NCAA 2021 Outdoor Season Recap 1

                                                                          23-5 1/4! 

(Tara Davis- Texas)

The Outdoor season is officially here. After missing all of outdoor season in 2020 it is quite nice to see athletes on the track again. We were treated to some great performances this past weekend at a few big meets. Meets are different as they lack fan attendance due to the Pandemic, but the times and marks are a sign that athletes did not skip their training. In this recap we are going to look at a few of the bigger meets (Texas and Raleigh Relays) and the record-breaking performances. Yes, our NCAA record breaking theme remains.

 

Texas Relays

What is perhaps my favorite early season meet still produced the noticeable marks. Full of great competitive teams the Texas Relays did not disappoint.

In the women’s long jump Tara Davis of Texas is having a resurgence. After losing a year due to her transfer from Georgia and then another outdoor season due to Covid-19, Davis has proven to be quite the persistent champion. Davis broke the NCAA indoor record at the NCAA Indoor Championship a few weeks ago. She decided on her new home track to begin the outdoor season the same way. After an eye popping third attempt at 22 feet 10 ½ inches, her fourth attempt jump was 23 feet 5 ¼ inches. That broke the historic NCAA record held by Olympic Champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Davis has clearly taken over as the favorite and it looks like it won’t even be close.

Our next NCAA record was Division 2 NCAA record. Benjamin Azamati of West Texas A&M by way of Ghana. The 100 Meter Dash is always a highlight but especially when a record is broken. Azamati shot out of the blocks like a cannonball and held on to win his heat with a time of 9.97. He is the first Division 2 athlete to have gone under 10 seconds wind legal. He has also punched his ticket to the Olympic Games held later this year.

There were also two big times amongst men’s sprinters. Terrance Laird of LSU clocked a 200-meter time of 19.81 to win against a strong field. His time is now top three all-time.  Bryce Deadmon began the outdoor season with a bang as well winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 44.62. Like Laird Deadmon is ranked number one in the world and is currently the only sub 45 second 400 runner in the world.

In the hurdles LSU continued their impressive performances. Tonea Marshall who had to miss this past indoor season due to NCAA rules regarding the pandemic, made a big splash. The senior clocked in at 12.75 to win the 100 hurdles. Teammate and fellow senior Damion Thomas also made a big splash winning the 110 hurdles with a time of 13.22. His time places him in the top-10 list all time.

The Relay races of course were a great part of the weekend. In the 4x100 relay Houston was able to avenge that fateful 2019 loss that sparked a conversation on sportsmanship. The Carl Lewis trained quartet got the baton around in a time of 38.49. LSU was second with a time of 38.70. Perhaps what was so impressive was not only Laird’s anchor for LSU but perhaps the fact that they ran a great time with such poor exchanges. In the 4x400 Relay North Carolina A&T continued to their winning ways. Running a meet record time of 3:00.23 to a dominate victory.

On the women’s side LSU women were a little more prepared then the men in the 4x100 relay. LSU clocked the winning time at 42.87. They are currently the only team in the NCAA under 43 seconds. Arkansas again begins the season with a strong 4x400 relay time. They claimed the 4x400 relay title with a time of 3:26.63. This team includes two 51 second open 400 runners in Paris Peoples and Shafiqua Maloney who is also the team’s top 800 runner.

 

Raleigh Relays

The Raleigh Relays held at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina provided us with some impressive performances. This meet has grown in popularity over the past few years with attendance being pulled heavily from North Carolina schools as well as schools from the Northeast.

The home team has their own sprint star NC State. Cravont Charleston wowed the crowd winning both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash with impressive times, 10.10 and 20.37. His 100 time is the fastest wind-legal time in Division 1.

The distance races gave us all are new primary number one rankings, granted it is very early in the outdoor season there were some impressive times. Finley McLear of Miami of Ohio nearly claimed the NCAA Indoor 800 title in an upset. He was edged at the line. He begins his outdoor season in impressive fashion winning in a time of 1:47.43.

Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame, who is the defending champion in the 1,500; won the 5,000-meter run with a time of 13:40.62. The 1,500 was won by Sean Dolan a true freshman from Villanova with a time of 3:39.45. Dolan’s time is a solid time this early in the season, especially for a freshman.

On the women’s side the Raleigh Relays provided similar distance success. In the 800 Micaela Mayer of Virginia ran to victory with a time 2:02.20 to highlight what was a strong day for Virginia. In the 1,500 senior Lotte Black of Rhode Island University garnered the top time with 4:16.40. Black is the latest talented miler to come out of Rhode Island.

Katie Wasserman was another positive win for Notre Dame. Like Nuguse she claimed the 5,000-meter race. Her winning time was 15:33.35. Wasserman is a transfer from Ivy League Columbia University. She still had eligibility but because of the Ivy League’s response to the pandemic it was smart for her to attend school elsewhere, especially if she wanted to continue to compete.

Mercy Chalangat of Alabama competed in the 10,000 and has become the first sub 33-minute runner of the season. Her winning time was 32:31.43. She had a full minute lead on her closest competitor.

 

*Mark of Note

Marie-Therese Obst of Georgia had an impressive throw in the Javelin. Senior hit a mark of 201 feet even. She is the only athlete over 200 feet so far this season. Obst is another field event athlete that has developed and performed well for Georgia.

 In my next post I will discuss the new number one rankings, a review of the Florida Relays and what to expect with this outdoor season.

2021 NCAA Indoor Championship Division 1 Recap

NCAA CHAMPIONS!!!

(Oregon Men)

(Arkansas Women)

Wow! Just as suspected the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championship Meet did not disappoint. We did see a Collegiate record fall and we saw several upsets. The team title went to those who had number one rankings and Jamaica’s future in women’s sprinting looks great. This weekend the sport was treating to a really exciting meet that highlight what makes our sport great. This recap we will highlight the NCAA Champions from each event.

