(Prezel Hardy-Texas A&M)
TEXAS A&M IS THE REAL NUMBER 1
This past weekend at the SEC Outdoor Championship the men of Texas A&M had an opportunity to seize the number 1 ranking from the University of Florida. After a dominating performance at the Texas Relays which saw Florida take both sprint relays, Texas A&M has been looking for an opportunity to flex their muscle. This past weekend they did just that.
The weather definitely a bit too cold for majority of the southern schools. The meet lost some valuable competitors to cramps and strains. Texas A&M would still weather the storm with a dominating weekend. They got things started right by winning the 4x100 relay and setting a new meet record. The top ranked team Florida was without star runner Arman Hall who succumb to cramps on Friday. The Gators still ran a great time of 38.68 to finish third.
The Aggies would continue their sprint domination by claiming the 100 and 200 by Prezel Hardy and the 400 with Deon Lendore. In the 100 and 200 teammate Shavez Hart also claimed runner up honors in both races. Top ranked Dedric Dukes of Florida who is still the only sub 20 second runner of the season in the 200 finished third, while top 100 runner Diondre Batson of Alabama also injured himself Friday in the prelims of the 200.
With Arman Hall the 4x400 relay was certainly in doubt for the Gators. True freshman Nick Uruburu who qualified as the only freshman runner in the 400 meter final, took over relay duties. Texas A&M seemed to be too much thanks in part to a powerful anchor leg by Deon Lendore. Lendore completed a solid weekend running a powerful anchor leg. Earlier in the meet he clocked a time of 44.36 to break a school record and finish number 2 in the world behind Lashawn Merritt.
In the hurdles Wayne Davis continued his phenomenal outdoor season running a time of 13.23 against a solid field. His rival Eddie Lovett of Florida was a distance third clocking in at 13.58. Teammate Greg Coleman was the only athlete under 50 seconds in the men's 400 hurdles. Coleman won the race in a time of 49.88 a personal best and facility record.
Heading into this week expect for the rankings to change. Florida although short handed still seemed to lack the fire necessary to compete against A&M. This is now two championship meets in a row where the Gators showed little intensity. Look for the Gators to get things right for the NCAA Championship in early June.
(Courtney Okolo-NCAA 400 Record Holder)
HOOK 'EM LADY LONGHORNS!
Beverly Kearney was one of the best coaches NCAA history. She led the Lady Longhorns to three outdoor national titles and multiple conference championships. You would expect for there to be a major decline in production and development at the University of Texas until the foundation under the new regime would be built. That was not the case at Texas, Mario Santegna has returned Texas to the top of the NCAA landscape and looks to keep them there for the foreseeable future. This past weekend was proof that the program is in good hands and women's sprint Tonja Buford-Bailey is one of the best.
When you think of the 400 in women's collegiate sprinting the first school that comes to your mind is Texas. Beverly Kearney did such a great job of recruiting and developing 400 runners she was able to win multiple national titles in the 4x400 relay and open 400. The school is responsible for the most recognizable American female 400 runner Sanya Richards-Ross. Buford-Bailey is an Olympic medalist in the 400 hurdles and also knows quite a bit about the 400.
The Longhorns went 1-2-3 in the event and that is not the impressive stat. They went 1-2-3 without defending national champion Ashley Spencer and that too is not the impressive stat. Courtney Okolo had the most impressive stat of the group clocking in at 50.03 to win the event and claim a new NCAA collegiate record. True freshman Kendall Baisden finished 2nd with a time of 50.46. Her freshman time was faster than that of Richards-Ross. Senior Brianna Nelson finished 3rd with a time of 51.22.
In the short sprints their Texas had sophomore transfer Morolake Akinosun just simply dominate. Although wind-aided her times were quite impressive, 10.96 in the 100 meters and 22.17 in the 200 meters. Ashley Spencer also competed in both events finishing 5th in the 200 and 6th in the 100. Spencer also anchored the winning 4x100 relay in a time of 43.54 with Baisden, Okolo and Akinosun.
Senior hurdler Danielle Dowie of Texas earned her 2nd conference title in the women's 400 hurdles with a time of 56.62. Sophomore teammate Melissa Gonzalez added valuable team points in the event as well finishing 4th with a time of 58.39.
In the distance events Marielle Hall added another championship title to the many victories earned by Texas. Her performance in the women's 1,500 was 8 seconds ahead of the runner up and a new stadium record with a time of 4:20.82.
In the field events senior Shanay Briscoe was literally an everyday performer. Briscoe competed in both the heptathlon and women's high jump finishing 4th in the heptathlon and winning another high jump title to add 15 points to the team total. Fellow jumper in the pole vault Kaitlin Petrillose continued her record season for the Lady Longhorns claimed the event title with a mark of 14-6 a new conference and meet record. Her mark was more than a foot higher than the runner up.
The Longhorns performance over the weekend vaulted them to the top of NCAA rankings surpassing Florida. We enter phase 2 of the championship season heading into the regional preliminaries the following week. Expect more of the same for both programs heading the NCAA Outdoor Championship.
