LESSONS LEARNED

19.95!!!

(Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake)

What have we learned?

I ask myself that question after reviewing the many results from two weekends ago. Conference Championship Weekend has come and gone. We have learned a lot about who is a contender and who is a pretender. This weekend also made the team title hunt picture even clearer. Perhaps the biggest lesson we learned is that the SEC is king...and queen. 

LESSON 1: LSU Men Rules the Relays

LSU had quite a successful SEC Outdoor Championships. Their sprinters as usual had a solid weekend that included many new number 1 marks. Perhaps one of the most notable of their marks was their relay performances against top level competition. The 4x100 relay ran a time of 38.33 with a freshman (Jaron Flournoy from Michigan) as their first leg. Their time is one of the fastest 4x100 relays time in NCAA history. Their 4x400 relay ran time of 3:00.38 to win the SEC title with a 3 second lead. If challenged they have broken their own NCAA record. This group has the potential of setting NCAA records in both events. Let’s hope that the Tigers can continue their positive momentum in the post season.

LESSON 2: NETHANEEL MITCHELL-BLAKE is up NEXT

Blake maybe the spark that ignites the sprint engine at LSU. He has been at the top of the ranks all season long and in both the 100 and 200 meter dash. Blake pulled off an impressive double at the SEC Outdoor Championships winning the 100 meter dash in 10.16 and the 200 meter dash in 19.95. His 200 time is the fastest wind legal time since Walter Dix set the NCAA record in 2007. Also keep in mind that Blake is a junior. There is plenty of talent in this young man and we may see even more at Nationals.

LESSON 3: KETURAH OJRI can really JUMP

Orji is nothing new to anyone who reads this blog. This talented sophomore jumper from Orji has been mentioned multiple times, most notably for her amazing triple jump efforts. At the SEC Championships she again proved she is the queen of the event. She leaped to a mark of 47-11. Unfortunately for us and her it wasn’t quite wind legal. However her mark served notice that she has the potential to set the NCAA record and be considered as the greatest female American triple jumper of all time. A young woman who has yet to reach her prime still has plenty of time to astonish us all.

LESSON 4: LINDON VICTOR is the new favorite in the DECATHLON

Victor a multi-talented junior at Texas A&M had perhaps the stiffest competition this weekend in the decathlon. He went up against the talented two headed monster from Georgia. The Georgia dogs seem to dominate this event at a conference level and at a national level. It took Victor a personal best of 8,446 points to win the men’s decathlon over favorite Maicel Uibo and talented teammate Devon Williams. Both Bulldogs also went over 8,000 points proving the challenging level of competition. Victor is now currently ranked number 1 in the nation.

LESSON 5:  The women’s 10k is wide OPEN

Molly Seidel of Notre Dame announced via her twitter a few days that she will not be competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this season. Seidel is dealing with a sacral stress fracture. Without the defending champion we now know a new champion will be crowned. However there are plenty of big names out of the meet including Erin Finn of Michigan who is redshirting, teammate of Seidel Anna Rohrer and Allie Ostrander a true freshman standout from Boise State. This leaves us void many big names. Dominique Scott of Arkansas could potentially be the favorite to win it since she is the top ranked 10,000 meter runner in the NCAA at this time. Scott is currently attempting the double by winning the 5,000 and 10,000. Her contributions are very important to Arkansas if they want the team title.

PRIVATE LESSON: I really tried to not make this all about the SEC but the conference had an outstanding weekend with a few new number 1 marks. This coming weekend is the preliminary or regional round. I admit that I am not a fan of this regional process and hope that this is the last year of a wasteful weekend. The indoor process works best for me, the top 16 in each event selected. I think for an outdoor meet you can select the top 24 or go back to a provisional and automatic qualifying style format. Regionals is a waste of travel money and time. The next time we chat we will hopefully be previewing the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Here’s to hoping that all the favorites make out of this weekend healthy.

May 9th Weekly Recap

10.07/20.39!!