 SPRINTS

In my preview of the women’s 60-meter dash, I highlighted Twanisha Terry of USC and Julien Alfred of Texas. Alfred and Terry have been the top two 60-meter sprinters for nearly two seasons. Kimba Nelson of Jamaica does have an impressive indoor season resume but nothing like Terry and Alfred. Terry ran impressive 7.09 in the preliminaries to serve as the number one qualifier. In the finals it was all Nelson. Nelson had an amazing start blasting out of the blocks into a time of 7.05, a new collegiate record. Nelson is a bit of a new name but with a time like that, we are sure to hear her name a lot more in the future.

In the 200 it was as expected all Abby Steiner of Kentucky. At the SEC Indoor Championships two weeks ago she joined the all time top five list, this past weekend she tied the NCAA record with a time of 22.38. Tamara Clark of Alabama did give her chase and run a personal record time of 22.45. Steiner has been the number one 200-meter sprinter for over a year and this title is long overdue.

The 400 was all about Athing Mu of Texas A&M. Defending Champion Kaelin Roberts of USC was an after thought due to the time that Mu ran early in the season and her record breaking 800-meter run. Roberts proved why she is the defending champion after a gutsy race that saw her win the NCAA title in a time of 50.84. Her time was personal best indoors or out. Roberts who has had an unfortunate time with injuries in her career is poised for perhaps her best season.

In the men’s 60 meters true freshman Micah Williams of Oregon was highly touted recruit after a sensational high school career. He proved his number one ranking was no fluke and that he had the mental capability to win a NCAA title. The super freshman clocked a blazing time of 6.49 to defeat last year’s number Raymond Ekevwo of Florida who ran 6.54. Williams used his blazing start and powerful stride to run an impressive race. 

The 200 meters finally gave us the two best runners in the same heat. Matthew Boling of Georgia versus Terrance Laird of LSU. Boling was highly touted coming out of high school for not only his sprint times but his race as well. He put all the negative noise to rest this past weekend with an impressive performance out of lane 6 to win in a time of 20.19. That is one of the fastest times in NCAA history and certainly proves that he will have a strong outdoor campaign.

The 400 certainly did not go as I expected. I did plan on a sub 45 second performance but not two. Noah Williams of LSU transferred from Akron and has not looked back. He ran a gutsy race going out quick. He held off a hard charging Ryan Willie of Florida in his heat to win 44.71. He is now the fourth fastest 400-meter runner in indoor history. Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T did break the 45 second barrier finishing in second with a time of 44.99. If you were not familiar with Williams before you had better get familiar.

HURDLES

In the men’s 60-meter hurdles senior Trey Cunningham of Florida State has been dominant for nearly two years. He has held down the number one spot and beaten whoever threatens that reign. Damion Thomas of LSU has had to live in the shadow of Cunningham since high school and was finally able to prove himself better. Thomas defeated Cunningham in a closely contested race where he won in a time of 7.51. Junior Jamal Britt of Iowa was second in 7.52 and nearly won the race while Cunningham was third in 7.53.

In the women’s 60-meter hurdles Chanel Brissett of Texas last won the NCAA title in 2019 and due to Covid-19 was the defending champion. Since then she has changed school going from USC to Texas. She garnered the number one ranking after winning the Big 12 title in 7.91. Ackera Nugent of Baylor a true freshman from Jamaica, was the strongest challenger. After having had the number one time in the Big 12 for majority of the season. It was not until the Big 12 Championships were Brissett was able to beat her. Nugent got her revenge on the biggest stage clocking in 7.92 to win the title. Fellow Jamaican Daszay Freeman of Arkansas was second with 7.99. Brissett was third in 8.01.

MULTI'S

In the women’s pentathlon Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M more than made up for her performance at the SEC Championships. We got our first NCAA record in the first overall final competition. Gittens won three events, Long Jump, Shot Put and High Jump. She finished second in the 60 Hurdles and ran a sub 2:30 800. What is perhaps more impressive is that she jumped 6 feet 4 inches in the High Jump portion of the competition, a huge personal best and one of the best marks in NCAA history. Gittens set an NCAA pentathlon record with a total of 4,746 points.

In the men’s heptathlon Georgia again found themselves in front. Karel Tilga and Kyle Garland were the only two athletes to go over 6,000 points. With Tilga the eventual winner with 6,264 points to Garland’s 6,200. They battled each other throughout the competition each claiming individual victories. Tilga the Shot Put and 1,000 and Garland in the High Jump. The 1,000 was the final event and both were still in the hunt. Tilga outlasted Garland to claim victory not only in the final event but overall. 

JUMPS

What a show the jumpers put on. Ruth Usoro of Texas Tech entered the meet as the favorite in both the long jump and triple jump. The long jump had a more interesting story line courtesy of Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M. Neither found themselves victors in the long jump it was Tara Davis of Texas.

The former high school superstar and former Georgia Bulldog broke an NCAA record with her leap of 22 feet 9 inches. Davis has been through quite the ordeal in her career. When attempting to transfer after her freshman year at Georgia the Georgia staff refused to release her requiring her to sit a full season. Then in 2019 Covid struck. She has been having quite the resurgence this year and fully deserves the success that comes with winning the NCAA title.

In the triple jump Ruth Osoro won on her final attempt of 46 feet 10 inches. Her mark tied Texas A&M’s Deborah Acquah, but she had the best second jump overall. This was still a bit of surprise to see if come to the last jump of her weekend to see Osoro pull of the national title. She however is the national champion.

In the high jump Tyra Gittens continued her impressive weekend that started with her performance in the pentathlon. Her winning high jump mark of 6 feet 2 ¾ inches was not even her best high jump mark of the weekend but it was strong enough to win the high jump.

