is the latest this season with her time of 4:13.04 ran at the Virginia Challenge. She defeated a few professionals and All-Americans in the process making her time and performance even more legitimate. Expect more from Harris this season.

New Mexico continues to be the gold standard for long distance running. Weini Kelati continued her strong 2019 season with her win at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Kelati and ran against a strong field including her teammate Adva Cohen. Kelati dominant time of 15:23.46 is more than seven seconds ahead of second place and leaves her as one of the favorites to win the event on the national level outdoors.

The Long jump now has a three-way tie for first place. Aliyah Whisby of Georgia tied the top mark of 21 feet 8 inches at the Mt Sac Relays. Whisby is the latest jump star out of Georgia. Only a sophomore she must be considered a contender with the strong history that Georgia has.

We also now have a tie in the women’s shot put for the number one ranking. Alyssa Wilson of UCLA and Laulauga Tausaga of Iowa both had a throw of 59 feet 1 ½ inches. The irony is they competed at the exact same meet the Beach Invitational. Noenning of Arizona State is still the favorite to win the event, but we will now how competitive Wilson is when she faces Noenning at the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships in a few weeks.

At the Mt Sac Relays senior Shadae Lawrence returned to top form. The senior by way of Jamaica threw for a solid mark in the discus with 209 feet 7 inches. Lawrence was second overall in the competition losing only to Brazilian professional Fernanda Martins.  She has five feet over the closest competitor in the NCAA and is proving to be in great position to defend her NCAA title.

RELAY OF THE WEEK

USC women became the first 42 second 4x100 relay of the season. USC had a quartet of Dior Hall, Angie Annelus, Lanae-Tava Thomas and Twinisha Terry blazed the track at the Mt. Sac Relays to win with a time of 42.93.

We are getting closer and closer to the post season. The recent rankings indicate we are in for a real treat this post season. Expect more post in the future, running into a few personal challenges that are delaying things, but still expect more to come. 

Historic Weekend Recap

20.20!

(Nick Gray-Ohio State)

We have now made it to the middle of the regular season. There were quite a few impressive times that were posted this weekend that clear up the national picture. The team race is still unclear since there are high level athletes coming back from injury or have yet to run their primary race. No national records this weekend but one impressive school record was broken.

On that school record note let us tip our hats to Nick Gray of Ohio State. This past weekend at the University of South Carolina the talented senior broke two school records including one held by the legendary Jesse Owens. In the 100 he broke the school record held by Jones clocking in a runner-up finish 10.17. He then later won the 200-meter dash with a new school record a national leading mark of 20.20. Owens held the school record for 80 years making the feat more impressive.

The sprinter that defeated Gray in the 100 garnered the top time in the NCAA, 10.03. It was senior Demek Kemp from South Carolina State. He is another star sprinter from a university that it is having a great year. Kemp won the USATF Indoor Championship this year in the 60 meter dash skipping the NCAA Championship. With a USATF title under his belt and a national leading time of 10.03 it is clear a contender for the post season.

Quincy Hall of South Carolina was at the same meet on his home track and he too decided to set the track a blaze. The junior transfer ran a world leading time of 44.53 to win the 400. Hall transferred from junior college to South Carolina to compete for legendary hurdles coach Curtis Frye in the 400 hurdles. Hall may be better suited for the open 400 with a time that impressive.

Another impressive time at South Carolina was senior Isaiah Moore. His wind legal time of 13.39 in the preliminaries was truly just a warm up. In the finals he clocked a national leading wind-aided time of 13.25. His wind-aided time is still legal per NCAA rules but not under IAAF regulations. The senior has now put his hat in the ring to be considered a contender. Grant Holloway will have his hands full with two conference foes.

South Carolina clearly held the meet of the weekend. Alabama State junior Charminique Hackney had herself a weekend. Hackney garnered the top marks in the 100 and 200 with times of 11.20 and 22.95. Alabama State is another HBCU that on the rise developing high level sprinters. Hackney’s times prove that she will be a threat to score at the national meet.

In the women’s 400 Wadeline Jonathas of South Carolina had quite the meet on her home track. She finished second in the 400 but tops among collegians with her time of 51.56. Jonathas also ran a 49 split anchor leg in the 4x400 relay proving the resurgence of women’s sprinting for South Carolina is happening this year. The South Carolina women have three athletes currently ranked in the top eight in the country.

