NCAA Men's Preview



Picking up were we left off yesterday in previewing this week's NCAA Championship this post will focus on the men in this weeks competition. This has been an outstanding year for the men in every aspect of track and field. There is a great chance that a few NCAA records might fall. The men's team battle is also expected to come down to the wire in the men's 4x400 relay.



SPRINTS

The 100 meter dash has never had this many entries with personal bests of sub 10 second performances. It is practically a requirement in order for you to win this race you will have to run a sub 10 second race barring weather.

Trayvon Bromell of Baylor has been at the top of this event since leaving high school in 2013. Bromell won this event in 2014 as a freshman running a 9.97. This year he has gone under 10 seconds more than once but has been aided by the wind. With sunny conditions expected it is possible that he may challenge the NCAA record of 9.89.

The list of challengers is very long. None more challenging than Andre De Grasse of USC and Tevin Hester of Clemson. Both sprints have ran a wind-aided 9.87. Hester's 9.87 was barely wind-aided and has the best chance to challenge Bromell. Also Clayton Vaughan of UT-Arlington has a legal best of 9.93 set earlier this season and could be a spoiler.

Dedric Dukes of Florida has been the dominant name outdoors in the 200 meter dash. He is the only athlete in the field with a personal best under 20 seconds and already has a sub 20 second performance this season running a 19.99 at the SEC Outdoor Championships. Trayvon Bromell has given more focus to the 200 meters this season, even winning the NCAA Indoor title with a time of 20.19 one of the fastest indoor times in history. De Grasse also is a threat after running 20.03 at the Pac 12 Championship.

The 400 has been dominated by Deon Leondore of Texas  A&M. Lendore has had his share of injuries over the years and this year included. Like his female teammates  Lendore is rounding into shape at the right time. He shares the nation's best time with his LSU rival senior Vernon Norwood with seasonal bests of 44.4. Lendore has gotten the best of Norwood this outdoor season and will look to defend his national title his and go out with a bang his senior year. Najee Glass is the lone Florida Gator in the race after Arman Hall failed to qualify has a season's best 44.79 and will need to lower it in order to claim the title for himself. All three a huge in term's of points for their teams title hopes.


HURDLES

In the 110 high hurdles it is Arkansas's Omar McLeod and everybody else. McLeod is the most talented sophomore hurdler in NCAA history. He broke a long standing indoor 60 meter hurdle record earlier this season. It remains to be seen if he can break the great Renaldo Nehemiah's record of 13.00 in the 110 high hurdles. He has run a personal best 13.21 this season and has not been challenged by anyone. Without defending champion Devon Allen of Oregon in the race due to injury during football season, McLeod will have to run the race of the century without any competition. He has already proven that he can.

For senior Michael Stigler winning the 400 meter hurdles is long overdue. Stigler has been a big name in the event since his freshman year. He has been runner's up in the event twice already. His seasons best of 48.44 is one of the fastest times in the event in a while, he has nearly a second on his closes competitor. Everything has aligned perfectly for Stigler to go out on top.


DISTANCE

In the 800 it has not been clear sailing for defending champion Brandon  McBride of Mississippi State. There has been plenty of challenge along the way and unfortunate taste of losing early this season, most recent at the SEC Outdoor Championships were he we lost to LSU junior Julian Parker. It will likely require a personal best to defend his title and fend off top ranked Brandon Kidder of Penn State and Shaquille Walker of BYU.

The 1,500 has been led by Chad Noelle of Oklahoma State all season. Oklahoma State has produced many great distance runners over the years and NCAA Champions in this event. Noelle seems poised to be the next in line in this event. Noelle was a favorite to win this event last season but was unable to meet expectations due to injury. Robby Crease of Penn State and true freshman of host Oregon Blake Haney should provide strong competition.