In the pole vault Lisa Gunnarson of LSU rebounded from a third-place finish at the SEC Championships to win with a mark of 14 feet 11 ½ inches. Her mark was a new personal best and the best mark throughout the entire indoor season.

In the men’s long jump, we had quite the battle and impressive showing from JuVaughn Harrison of LSU. Harrison was also equally impressive in the men’s high jump. In the high jump he outlasted Earnie Sears of USC with a mark of 7 feet 6 ½ inches. In my preview I thought an exhaustive high jump competition would wear on Harrison in the long jump. In the beginning it seemed to be that way. After his first three jumps he was not even in the top three. His fourth-round jump changed things. He leaped to 26 feet 8 ½ inches. That moved him into a tie for first place. His fifth-round jump is where he would dazzle the crowd. Getting all the board he leaped to a mark of 27 feet 8 ¾ inches. His long jump mark ranks him third all time. The combination of jumps however makes it the best in history of a long jumper and high jumper.

In the triple jump we had a surprise winner. Carey McLeod of Tennessee was the expected winner after seizing the number one ranking at the SEC Championships. Emmanuel Ihemeje of Oregon clearly had other plans. He was a part of Oregon’s fantastic final day. The true freshman claimed the victory on his fourth-round jump. He had a mark of 56 feet 7 ½ inches. His mark is the top overall mark for the season and a testament to the develop of their athletes at Oregon.

In the men’s Pole Vault K.C. Lightfoot of Baylor has lit the pole vault up all season long having broken the NCAA record three times. For majority of the season he was the only athlete over 19 feet. He outlasted the competition again with a mark of 19 feet 5 ½ inches. Zach McWhorter of BYU also went over 19 feet with a mark of 19 feet ¼ inch. Lightfoot has made us forget the great season that Mondo Duplantis had and he is still not done.

DISTANCE

Aaliyah Miller of Baylor had the women’s 800 all to herself it seems, as least on paper. The talented senior has run quite a few impressive times, but her performances were overshadowed by Athing Mu who broke the NCAA record. Miller walked away a victor on Saturday with her personal best mark of 2:00.69, which was also a meet record.

In the women’s mile Sage Hurta of Colorado was the lead athlete going into the meet. The senior from Colorado did not disappoint after running a time of 4:30.58. She had to hold off a pair of Arkansas Razorbacks, but she was able to get the win with a personal best time.

In the 3,000 Katie Izzo of Arkansas was looking to rebound after a rough 5,000 saw her not score. She would finish fourth in the race. Courtney Wayment who was the top entrant in the mile and 3,000 certainly lived up to her to ranking. The senior ran a great anchor leg in the Distance Medley Relay displaying her fitness. It was even more on display in the 3,000 when she outlasted the field with a mark of 9:01.47.

In the 5,000 I just previously mentioned Katie Izzo not scoring. The 5,000 was a strange race where Joyce Kimeli of Auburn baited the field to take the lead from her. She clearly did not want to rabbit the race. The pace was extremely pedestrian, and no one seemed to want to take that pace. Izzo did not want a repeat of the SEC Championships where she led majority of the race only from Kimeli to reel her in and win. Izzo stayed apart of the led pack but when things began to pick up, she slowly started to drift in the back. Kimeli of Auburn reluctantly led for majority of the race and towards the end used her speed to outkick her competition. Her wining time was 15:48.98.

In the men’s 800 Charlie Hunter of Oregon had to come from behind to claim victory. Finley McLear of Miami of Ohio looked heading into the final lap to be the winner of the 800 and shock everyone at home watching. Hunter in the final stretch slightly outkicked and out leaned McLear to win 1:45.90 to 1:45.91. McLear is certainly a new name and will be interesting to watch later this outdoor season. Hunter’s ten points added to the impressive performance the Ducks had throughout the weekend.

In the mile Cole Hocker of Oregon stepped up a big way. He outlasted the field and had an impressive final few laps courtesy his strong kick. The sophomore won with a time of 3:53.71 setting a meet record. Hocker turned around and defeated his teammate Cooper Teare to win the 3,000 as well with a time of 7:46.15. His teammate Cooper Teare who only ran the 3,000 had the lead in the race with the final two laps to go. It took the final stretch for Hocker to outkick and surpass his teammate to highlight the impressive weekend he had.

In the 5,000 Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State left little doubt that he felt that he was the best in the field. The junior decided to lead from the gun and never relinquished his lead. He ran an impressive race that led to a meet record time of 13:23.77.

 THROWS

In the shot-put Turner Washington of Arizona State lived up to the top billing he developed after breaking the NCAA record. He was the only athlete with a mark over 70 feet with his final mark of 70 feet and 1 inch. Adrian Piperi of Texas did not qualify to compete with the final eight. Leaving the competition all to Washington who proved to be the best in class.

In the weight throw Thomas Mardal of Florida was being counted for team points. The senior got things started for Florida in a great way by winning with a mark of 80 feet 3 inches. Mardal was the only athlete over 80 feet as predicted.

In the women’s shot-put Adelaide Aquilla of Ohio State took down defending champion and number one ranked Samantha Noennig of Arizona. The junior launched a winning throw 59 feet 5 ½ inches. Aquilla’s mark was a personal best. Noennig finished second with a mark of 58 feet ½ inch.

In the weight throw neither Shay Taiwo nor Jasmine Mitchell of Ole Miss were able to claim the title. It was Louisville senior Makenli Forest who stunned the field with her winning throw of 76 feet 3 ¼ inches. She hit that mark on her last throw to surpass Rachel Tanczos of Notre Dame who finished second. Forest mark is also the best mark throughout the collegiate season.