Nia Akins of Penn ran impressive race this past indoor season at the NCAA Indoor Championship by nearly almost winning the title. She opened her outdoor season this past weekend at the Tennessee Relays against a strong field. The junior came out on top with a time of 2:03.76 and had the top time of the weekend. Her mark now ranks her fourth in the NCAA.

We were treated to two new number one marks in the long jump on both the men’s and women’s side. LSU sophomore JuVaughn Harrison is the schools star high jumper and he also is proving his worth in the long jump. His mark of 26 feet 9 ¾ is an impressive number one mark at this point in the season. LSU has been quiet in the jumps in the past few years and this season there clearly is a resurgence. Sarea Alexander likewise had an impressive mark in the women’s long jump. The senior from Incarnate Word leaped to mark of 21 feet 8 inches to tie the number one mark in the nation but her mark is the national leading mark without wind assistance.

The shot put also went through a change this weekend. Samantha Noenning continues to be a bright star for Arizona State. The school that has been bringing the heat in the throws event has another talent in this young lady. The sophomore launched the shot put to 58-5 ¼ at UC San Diego. She beat a quality field including a few professionals to win the competition. Jordan Geist of Arizona surpassed the 70-foot mark at the same meet. The talented sophomore overtook Payton Otterdahl with the only 70-foot mark of the season winning in 70-10. He too beat a few professionals and a quality collegiate field on his way to victory.

RELAY OF THE WEEK

LSU men’s 4x400 relay ran an impressive race at the Hurricane Invitational. Their time of 3:02.88 is the new number one time in the NCAA. LSU has had an impressive past few weeks and have justified their ranking as a contender for the team title.

Outdoor Season Recap 2

(Jordan Geist-Arizona)

The outdoor season is moving along quickly. We are heading to mid-April and this past weekend gave us quite a few big performances. Although there is still a month left in the regular season it will go by quickly. Let us recap the most notable performances from the weekend.

On the men’s side Tyrell Richard of South Carolina State won the indoor 400 title in a huge upset. This past weekend he ran the number one time in the world outdoors with a time of 44.81. He is the first man in the world this year under 45 seconds. Richard has now cemented as top 400 runner and is the driver’s seat to win the outdoor title.

A tie rarely happens in track and field these days because the quality of timing systems that are available. Iowa State gave us two phenomenal 800 performances by teammates who clocked the exact same time to share the win at the Sun Angel Classic. Festus Lagat and Roshon Roomes clocked 1:47.14 to lead the NCAA in the 800. It is only April but have two athletes running 1:47 is impressive.

Joe Klecker of Colorado continued this weekend’s trend of great middle-distance performances. The junior won the 1,500 on his home track in a time of 3:45.11. His time converts up to 3:39.75 because of the altitude he ran at. He won his race by almost three seconds claiming the top time in the NCAA this season. Expect more from Klecker this season in his specialty the 5,000 and event he earned All-American honors last season.

Jordan Geist of Arizona took the top spot in the nation in the shot put. The talented sophomore is returning to his 2018 form that made him a sensation as a freshman. On his home field he threw for 69 feet 9 ¾ inches. This mark surpasses super senior Payton Otterdahl. Geist was always mentioned as a threat but Otterdahl has been so dominant he became a mere after thought. With a mark of this quality he is clearly a threat to Otterdahl’s reign.

Johannes Erm of Georgia made his season debut in the decathlon on his home track. The talented sophomore is the latest multi-event star to compete at Georgia. He scored a total of 7,913 points to claim the highest point total in the nation but finished second to Karl Saluri of Estonia. Erm felt short of expectations this past indoor season and will look to rebound this outdoor season and win the national title. The mark he scored this early is a great sign.

It seems as if all the great performances were out west this past weekend. On the women’s side there were a number of top performances. In the 800 Lauren Ellsworth of BYU claimed the victory at the Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State and the top time in the nation with 2:02.49. She beat a quality field that included the NCAA number two. BYU has developed quite the distance program and it is likely to continue.

Erica Birk of BYU is another quality competing at the Mormon school. The junior ran a time of 4:13.57 to win the 1,500 at the Sun Angel Classic. The field included three professionals and she bested them all. BYU now has three athletes ranked in the top 10.

Chanel Brissett of USC continued her winning streak. The indoor champion claimed the 100-hurdle title at the Jim Click Shootout at the University of Arizona. Her winning time of 12.87 is the top time in the nation and amongst the fastest in the world this year. Each top Brissett has stepped on the track this outdoor season she has gotten better. After winning the indoor title she will carry a target on her back all season.