The 3,000 meter steeplechase is an event were Arkansas is looking to add another champion to it's distance trophy case. Arkansas long known for having one of the best distance programs in NCAA history that led to over 30 NCAA titles under John McDonnell's watch. Stanley Kebenei has the season's best time with a mark of 8:23.93. His best time is 10 seconds greater than his closes competitor. Kebenei has been so close to winning the event in 2013 and 2014 finishing 3rd and 2nd respectively. The senior will look to close out his career on a championship note and add 10 team points to the Razorbacks title hopes.

The 5,000 and 10,000 are two huge events for the host Oregon. Oregon long distance star Edward Cheserek came close to winning both events last outdoor season. Winning the 10,000 and finishing 2nd in the 5,000. Both events are grueling and will require a lot of effort on Cheserek's part to win. His performance last season as a freshman proved that he is capable of completing the long distance double.

Each event will provide a stiff challenge. In the 5,000 there is Kemoy Campbell of Arkansas along with his Oregon teammates, Will Geoghegan and Eric Jenkins. In the 10,000 Jason Witt of BYU has been the top guy all season he currently is the only athlete with a sub 28 minute performance in the entire field. Witt maybe Cheserek's toughest competition.


RELAYS

The 4x100 relay got a new leader in Arkansas who ran a time of 38.66 to earn the top time in the Western region and records the year's fastest mark. Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama and USC have also ran under 39 seconds and until the regional meet A&M led the nation with a season best of 38.74. Florida has one this events in back to back years but without Hugh Graham due to injury and a slowed Arman Hall due to injury it is not likely they will repeat.

The 4x400 relay is a hard one to predict. This past indoor season Texas A&M set the NCAA record. However this outdoor season they have yet to run their best athletes against top competition. Florida and LSU have battled it out routinely this season. Florida holds the nation's top time with a mark of 3:01.60 they set defeating LSU at the SEC Outdoor Championships. This mark is impressive since this is not their best group. With everything potentially on the line the big 3 (Florida, A&M and LSU) will likely put on a show.


FIELD EVENTS

Marquis Dendy has continued Florida's great jumping tradition. Dendy put everything together at the NCAA Outdoor championships last season to complete the rare double of winning the long jump and triple jump. His confidence is notably at an all time high. When competition steps up, he goes higher. Dendy is currently ranked number 1 in both events and is a big factor into Florida's team title hopes. Dendy is also capable of setting a NCAA record in either event.

The same can be said about junior Shawn Barber of Akron. It seemed during the indoor season Barber was threatening his own NCAA record every week. He leads the NCAA with a record mark of 19'4.75. Can Barber set another record, it remains to be seen.


HIGH JUMP: Jacorian  Duffield Texas Tech 7-7. Duffield leads a crowded talented group of high jumpers. He has already beaten them all once at the Indoor Championships and should be able to handle them again.

SHOT PUT: Ryan Crouser Texas  69'3.25. Crouser returns as defending champion in this event and leads a solid senior heavy group. Crouser has shown to step up at the major meets and this one should be no different.

DISCUS: Rodney Brown LSU 213'5. Brown has led the way in this event for much of the outdoor season. Brown underachieved at this meet last season and could be looking for redemption and adding key piece to his trophy case.

HAMMER THROW: Conor McCullough USC 248'11. McCullough has been the man to beat all season and will look to add to a great throwing tradition at USC.

JAVELIN THROW: John Ampomah Middle Tennessee State 267'7. Ampomah is the event leader and the only thrower to surpass 80 meters.

DECATHLON: Maicel Uibo Georgia 8,326. Georgia is perhaps the best program at developing multi-event athletes. The Bulldogs currently are ranked number 1 and 2 in the event. Uibo is the defending champion and it will take his best to fend of his teammate Garrett Scantling.


TEAM BATTLE: Florida, Texas A&M and Oregon are in great shape to win the national title. Florida has lost two key athletes who were expected to qualify in Keandre Bates in the long jump and triple jump and Arman Hall in the 400. Add to that they had already lost Hugh Graham due to injury. I think that is too much to overcome for the Gators but their is still great potential for the to win. Oregon brings a very large group to the championship meet and have home field advantage. My pick to win is Oregon but my rooting interest are for the Gators.