 RELAYS

The distance medley relay was an exciting race for both men and women. In the women’s DMR the home team Arkansas were heavy favorites. Heading into the 800 meter leg the Razorbacks looked to be in great position. BYU had a strong 800 leg from Lauren Ellsworth. She chipped away at the lead from Arkansas and handed the baton off dead even. Courtney Wayment outdueled Krissy Gear and with a half a mile to go took a commanding lead and never let up. The Cougars clocked an impressive time of 10:52.96.

In the 4x400 relay USC and Texas A&M traded leads throughout the race. USC led on 1^st and 3^rd legs while Texas A&M led on the 2^nd and anchor leg. Courtesy of 49.5 anchor split from Athing Mu the Texas A&M Aggie surged past USC to victory with a meet record time of 3:26.68.

In the men’s Distance Medley we thought there could be a potential upset. Oregon did not dominate like expected. North Carolina and Ole Miss just would not quit. Ole Miss never led at any point in the race however North Carolina did. After a strong 400-meter leg North Carolina had the lead going into the 800-meter leg. Their 1200 runner Allen Siegler went out perhaps to hard as he began to fade in the final two laps. In the mile and the final leg of the relay Oregon’s Cooper Teare outlasted Mario Garcia Romo to win with a meet record time 9:19.98. Ole Miss was second with a time of 9:20.75.

In the 4x400 relay North Carolina A&T certainly proved they were worthy of the hype. The Aggies led two legs in the race, both 2^nd and Anchor legs. Courtesy of a 44.67 anchor leg from Trevor Stewart. The Aggies surged past Kentucky to victory with a time of 3:03.16.

 

TEAM RACE

Congratulations to Arkansas Women and Oregon Men. Both programs lived up to their number one ranking by winning the national title. Oregon claimed victory in the 800, mile, 3k, DMR, 60-meter dash and the triple jump. They scored a whopping 79 points in route to an impressive dominant victory. The Arkansas women scored 68 points and won by sheer volume. The Lady Razorbacks had no individual victories or relay victories but did collect a lot of points in a multitude of events. 

 

2021 NCAA Indoor Champion Preview Part 2

PART 2 

As we continue our preview. Remember that the NCAA Championship meet will start today with Multi’s. Live championship coverage will be streamed on ESPN3. A re-air of the championship will take place starting at 9 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, March 14 on ESPNU. In this preview we will discuss the distance events, throwing events, multi-events, and relays.

DISTANCE

In the 800 on the men’s side, we have quite the field. Leading the pack is top tier sub-4-minute miler Charlie Hunter of Oregon. The star junior blazed the track at the Tyson Invitational with a time of 1:45.59. Hunter is a junior but having quite the impressive season having run a 3:53 mile. Right behind him is Takieddine Hedeilli of Texas Tech with his time of 1:45.68. Hedeilli was the early number one in the 800 having ran that time in January. I think Hunter has the stronger kick and better endurance. Hunter is apart of the number one ranked team and should be one of their individual champions as well. 

In the mile Oregon produced a total of 4 sub-4-minute milers. Although Charlie Hunter scratched from the mile to focus on the 800 Oregon still has two in the race. Headlining the group is the number two ranked runner in Cole Hocker. Hocker along with teammate Cooper Teare broke the NCAA record in the mile. Teare has decided to focus solely on the 3,000. Hocker’s time of 3:50.55 is almost five seconds ahead of his closest competitor Sam Tanner of Washington (3:55.23). Hocker should easily win this race but with it being the mile you can never be too sure. 

Teare of Oregon is the top ranked athlete in the 3,000 with his mark of 7:46.10, his teammate Hocker will be in the race as well as he is ranked number two with a time of 7:46.44. Teare will only be competing in the 3,000 and should be fresh enough to defeat his teammate Hocker he will also have to deal with the mile. Teare is also a senior and a savvy veteran. I think Teare will take the title giving another 10 points to the Oregon Ducks. 

The 5,000 is the only distance event where a Duck is not favored. The top three runners in the country all ran for BYU and all three have scratched in favor of running the Covid delayed NCAA Cross Country Championship on Monday. Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State immediately becomes the top ranked athlete in the field with his mark of 13:31.70. He will be followed by two Cincinnati Bearcats in Aaron Bienenfield and Alec Sandusky. Kiptoo was a junior college national champion in cross country and record holder. This is his opportunity to stamp his name on the Division 1 level and I think he will. 

On the women’s side, the big news was that Athing Mu would not be competing in the 800. She broke the collegiate record indoors in the event but has decided to focus on the 400. Lindsay Butler of Virginia Tech becomes the top ranked athlete in the race with her mark of 2:01.96. The talented sophomore is the last 800 star for Virginia Tech which has produced some solid half milers of the years. Senior Laurie Burton of Clemson has run a 2:01.99 and is currently being coached by Mark Elliott who has had success developing 800-meter runners at not only Clemson but LSU. Recently for Clemson in Natoya Goule. I think Burton’s championship coaching will lead her to victory in a great race with Butler.  

Top Miler Courtney Wayment of BYU has decided to focus solely on the 3,000. We had a brief discussion recently about the decision she will have to make since she is ranked number one in both. She instead has decided to focus on one event. The number two ranked Allie Schadler of Washington and her teammate Olivia Hoj who is the number three ranked miler both decided to join her scratching from the mile. This moves Sage Hurta of Colorado to the front with her time of 4:31.80. Colorado has consistently put out great milers and Hurta is the latest to be the front runner. She will be challenged by Krissy Gear of Arkansas who has run 4:31.83. Gear will be running on her home track and Arkansas expects to score big points in the distance races. I think Gear takes it with the help of her home track. 