Samantha Noenning of Arizona State is latest protege coming out of their program. Arizona State can easily claim that they are the best throwing school in the nation with their string of NCAA Champions over the past few years. Noenning in front of the home crowd launched a NCAA leading throw of 57-7 1/2 in the shot put, finished second at the Sun Angel Classic. The only woman to beat her was a professional. She claimed the event title indoors and is continuing that success outdoors.

Laulauga Tausaga of Iowa was another highlight from out west competing at the Sun Angel Classic. The junior claimed the top collegiate mark and overall mark to win the discus. Her mark of 202’7 moved her into the number one spot and she is one of only two athletes who have gone over 200 feet this season.

Senior Mackenzie Little of Stanford also competed out west, just not in Arizona. The senior won crucial points for the Stanford Cardinal in the annual dual meet against rival California. The winning of 195’1 in the Javelin allowed for Little to claim the number one ranking in the NCAA and continue her reign as the best javelin thrower in the west.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Later this week I will be completing the season’s first podcast. I will be discussing the regular outdoor season versus the indoor season regarding marketability and excitement. Our next post will be about NCAA development.

Weekend Recap 1- Outdoor Season

15-6 1/4!

(Olivia Gruver-Washington)

The outdoor season started two weeks ago but this past weekend was our first big weekend of the season. With many of the top athletes resting at the beginning season since their intense competition at the Indoor National meet, this weekend was our first glimpse at some of the top athletes competing. Let us a review a few of the top performances from the weekend. 

In the sprints both the Florida and Texas Relay meets provided us with plenty to talk about. At the Florida Relays we had three number one performances on the women’s side. Senior Kayla White of North Carolina A&T, the indoor champion at 200 meters and runner-up in the 100 hurdles ran a NCAA leading time of 11.04. Anavia Battle of Ohio State ran a time of 22.54 into a headwind which is even more impressive along with beating defending SEC Champion Lynna Irby of Georgia. Senior Sharrika Barnett beat a strong field to claim the 400 title on her home track with a time of 50.96.

Note: Sha’Carri Richardshon of LSU ran a time of 10.91 but her time was well beyond the allowable limit for wind.

On the men’s side the Florida Relays produced two sprint number one’s as well. Both came from North Carolina A&T which is becoming a sprint powerhouse. Akeem Sirleaf earned the top time in the 200 with a time of 20.50 and teammate Trevor Stewart won the 400 with a time of 45.18. With their success this past indoor season and in recent years it is clear that Olympic Medalist Duane Ross has built a quality program at North Carolina A&T.

In the hurdles Tonea Marshall of LSU was one of the many bright spots for the Tigers over the weekend at the Texas Relays. She won with a NCAA leading time of 12.96 defeating Janeek Brown of Arkansas who finished with 12.97. This is perhaps the beginning of what will be a great rivalry between the top two hurdlers in the SEC.

In the 400 hurdles the Tigers took home another win at the Texas Relays with sophomore Jurnee Woodward winning in a time of 57.28. Her time was number for a full day. At the Florida Relays true freshman Reana Richards of Rutgers claimed the number one ranking with a time of 57.21. This event is technically wide open with so many talented young athletes in this event expect for the top ranking in this event to change often throughout the season.

On the men’s side the 110 hurdles at the Florida Relays was the highlight of the weekend. Grant Holloway of Florida and Daniel Roberts of Kentucky. Holloway got off to slow a start but made up for it in the middle of the race with his superior speed. After the ninth hurdle he seemed to have a clear path to victory. However, he hit the 10^th hurdle and Roberts was able to close the small gap between them. Holloway still was able to out lean him at the line winning with a time of 13.28 to Roberts 13.30. This rivalry has become enjoyable to watch and we will be privy to it throughout the post season.

The Texas Relays saw senior Amere Lattin of Houston win the 400 hurdles against the professional invitational field. The star senior clocked in at 49.80 a new NCAA number one. He is also currently the only athlete in the NCAA under 50 seconds in the event.

In the distance events it seems as if all the fun happened at the Stanford Invitational. Between the men and women there were 8 number one times over the weekend. The Florida Relays produced the other two both in the same event, the 800 meters.

Danae Rivers of Penn State is continuing her phenomenal season. The newly crowned NCAA Champion defeated a strong field with a time of 2:03.63. Her race was even more impressive since she won the race by a second and half with considerable distance between her and the runner up. With this weekend’s performance Rivers further validates her early season favorite status for the national title.

