NCAA Outdoor Season So Far Post 1

 

(Trayvon Bromell-Baylor)

Hello all, I apologize for my lengthy absence. I have been dealing with a lot personal issues, family health and my recent unemployment (yeah I know) have kept me out of commission for quite some time. I am back just in time for the championship season. This season has been especially interesting with many great performances. The team competition looks exciting for both men and women. Let's recap what was a good regular season.


SPRINTS

Trayvon Bromell of Baylor and Jenna Prandini of Oregon have been the biggest names in the short sprints. Bromell matched his indoor championship time of 20.19. Prandini ran a 10.92 at the Mt. Sac Relays.

Bromell is of the fastest collegians of all time and expected to complete a double winning both the 100 and 200 going sub 10 an sub 20. Bromell will face a stiff challenge from  USC junior and Canadian sprinter Andre DeGrasse. DeGrasse has also dipped under 10 seconds this season but it was heavily wind-aided. However his 200 time currently ranks him number 1 in the nation with a time of 20.16.

In Prandini's case she also has a tough task of winning the sprint double. Defending 100 meter champion Remona Burchell of Alabama is rounding into post season form and has already ran a 11.0 into a decent headwind. She has already dipped under 11 seconds, running a 10.96 last season. She also set the NCAA record in the 60 meter dash this past indoor season. In the 200 she will have to deal with the only person to beat her in the event all indoor season Kyra Jefferson of  Florida. Jefferson just recently set a outdoor school record with a time of 22.65.

In the long sprints on the men's side three teams have battled for supremacy in the 400. Florida, Texas A&M and LSU. All three programs have great depth in the event and plenty of great recent success. Vernon Norwood of LSU jumped out to take the number 1 time in the country early this season with a time of 44.44. He leads a program with the most depth having four guys that sub sub 46 and a total of five guys ranked in the top 25. Defending champion Deon Lendore has yet to run sub 45 this season but expect him to this coming weekend at the SEC Outdoor Championship. Najee Glass of Florida is also a strong challenger with a season and personal best of 44.79 already run this season.



(Courtney Okolo-Texas)

 



On the women's side it seems as if it's Texas and everybody else. Florida does have a solid group however with Robin Reynolds coming back from injury there seems to be no true threat to the Texas trio of Courtney Okolo, Kendall Baisden and Ashley Spencer. All three have major NCAA Championship hardware. Okolo is the defending NCAA Champion and record holder. Baisden won the World Junior title last outdoor season and Spencer is a former 2-time NCAA Champion is this event in 2012 and 2013. Spencer who has yet to regain that same form from 2013 is still considered a threat. Let's not rule out the possibility of a Texas sweep. For now Okolo and Baisden are pretty solid locks for a 1-2 finish.




Our next post: POST 2- Hurdles/Field Events.