(Florida-2015 Men's SEC Indoor Champions)
The championship season is here and it began with a bang. There several top notch performances from the Power 5 conferences and smaller conferences. One of the joys of collegiate track and field is the amazing team battles that take place during this weekend. So many willing to sacrifice their own individual goals for those of the team. It is exciting to see especially since track and field is mainly an individual sport. Let us recap what was an amazing weekend. Sprints
This weekend we were expecting a great 60 meter dash battle on the men's side in the Big 12. You had defending outdoor 100 meter champion Trayvon Bromell of Baylor, defending conference 60 meter champion of Texas Senoj-Jay Givens and top ranked 60 meter sprinter this season in John Teeters of Oklahoma State. This race became a big deal the moment John Teeters clocked in at 6.52 early in the season. Although both Teeters and Bromell had ran sub 6.6 it was Givens who defended his title with a time of 6.59 his first under 6.6. Although Givens is the defending champion it was still considered an upset since much was made about Bromell and Teeters.
In the long sprints the SEC was the highlight of the weekend. Aaron Ernest claimed his second conference title in the men's 200 with a time of 20.69. Ernest defeated top ranked senior from Texas A&M Shavez Hart. Hart has been number 1 all season but did not perform well enough to beat Ernest. Ernest first claimed title as a super sophomore.
In the 400 we were without a few big names. Deon Lendore was not able to finish in the preliminary rounds ad Hugh Graham of Florida was injured in the 60 meter dash. However there were still big names in the race. On very big name is junior Arman Hall of Florida who has not ran a race individually all season. The last race he ran was as an anchor on the men's 4x400 relay early in the season. Although not his usual self he still managed to climb into the top 16 rankings and go under 46 seconds with a time of 45.97 for 4th overall. His teammate junior Najee Glass has been the top guy all season and left no doubt after claiming the event title for himself with a time of 45.37. He is Florida's 1st 400 meter SEC champion indoors since Kerron Clement of 2005.
On the women's side Remona Burchell of Alabama stamped herself as the fastest 60 meter collegian. The talented Jamaican sprinter left little doubt with an outstanding race that saw her clock in at 7.08. She had full tenth on next closest competitor Dezerea Bryant of Kentucky who ran 7.18. Bryant who is not only the defending conference champion in the 200, she is also the NCAA defending champion. Bryant did battle with Kyra Jefferson of Florida and was unable to defend her title just barely. Jefferson held onto win with a time of 23.02, the same as Bryant but was able to out lean her by thousandths of a second.
Jefferson also competed in only her second 400 meter race of the year and was able to finish 2nd with a time of 52.00 to rising star Shamier Little of Texas A&M who claimed the title in a time of 51.37. Little is the defending NCAA champion outdoors in the 400 meter hurdles. Her talent is a lot similar to that of Lashinda Demus who could run both the 400 and 400 hurdles at a high level. With better technique this season is highly possible we may see Ms. Little on team USA this summer.
DISTANCE
Will start on the women's side for distance since we now have yet another new collegiate record holder this season. Emily Sisson of Providence joined a special group after her dominating performance at the Big East Indoor championships when she broke the 5,000 meter national record. Her time of 15:12.22 broke the national and school record. It placed in her in top 3 all time amongst U.S. women in the event. Sisson is graduate student at Providence and simply reminded everyone why she is a force to be reckoned with in long distance racing.
The Michigan State women proved this weekend that their national title in cross country was no fluke. They were every bit as dominant at the Big Ten Indoor championship. The Lady Spartans claimed almost every distance event except two, the 800 and 5,000, however they had four girls in the top 10 and 3 score. They also broke the 12 year winning streak of instate rival Michigan in the women's distance medley relay with a time of 10.57.80 that puts them number 2 in the country. However in the mile Leah O'Connor led the way with a time of 4:32.29. Teammate Rachel Schulist ran a dominating 3,000 meter race with a time of 9:01.25 almost a full 15 seconds ahead of her closest competitor.
At the SEC Indoor championships Arkansas was equally as impressive. The Razorbacks claimed the event title in every distance race but 1, the 5,000 but had three athletes score in the race. Senior Dominque Scott led the way claiming the title in both the mile with a time of 4:32.49. The Razorbacks went 1-3-4-5 in the mile to pick up a total of 25 points in one event. Scott led her team to put up similar numbers in the 3k adding yet another conference title to her trophy case. The ladies went 1-2-4 for a total of 23 points. In the 800 Chrishauna
On the men's side the Oregon Ducks decided to remind everybody why they are defending champions and show case their talent. At the MPSF Championships the Ducks put their best in the men's distance medley relay to approve upon their standing. The Ducks ran the 5th fastest race of all time. Their time of 9:27.02. That time put them number 1 in the country and slightly ahead of previous number 1 Villanova who is also on the top 10 list all time with a time of 9:27.04.
The Gators got a huge team boost from the outstanding 800 meter duo of Andres Arroyo and Ryan Schnulle. Junior Schnulle claimed his first conference title with a time of 1:48.25 over Arroyo who finished second in 1:48.48. Their 18 points were huge in helping the Gators to the SEC title. Both have ran better this season, most notably Arroyo who has a 1:46 effort that currently ranks him number 2 in the NCAA.