In the 3,000 Courtney Wayment of BYU leads the way as previously stated. She will be helped along with her teammate Olivia Hoj. Schadler of Washington is from great coaching pedigree, but I think the indoor season Wayment has had is too hard to ignore. She has been pushing towards this moment and the national title seems to be hers for the taking. Joyce Kimeli of Auburn who has run 8:56.02 will certainly challenge her as well. 

In the 5,000 all eyes will be on Katie Izzo of Arkansas. She was the unquestioned leader of the Arkansas distance squad going into the season. She has had to deal with the sting of defeat in both the mile and 3k. Things seem to have swung back her way and she has the number one ranked performance in 15:36.22. However, she did in fact lose to Kimeli of Auburn at the SEC Indoor Championship. The time was still shy of her number one mark ran in late January. Kimeli is also taking on the daunting task of competing in both the 3k and 5k. Both will have fresh legs for the race, and I think Izzo will be looking for a little revenge. 

THROWS

Men’s weight throw record maybe under threat. Senior Thomas Madral of Florida launched a 79-foot throw to win the SEC Championship. His exact mark was 79 feet 3 ¼ inches. The Collegiate record is 83 feet 11 ¼ inches while meet the record is 80 feet 10 ¼ inches. I think it is more likely to see the meet record fall but would not at all be surprised if the NCAA record fell. Madral is a big meet performer and has performed during his tenure as a Gator. The Gators are not as strong as they were in 2019 when they won the National title, but they still possess a strong unit. If they are to have any chance, they need 10 big points from Madral and should get it.

Turner Washington of Arizona State broke the NCAA record early this season with a mark of 71-8 ¼. I had a feeling that the record would be broken in the shot put as mentioned here before, but I thought it would Texas senior Adrian Piperi. Instead, it was Washington living up to that great throwing tradition at Arizona State. Piperi has been a champion and records clearly do not phase him. I think we are in for a treat here and I hope it is round to round coverage of their throws. I think the NCAA record holder cannot be ignored, a 71-foot throw is a big deal and I think he will ultimately be declared the victor. 

On the women’s side Jasmine Mitchell of Ole Miss leads the way. Her teammate Shey Taiwo was the preseason favorite but she has surpassed her. They are 1-2 and apart of Connie Smith’s great throwing program. Mitchell’s mark of 76 feet 3 inches is a slight lead over Taiwo but I think Mitchell has proven herself capable this season and should claim the title. 

In the shot-put Samantha Noennig of Arizona is a familiar face to the top of the list. She was previously a student at rival Arizona State where she won national titles for them and was a bit of star. Things have been quiet, but she remains at the top. The senior has a NCAA leading mark of 59 feet 10 ½ inches which is also her personal best. The NCAA record of 64 feet 2 ¼ inches seems to be a bit out of reach but I do expect for Noennig to surpass 60 feet to claim the title. 

MULTI

In the men’s heptathlon, which is a two-day event. We have come accustomed to a Georgia athlete winning the competition. This year it seemed that probably would not change. The Bulldogs had 2019 Decathlon NCAA Champion Johannes Erm and upcoming star Kyle Garland who lit it up in the high school ranks. Erm is now a scratch and all eyes will turn to Garland. Garland is the only athlete in the field of 6,000 points this season. He achieved the mark of 6,012 points winning the SEC title. Leo Neugebauer of Texas and Ayden Owens of Michigan will certainly give him a challenge. Both are high level performers and will bring their best to the meet. Due to Georgia’s recent history in the event and Garland’s solid season performances I think it is fair to declare that Garland will claim the NCAA title as well. 

Anna Hall of Georgia looks to follow in Garland’s footsteps and win the Pentathlon title for Georgia. Hall defeated the number one ranked Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M at the SEC Championships. I do not however expect for Gittens to have two poor outings back-to-back. I expect for Gittens to perform well, just not well enough to beat Hall. Both will be competing against each other again in the high jump. 

RELAYS 

On the women’s side the 4x400 relay record has been broken already this season with a mark of 3:26.27 by Texas A&M with Athing Mu anchoring. The Aggies did not bother to compete at the SEC Indoor Championships and allowed Arkansas and Kentucky duke it out. Both teams registered a sub 3:30 mark with Arkansas winning in a time of 3:28.50. The Razorbacks will be on their home track and will boast four athletes in the open 400. That still does not negate the fact that A&M has a two second lead and will be in better position to prove how strong this group is. 

In the DMR Arkansas has led the way all season. They have beaten everyone in this field already and will certainly be ready to defend their home track. Their top time of 10:53.77 is nothing to slouch at and they have a three second lead on their competition. I think Arkansas wins this race convincingly. 

On the men’s side the 4x400 relay has seen a new leader recently with Tennessee winning the 4x400 relay at the SEC Championships. It was a bit of a surprise especially since they had no athlete make it to the final. North Carolina A&T is sitting comfortably in second with their time of 3:04.62 which stood as the number one for majority of the season. A&T also has not faced a challenge once this season. Expect for A&T to really prove they belong and take down the SEC leader. 

Oregon has already broken the NCAA record in the DMR. Not only do they have the best milers in the country, but they also have the best 800 runner as well. The Ducks are loaded with distance talent and are so far ahead of the rest of field I believe their only challenge will be the clock. 

TEAM

On the women’s side Arkansas, Texas A&M and Texas are the big three and bring three strong teams. Arkansas is perhaps strongest in the distance, Texas A&M in the jumps and Texas most certainly in sprints and hurdles. The irony in that is that each time can score well in all three areas. I think Arkansas can perhaps score the best since they have a strong sprint core to match their distance core. I think the Arkansas Razorbacks have too much fire power to be dethroned. 

