NCAA Championship Review

2012 NCAA Men's Indoor Champions

Florida Gators

What an indoor season. The Championship meet again lived up to the heat and had the usual event to event suspense that comes with competing for a national championship. Spring is now here an outdoor season is ready to begin. Before we discuss the outdoor season let’s talk about the great championship meet that recently took place and the highlights of the meet.

The University of Florida men and University of Oregon women both entered the meet ranked number 1 in the country and two-time defending champions. The Gators and Ducks were looking for a three-peat. For the Gators the advantage was solid group of athletes that were top heavy performers. For the Ducks the advantage was the depth and the ability to score in every phase.

The sprinters were the headline of the Gator’s track squad and they did not disappoint. Jeff Demps won his third NCAA Indoor Title in the 60 meter dash with a time of 6.56 over Andrew Riley of Illinois. Demps admitted to not having a good start but had a solid race with an even better finish. His teammate McQuay entered the men’s 400 as the favorite and was able to out kick and out lean Brycen Spratling of Pittsburgh for the title with a time of 45.78. McQuay had a rough start to the season but had a strong finish. This should set him up nicely as he expects to make the US Olympic team in that event.

English Gardner led the sprint core for the Ducks clocking in a 7.12 in the 60 meter dash to defeat highly touted freshman Octavious Freeman of Central Florida who clocked in at 7.15. Gardner’s start was too much for the field to overcome. Gardner’s 11.03 100 meter time ran at the PAC-12 Championship last season should also serve as a warning a sprint star is.

The LSU women saw a boost in team points in the 200 when Kimberlyn Duncan claimed the title clocking in at 22.74. Duncan defended the title with her trademark running form and long stride. Duncan will look to add the 100 meter title to trophy case this outdoor season.

Both hurdle groups men and women performed very well across the board. Jarrett Eaton of Syracuse was able successfully defeat Andrew Riley. Eaton clocked in 7.54 to claim the title of Riley who clocked in at 7.55.

Christina Manning of Ohio State also won a close race, Manning clocked in at 7.91. Her toughest competitor was defending champion Brianna Rollins who ran a personal best of 7.93. Manning's time is one of the fastest times ran at the NCAA Championships and that mark should propel her for a great outdoor season.

Chris O’Hare of Tulsa ran a daring mile race. O’Hare led most of the race and out kicked Rich Peters of Boston and Miles Batty of BYU for the title. The women’s race went a little differently. Jordan Hasay of Oregon led most of the race when Lucy Van Dalen of Stony Brook out kicked her on the final lap to claim the title. Hasay finished 3rd while teammate Becca Friday finished fourth giving Oregon 10 points in the women’s mile.

The men’s 3,000 meter race was a spectacle to see. Lawi Lalang of Arizona by way of Kenya and Chris Derrick of Stanford ran two great races that captured the crowd. Lalang out kicked Derrick to claim the title in a time of 7:46.64. Lalang led for a decent part of the race and had too much foot speed for Derrick to compete with.

In the field events Florida represented themselves well. Omar Craddock was finally able to jump out of the shadow of Christian Taylor and William Wynne. Craddock leaped to a personal best of 54 feet 11 ½ inches to claim the NCAA title over Chris Bernard of Arizona State. His jumping teammate and freshman sensation did not perform at his best but did score a point in the long jump by finish 8th with a leap of 25-3 ½.

In the weight throw Craddock’s teammate Jeremy Postin threw a personal best to claim 4th overall with a throw of 70-7. Marcel Lomnicky of Virginia Tech was the winner with a mark of 72-3 ½.

In the Shot Put Kemal Mesic in his final season of eligibility as a senior, threw a personal best as well with a mark of 67-0 ¼ on his fourth attempt. Jordan Clarke a junior from Arizona State claimed the title with a mark of 68-5 ¼.

The Ducks relied on strength in numbers. The Ducks were not a super threat in the field events but still had the best all around athlete in Brianne Thiesen who has able to defend the NCAA title in the women’s heptathlon.

Two athletes really stood out in the field competition. Tina Sutej of Arkansas and Brigetta Barrett of Arizona.

Barrett made TEAM USA last summer for the world championships in Daegu in her event the High Jump. Her potential seems limitless and the USA may have decent core of jumpers including Chaunte Lowe. Barrett won the high jump by five inches at this meet leaping to mark of 6-5. Barrett's mark is one of the best in NCAA history and she will look to continue to re-write the record books as she continues to grow.

Sutej of Arkansas maybe the next Stacy Dragila with her successful level of dominance in the women's pole vault. Sutej already owns the NCAA record and she fell just shy of that mark with a 14-7 1/4 mark. Expect for Sutej to reach 15 foot mark this outdoor season.

Not be outdone Whitney Gipson of TCU also had a strong field performance. Gipson won the long jump by almost a full foot with her leap of 22-8 a new collegiate record. Gipson will look to make TEAM USA be a part of successful trend in American women's jumping.

Junior Tia Brooks of Oklahoma finished her indoor season with a solid performance in the shot put with a throw of 62-4. Brooks is just 6 inches shy of the NCAA record and may challenge that record next season.

The Gators and The Ducks will look to finally carry their success from Indoors to Outdoors. For the past three seasons Texas A&M men and women have been out duel both programs. This season maybe the difference in which should be an exciting outdoor season.

Women's 2012 NCAA Indoor Champs

Oregon Ducks