A new star is born in the men's mile and he is not from any other power 5 conferences. Senior Cristian Soratos of Montana State burst onto the scene as a contender a few weeks ago with his national leading time of 3:55.27. He surpassed previous number 1 Edward Cheserek of Oregon. He followed up that performances by winning three events at the Big Sky conference meet. Soratos won the mile, 800 and anchored his team's distance medley relay. On top of that he ran a leg on the 4x400 relay that finished 5th. That equates to 34 points! Yes from 1 individual. He is a true talent and fare favorite to win the mile in two weeks at the NCAA Indoor Championships
HURDLES
Welcome back Kendra Harrison of Kentucky. Harrison like Arman Hall missed majority of the indoor season. She certainly made her presence known early. In the preliminaries she ran the 2nd fastest time of the year with a time of 8.03. In the finals she vaulted to clear number 1 and a personal best time of 7.92. Bridgette Owens of Florida who held the number 1 time finished in a distance 2nd with a time of 8.08.. I personally expected for Harrison to take a step back after sprint coach Tim Hall left Kentucky after 1 year to coach at Tennessee. However she returned to form rather quickly and did not miss a step.
On the men's side sophomore Omar McLeod of Arkansas ran a race for the ages. His time of 7.49 places him the 5 all time of 60 meter hurdles. McLeod by way of Jamaica is part of a growing successful trend of Jamaican hurdlers. McLeod and other Jamaican hurdles have something that many American hurdlers are missing and that is speed. I believe without a doubt that McLeod can break Reggie Torain's NCAA record of 7.47. The closes competitor has not even dipped under 7.7.
THROWS
There was another NCAA record set this season. Michael Lihrman of Wisconsin is the defending champion in the men's weight throw. If there was any doubt about him being able to defend his title he ended that discussion this past weekend by obliterating the NCAA record with a mark of 83-11 3/4. Lihrman now has 9 of the 10 best throws all time in NCAA history. Lihrman also moved up to number 3 in the history of the world.
In terms of team points senior Stipe Zunic of Florida was huge. The Gators have spent a lot of time as a runner up at the SEC meet to Arkansas. This year the Gators exceeded expectation when available. The Gator senior claimed the men's shot put to give his team 10 points with a throw of 66'11 1/2. He is currently ranked number 2 in the NCAA and is another key piece to the Florida Gators team title hopes.
On the women's side senior Tori Bliss of LSU joined another elite group earning the SEC Indoor Shot put title by surpassing 60 feet. Her mark of 60-1 was a new personal best and solidified her spot as the nation's number 1.
Brea Garrett is also a defending NCAA Champion from Texas A&M. However she was outclassed by a fellow SEC competitor from Missouri in Kearsten Peoples who placed her name in the record books with a throw of 73-8. Ida Storm of UCLA also threw her name into the pot when she won the MPSF Indoor conference title with a throw of 73-6. This makes for an interesting competition at the NCAA Championships sine Storm was last year's runner up.
JUMPS
The event that has garnered the most attention on both sides men and women has been the pole vault. The national record has been under constant threat on both sides because of the amazing talent at the NCAA level.
On the women's side Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin set the NCAA record with a mark of 15'7 early this season. Payne competed at the USATF Indoor Championships since her conference meet was last weekend. Payne notched an easy victory with a mark of 14-11 marking her potentially as the next great pole vault star. Her main competitor Sandi Morris of Arkansas has already defeated her one this season and set a personal best at the SEC Indoor Championships. The two will look to meet again at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2 weeks.
On the men's side the NCAA record holder Shaw Barber of Akron is actually still in school. Barber set the NCAA record with a mark of 19-4 1/4 at the Tyson Invitational. Barber remains the only collegian over 19 feet. It seems every since weekend Barber is attempting to break the NCAA record. Barber continued his torrid pace of getting over 19 feet by winning the MAC title by more than 2 feet.
Athletes who compete in both the long jump and triple jump for a while was a rarity. There has been a steady increase in athletes who compete in both events. Senior Marquis Dendy is even more rare since he is a champion in both events. He again proved this weekend that he is the best horizontal jumper in the nation. Dendy joined the all-time collegiate list again with a mark of 56-6 1/2 in the triple jump. He claimed the long jump title in 26-3 3/4 on day 1 of the SEC Championships. Dendy provided 20 much needed points to the Gators. Dendy is currently ranked number 1 in the triple jump and number 2 in the long jump and could win the national title in both events.
True freshman Keturah Orji of Georgia took down defending NCAA Champion Senior Ciarra Brewer of Florida in the women's triple Jump at the SEC Championships. It is the 3rd time this season that Orji defeated Brewer. Orji is apart of growing successful track record American women in the triple jump. Orji is still learning more about the long jump and could join Dendy as a successful double jumper. Orji finished 3rd in the long jump behind Shakeela Saunders of Kentucky who won the long jump with a mark of 21'6.
Orji's Georgia teammates had a 1-2 sweep in the High Jump. Both Leontia Kallenou and Tatiana Gusin surpassed 6 feet. Kallenou leaped to 6-2 3/4 while Gusin reached 6-1 1/2. Senior Bryan McBride of Arizona State had the best high jump of the weekend with a mark of 7-5 to place his amongst the top 4 in the country and this event should be highly competitive at the NCAA Indoor Championship meet.
The men's heptathlon top honors goes to Garrett Scatling of Georgia who led a 1-2 finish by scoring a total of 6,036 points at the SEC Indoor Championships.
The women's pentathlon top honors goes to Kendell Williams also of Georgia. Williams a talented sophomore remains one of the best young American stars. Williams dominated the competition at the SEC Championships scoring a total of 4,519 points.