On the men’s side I do not think defending champ Florida has enough to win it all. They do have an impressive team that literally has gotten better over the season. I think the top three Oregon, LSU and Arkansas just simply have more firepower. Oregon will be scoring in the distance events as well as the sprint events. They bring a strong DMR as well. LSU will be scoring in the sprints, hurdles, jumps, and relays. The Tigers are also ranked in the top 3 in several events. Arkansas has the most entries with 18 and can score in the hurdles, distance, multi-events, jumps and relays. Arkansas can score in so many areas it will be hard to defeat them. I still expect for Oregon to overwhelm the score build with their performance in the distance events and take home the team title. 

2021 NCAA Indoor Championship Preview Part 1

We have made it through an entire indoor season. We have made it to the NCAA Indoor Championships. With the challenges that Covid-19 has caused I must say that it is such a relief that the NCAA Championship is still happening. What will make this weekend even more enjoyable is the fantastic athletes that will be competing this weekend. The meet has changed to a three-day event due to Covid but will still be an enjoyable meet. In this preview we are going to discuss every event that 

will be held this weekend so let us get started.

PART 1- SPRINTS/HURDLES/JUMPS

PART 2- DISTANCE/THROWS/MULTI’S/RELAYS

PART 1

SPRINTS

Looking at the women’s sprint we have a defending champion from 2019 leading the way in the 60-meter dash. Twanisha (TeeTee) Terry of USC ran 7.14 in 2019 to win a great race. She debuted her 2021 season with that same time. She is a threat to win every race she competes in. In my opinion her biggest challenge will come from Julien Alfred of Texas. Alfred was the number one runner last season before Covid struck and Terry had to take a back seat. Alfred has a strong start and if Terry cannot match her start Alfred may end up wearing the crown.

In the 200 it is all Abby Steiner of Kentucky. The sprint star was number one last season with a time of 22.57 to win the 2020 SEC Indoor Championship. This season she joined the all-time top five running a national leading mark of 22.41. Kynnedy Flannel of Texas is the only real challenger having run 22.62 this season but Steiner should claim the title.

In the 400 Texas A&M freshman star Athing Mu has been the talk of the season. She has been the headliner of several recaps and has broken two NCAA records already this season. She stunned everyone when it was announced that instead of competing in the 800 were, she broke the collegiate indoor record, she will be competing in the 400 where she broke the World Junior Record. Her time of 50.52 was nothing to sneeze at but neither was her 800 time of 1:58.40.

No other athlete in the field has a sub 51 second PR this season. However, Talitha Diggs a fellow freshman from Florida and daughter of Olympian Joetta Clark-Diggs, did win the SEC Indoor title with a time of 51.14. That too is impressive time for a freshman. Having ran 22.9 early in the season Diggs may have room for improvement and can dip under 51 seconds. It should be a great race, but I see no way that Mu loses but I will show respect to the phenomenal freshman season Diggs is having.

In the men’s sprint the 60-meter dash is all, but a given. With a true freshman Micah Williams of Oregon having run a converted 6.53 that was 6.49 and the returning number one Raymond Ekevwo of Florida who has only raced once this season, there is no clear favorite.

Williams is amongst a trio of sprinters from Oregon in the 60 and is the headliner of the group. Ekevwo ran only a relaxed prelim of 6.57 at the Tyson Invitational one month ago before tripping at the finish line slightly and had a bit of limpness. He is still slated to run and will be looking to finally garner the national title he has been looking for. Ricco Braithwaite of Indiana clocked a 6.55 to win the Big 10 Championship and is perhaps the best chance the Big 10 has had in recent memory to compete for the title of the fastest in the NCAA.

In the 200 we will hopefully get another battle between the top two 200-meter sprinters in the country. Terrance Laird of LSU with a national leading mark of 20.28 and the SEC Indoor Champion. Along with the runner-up Joseph Fahnbulleh of Florida. The two were in separate heats in the finals and did not get a chance to compete. They did however at the Tyson Invitational and could only be separated by one thousandth of a second. Matthew Boling of Georgia in the race should also make things interesting. This is a wide-open race and lane assignments will go along way in determining the victor.

The 400 has seen a sonic boom this season. There are 17 total athletes that have ran 45 seconds this season in the 400. The top 8 all currently have a season best of 45.5 or better. This will be challenging race with an impressive field of athletes, as you should expect at nationals. However, this group is especially noteworthy seeing how so many have ran 45 and how there seems to be more than one capable of dipping under 45 seconds. With the race being held at the fast track at Arkansas we should be in for some great times.

Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T and son of head coach and Olympian Duane Ross has been the talk of the 400 majority of the season. Leading a strong contingent of sprinters from North Carolina A&T who have become a powerhouse HBCU capable of competing with the elite programs. Ross held the number one ranking with his 400 time of 45.2 until Conference Championship Weekend. Tyler Johnson of Ohio State blazed the track at the Spire Institute to a dominating victory in the Big 10 Championships with a time of 45.07. Although Johnson has the top time, I think Ross will be able to claim the victory.

HURDLES

Chanel Brissett made major headlines this season when she transferred from USC to Texas. Two programs that regularly compete for national titles. Brissett is the last Indoor Champion in the 60-meter hurdles for USC in 2019. She took a midseason defeat from Grace Stark of Florida but quickly rebounded to become the NCAA front runner with her leading time 7.91. Brissett is apart of talented Texas trio in the 60 hurdles, and I expect her to defend her title.

Trey Cunningham of Florida State has not relinquished his stranglehold on the top time once this season. With Florida State in the national title hunt Cunningham remains a big piece of their goals. Cunningham was a strong candidate last season for national champion as well. His 7.55 gives him a full leg up on his competition and he should be crowned the victor on Saturday.

JUMPS

The jumpers have been jumping this year, literally. The Men’s Pole Vault record has been broken multiple times this season and the women’s triple jump record is under direct threat. The long jumpers have reached marks we have not seen in years. I expect to see at least one new national record.