Avery Bartlett of Georgia Tech has continued the programs success with 800 runners. Bartlett garnered the number one ranking by winning at the Florida Relays with a time of 1:47.54. Although Devin Dixon of Texas A&M has not ran yet Indoor Champion Bryce Hoppel of Kansas has claiming the Texas Relays title with 1;48.94. Although it is early in the season senior Bartlett made a big announcement with that impressive time and win.

Senior Jessica Hull of Oregon is the defending champion in the women’s 1,500. For majority of the 2019 season Hull has not seemed to focus on running that event. This past weekend at the Stanford Invitational she clocked in at 15:34.93 against a quality field of professional athletes and the top seven in the NCAA. Even though the national championship meet will not at Oregon this year Hull still has was it takes to win an NCAA title in either the 5,000 or defending her title in the 1,500.

Kyle Mau of Indiana missed last outdoor season, which is a huge let down after the solid 2018 indoor season he had. The talented junior made some noise this past indoor season but missed a podium finish  in both the mile and 3,000. At the Stanford Invitational against a strong field that included his teammate Ben Veatch and Aidan Tooker of Syrcause he won the 5,000 with a time of 13:44.43. Like Hull he has primarily been a 1,500-meter runner but a personal best in your outdoor debut with an impressive time will make for an interesting argument about what event he should run in the post season.

Allie Ostrander of Boise State is now a junior. This supremely talented runner has been making headlines since her freshman year. She is primarily a steeplechaser and is the defending NCAA Outdoor Champion in the event. For obvious endurance work she stepped up to the 10,000 and clocked a time of 32:06.71. She finished third overall but was the top collegian. She likely will not compete in the 10,000 again this season, this is not an event you run a lot. However, it is worth noting that she beat collegians that will be competitive in the event later in the post season.

The Pole Vault began with a bang on the women’s side this outdoor season. Olivia Gruver the two-time defending NCAA champion who competed for Kentucky the past three seasons transferred in the off season to Washington. She left with her coach Olympic Medalist Toby Stevenson and the success has continued. She broke the NCAA outdoor record in the event this past weekend with a time of 15 feet 6 ¼ inches at the Stanford Invitational. It has been the theme the past few years to seeing NCAA records continuously fall.

Senior Yanis David of Florida is continuing her winning senior season. Fresh off winning an NCAA title this past indoor season that talented senior lifted off to a mark of 46’1 ¼ in the triple jump at the Florida Relays. Her mark vaulted her to the top in the NCAA and she is currently the only athlete of 46 feet so far this season.

Chris Nilsen of South Dakota proved this past weekend he will by the top challenger against true freshman Mondo Duplantis of LSU. The junior leaped to a mark of 19-1 ¼ to win the Pole Vault at the Texas Relays. This now makes Nilsen and Duplantis as the only two athletes over 19 feet this season. Nilsen has a champions spirit and competitive fire power do not expect for this to be an easy outdoor campaign for Duplantis.

Senior Payton Otterdahl of North Dakota State continued his impressive season. The senior won the shot put at the Texas Relays with his through of 69-8 ¼. That mark is number one in the country and what is perhaps more impressive is that it is three feet off her personal best. We will likely see another 70 foot through soon.

Senior Anderson Peters of Mississippi State is the defending champion in the javelin. He did not compete much this past indoor season and certainly not in any throwing events. He still found a way to pick up where he left off, at the top. His Texas Relays winning mark of 282-4 is a personal best and an incredibly way for a champion to debut his outdoor season.

Portious Warren of Alabama has the honor of being the top female thrower from the weekend. The senior dazzled the competition at the Florida Relays to win with a mark of 57-2 ¼. She won the SEC Championship this past indoor season in the event and is building a case to be a contender.

RELAY OF THE WEEK

There a two great relay races to note. On the men’s side it is the LSU 4x100 relay earning the top mark in the NCAA with a time of 38.41 at the Texas Relays. The race is the talk of social media with senior Jaron Flournoy walking down the anchor from Houston. He got an emotional and was clearing vocal about it. He even accidentally bumped the runner from Houston. His response sparked a debate for proper celebration etiquette. I say let the athletes enjoy how they would like.

In the women’s 4x400 Relay South Carolina took the glow from home favorite Florida. The Indoor Champions were behind when anchor Wadeline Jonathas got the baton. Jonathas ran a 50.5 anchor to surpass Florida down the final stretch to lead the Gamecocks to their NCAA top ranked time of 3:27.53. It is the fastest time the Gamecocks have ran in years and proves they are returning as a competitive national power.