On the men’s side KC Lightfoot of Baylor has been the headliner. He has broken the NCAA record three times this season. He is in a class all his own and shows no sign of slowing down. He is the only athlete in the field that has jumped 19 feet. His leading mark of 19 feet 8 ¼ inches is nearly almost a foot ahead of his closest competitor. Lightfoot has consistently performed well in big moments this season and I expect that to continue.

In the long jump senior Isaac Grimes of Florida State lead the way for majority of the season. He leaped to a mark of 27 feet 4 inches and did not relinquish that top spot. JuVaughn Harrison of LSU did however match that mark to claim the SEC Indoor title. Harrison will have a busy weekend competing in both the high jump and long jump. Although that is challenging ask, he was able to complete that double at the SEC Championships winning both. Nationals is a different monster and although the SEC is the best conference in the land, I think he will find it challenging. Grimes will only compete in the long jump and will not have to worry about his performance in another event. I pick Grimes to squeeze out a close victory.

In the high jump Harrison is currently ranked number one overall with his mark of 7 feet 5 ¾ inches. The talented junior seems to perform at his best in this event, but he is competing in both the high jump and long jump. His competition should come from Earnest Sears of USC (7 feet 5 inches) and Tejaswin Shankar of Kansas State (7 feet 4 ¾ inches). Sears was the early leader in the season as well as last season. Shankar won the outdoor title in 2018 when he was a freshman. He has yet to repeat that same success on a national level but has become increasingly more athletic by competing in multiple events. Sears to me gives Harrison the strongest challenge but I think Harrison will walk away a winner at least once this weekend.

In the triple jump Carey McLeod of Tennessee took the lead over after a strong SEC Championships. McLeod with a mark of 56 feet 4 inches. He was the SEC field athlete of the year last indoor season and had a bit of slow start this season. He has a one-foot lead over number two ranked Chengetayi Mapaya of TCU. Mapaya has performed at high level all season long but a 56-foot jump McLeod is to hard to ignore. McLeod should win the title.

On the women’s side Ruth Usoro is the only name that matters in the horizontal jumps. The senior from Texas Tech currently leads the nation in both the long jump and triple jump. She is also near the overall records in both events. Her mark in the long jump is 22 feet 4 ½ inches and in the triple jump 47 feet 1 ½ inches. Usoro seems to get better as the competition goes so I not only expect her to double but to break the national record in either event.

In the long jump her teammate Monae’ Nichols has a season’s best of 22 feet 1 ¾ inches capable of challenging her. In the triple jump she has more than a foot lead over number two ranked Jasmine Moore of Georgia with her mark of 45 feet 10 inches

The High Jump is having quite the year as well. The SEC has three athletes who have jumped over 6 feet. Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M had a rough day in the pentathlon in the SEC Championship. She made up for it in the high jump. She leaped to a mark of 6 feet 3 ¼ inches surpassing Anna Hall of Georgia who leaped 6 feet 2 ¼ inches. Abigail O’Donoghue of LSU led for most of the season and finished in third with the same mark as Hall with more attempts. Those three will still be the big three names going into the meet, but I think despite Gittens performance Georgia athletes perform very well in field events at the national meets, I think Hall takes the gold.

The Pole Vault is currently being led by Lisa Gunnarson of LSU. LSU jumps are performing at high level in recent years, Gunnarson seems to be the next in line to win a title. She leads the NCAA with a mark of 14 feet 10 inches. She has almost a 3-inch lead on the number two ranked athlete and has been a high-level performer all year long. This is a needed ten points for the Lady Tigers.

 

Our next post will be Part 2, and that will release tomorrow March 11.

NCAA 2021 Conference Champs Weekend Recap

1:58.40!

(Athing Mu-Texas A&M)

Wow, just wow. This past weekend was one for the history books. Another NCAA record fell and there were also noticeable DNS athletes that will influence the team battle. A weekend when the four major indoor conference held their conference championships several teams made major team statements along individual athletes making their own personal statement. In this recap we are going to first look at the new number one performances as usual but also look at major story lines for each group.

 

SPRINTS

On the men’s side Micah Williams of Oregon was perhaps the biggest highlight from teams who did not compete in a conference championship. There is no Indoor Pac 12 Championship and the MPSF, which houses part of the Pac-12 during the indoor season, cancelled their indoor championships. Williams still made noise at the Air Force Field house. The speedy freshman dashed to a time of 6.49. The Air Force’s indoor track is in Colorado and has a higher elevation. His time has been converted from 6.49 to 6.53 which is still number one in the country.

In the 200 the SEC had the top performers in the country. Due to timing and seeding the top two athletes were in separate heats. Terrane Laird was in Lane 6 in heat two ran a blistering race of 20.28 to take the national lead and beat Matthew Boling of Georgia at the same time. Boling ran a number one ranked time on Friday in the semifinals, he was upstaged by Laird and the new number two. Joseph Fahnbulleh of Florida is the new number two after having ran a 20.31. He won the first heat and was not able to compete one on one with Laird. It was disappointing to not see them compete one on one. Hopefully, they will end up in the same heat at Nationals.

In the 400 we go to the Big Ten where Ohio State junior Tyler Johnson ran a dominating race on the oversized track at the Spire Institute winning with a time of 45.07. Ohio State has really become the dominant sprint power in the Big Ten and have more recently become a national threat. Johnson’s development and performance at this time in the season should put everyone on notice that he is certainly ready to compete with the big kids.

On the women’s side Abby Steiner of Kentucky was the lone sprint highlight. She ran a new number one in the preliminary heats of the SEC Championships. Her time of 22.41 is now tied for third all-time. She is being coached by Tim Hall, one of the best in the game. The NCAA record is 22.39 and Steiner certainly seems poised to break it.

Major stories of note were the absence of Raymond Ekevwo of Florida. The number one athlete last indoor season at 60 meters is a big piece of the puzzle for the Florida Gators regarding their team title hopes. He had a slight limp after slightly tripping near the finish line at the Tyson Invitational at Arkansas. It remains to be seen if he will compete.

Another major sprint star missing was Julian Alfred of Texas. She did not compete in the 60 meters or 200 for the Texas Longhorns. Instead, her teammate Kennedy Flannel won both events with times of 7.23 and 22.79. Alfred was number one in the 60 last indoor season and has been a bit quiet this season but still maintains a 7.15 for a season best. Whether she is injured has not been shared.

 

 HURDLES

Trey Cunningham continues his impressive senior season at Florida State. He claimed the ACC title in a time of 7.67. No new number one but he has impressively held on to the number one ranking since the beginning of the season. Florida State is in the team title hunt and 10 points from Cunningham will be needed to fight off Oregon and Arkansas.

The Big 12 Championship was the sight of the new number one and number two performance this season. True freshman Ackera Nugent of Baylor by way of Jamaica set a new World Junior Record in the preliminaries with a time of 7.91. Her time was converted to 7.93 due to Texas Tech’s altitude. Senior Chanel Brissett of Texas who transferred from USC waited until the finals to garner the new number one, a time of 7.89 to claim the Big 12 title. Her time was converted to 7.91. Brissett is the last NCAA Champion in this event, winning in 2019 with a time of 7.89.

Major headline in this event was the absence of Grace Stark of Florida. Stark held the number one ranking with a time of 7.96 until this weekend. She did display noticeable discomfort at the end of the 60-meter hurdle race at the Tyson Invitational.

 

DISTANCE

Freshman Athing Mu continues to perform at a high level, and not like a freshman. The Aggie star set another record, this time the NCAA record at 800 meters indoor. She claimed the SEC title in dominating fashion winning by more than 4 seconds with a time of 1:58.40. Mu has set the country ablaze week after week with an impressive performance. She has been apart of 3 records this season and with the way she finished her race there is clearly more left in the tank. We cannot be shocked if she breaks the record again at Nationals.

Courtney Wayment of BYU has now further cemented herself in the national title picture. BYU was without an indoor championship but still made the best of a great weekend. At the Husky Classic the senior claimed the number one ranking with a time of 4:30.47. She is already the number one ranked athlete in the 3,000. It is entirely possible that she plans to compete in both and pull off an impressive double. Her win in the mile is impressive and she defeated Allie Schadler of Washington on her home track.

 

JUMPS

JuVaughn Harrison of LSU had quite the showing at the SEC Championship. In the long jump he tied the number one ranking with his mark of 27 feet 4 inches. He also claimed the high jump with a mark of 7 feet 2 ½ inches. He is now currently ranked number one in both events. The LSU Tigers are ranked number two in the country. If they are going to be Oregon, they will need Harrison to claim the titles in both events.

Carey McLeod of Tennessee has been missing from the top of the rankings this season it would be fitting that he returns at the SEC Championships with a strong performance in the triple jump. McLeod also jumped 27 feet in the long jump to finish second, 27 feet 1 inch to be exact. He took the lead on the last jump, a mark of 56 feet 4 inches.

Ruth Usoro was the story in the women’s jump. The senior from Texas Tech continues to light up the jump’s competition. She dominated the Big 12 in both the long jump and triple jump joining the all-time top 10 list in both events. Her winning long jump of 22 feet 4 inches and triple jump 47 feet 1 ½ inches are both impressive marks. Usoro did both marks in one weekend, usurping her teammate Monae Nichols in the long jump. Texas Tech now has two athletes over 22 feet.

Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M was quite the story in the jumps this weekend. After a disappointing showing in the pentathlon. Gittens pulled off the double winning the high jump and long jump. She did that against impressive competition in the high jump that included the top three performers in the nation. Gittens top mark of 6 feet 2 ½ inches in the high jump would be enough to claim victory. It took her to tie her top mark from earlier in the season in the long jump to claim victory. Her mark of 21 feet 8 ¾ inches places her amongst the top five in the nation. She is now ranked in the top five in three separate events and may even take on the dubious task of competing in all three.

THROWS

Thomas Madral of Florida was the top performer this past weekend. The senior returned to winning form with a strong weight throw performance winning the SEC title with a mark of 79 feet 3 ¾ inches. Madral is literally on a quarter inch away form an 80-foot throw and he also put some distance between himself and the rest of the field nationally.

 

RELAYS

Tennessee has certainly experienced a resurgence to nationally relevancy in not only sprints but in the overall team battle. The Vols won the sec title in the 4x400 relay with a national leading time of 3:04.08. North Carolina A&T has yet to face any real challenge and it will be quite the spectacle to see Tennessee versus North Carolina A&T.

On the women’s side there was no number one but an impressive race in the SEC with Arkansas defeating Kentucky. The Lady Razorbacks have an incredible amount of depth in the 400 and it was needed to defeat a strong Kentucky team. Arkansas clocked the number two ranked time with 3:28.50. There are now four teams under 3:30 on the season, meaning the final heat of the women’s 4x400 relay will feature an all sub 3:30 race. Texas A&M may break their own record to win what should be a great race.

 

TEAM

Oregon is still ranked number one on the men’s side, but LSU has quite the team. What LSU showed was that they are competing on a championship level at championship events.

On the women’s side Arkansas flexed their muscle and proved to be to much for the rest of the SEC. Florida showed they are strong team performing well in several key events. Texas A&M still gives Arkansas the most challenge. With their depth in the field events and long sprints watch for the Aggies to make some noise.