(Christopher Belcher-left-)

North Carolina A&T

This past weekend for majority of the nation was a lay off in preparation for Conference Championship Weekend. However there were some conferences who started the championship early and some schools who decided to use this past weekend as an opportunity to improve their ranking before the regional meet. This recap will focus solely on the performance of this past weekend.

WOMEN

BRONZE: LAURA ROSE  DONEGAN (NEW HAMPSHIRE)- Donegan joins our list after a solid indoor season where she won the 5,000 at the Amerian East Indoor Championships. She joined the top 10 list in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase with a mark of 9:49.16 to win the America East Conference Title adding to her championship hardware. Her mark solidified her as number 4 in the nation and as a legitimate contender for the NCAA title.

SILVER: KELSEY CARD (WISCONSIN)- Card has truly stepped into the spotlight as the nation’s best thrower. She is ranked in the top 3 in two events both the Shot Put and Discus. This past weekend she joined defending champion Raven Saunders as one of only two athletes with marks over 60 feet. She launched the shot to a mark of 60’10.75 to win the Wisconsin Twilight and move her to the number 2 ranking in the NCAA.

BRONZE: AMALIE IUEL (USC)- The Pac-12 does things a little differently in regards to their conference championships. They have the multi-event athletes compete in their own conference championships a week before the rest of the athletes compete at the Conference Championship. This allows for the multi-event athletes to compete in consecutive weekends in multiple events outside of the heptathlon or decathlon.

Iuel proved this weekend that she will be able to compete and score in a myriad of events at the general conference championship. Iuel joined Akela Jones as the only other athlete to score over 6,000 points this season. Iuel scored a total of 6,011 points at the Pac 12 Combined Events Conference Championships. She is ranked in several individual events in the conference and similar to Jones has become high level multi-event athlete. Do not be surprised to see if Iuel walks away with another individual title at the general Pac 12 Championships this weekend.

MEN

BRONZE: AARON FLETCHER (BYU)- During the outdoor season BYU is without a conference to compete in. The school is independent in most sports. During the indoor season BYU competes as a member of the MPSF which consists of West Coast schools competing during the Indoor Season. That makes weekends like this past one just as important as all of the other regular season weekends. It becomes an opportunity to improve upon your rankings. Aaron Fletcher took the opportunity and literally ran with it. Competing at the Oxy Invite Fletcher earned the number 6 mark in the nation with a time of 8:39.10 in the men’s steeplechase. Without the challenge of a conference championship Fletcher will be able to compete in the post season with a little more rest than his competitors.

SILVER: RUDY WINKLER (CORNELL)- The Ivy League held their conference championship this past weekend. Winkler had the big mark from the weekend with a throw of 246-5 in the men’s hammer throw. His mark places his in the number 1 position for the outdoor season so far. With conference championship weekend taking place this weekend it remains to be seen if he is able to hold up his ranking. Nonetheless his performance is quite special and gives the Ivy League 2 number 1 rankings in throwing events.

GOLD: CHRISTOPHER BELCHER (NORTH CAROLINA A&T)- Christopher Belcher is having himself quite the season, especially outdoors. His name should garner more attention after the weekend he had at the MEAC Outdoor Championships. Belcher dashed out to quick 100 meter time of 10.07, wind legal. He followed that up with a time of 20.39 to win the 200. His time in the 100 moved him into the number 3 spot in the nation and the fastest wind legal time of the season. Belcher just like Winkler will have to wait and see where he ranks after the dust settles following Conference Championship Weekend but his time definitely proves he is able to compete with the best. 

As you've noticed throughout this article. This coming weekend is one of the biggest weekends on the collegiate calendar for track athletes. It is conference championship weekend. The Pac 12-, Big 12. Big 10, SEC, ACC, American Athletic, Mid-American, Conference USA and a host of others will be holding their outdoor conference championships this weekend. The post season is here and we start to separate the contenders from the pretenders. Expect a preview post this Wednesday. 

Weekly Weekend Recap

1:44.63!!!

Brandon McBride (right)

Mississippi State

April is officially gone and we are heading into the final week of the regular season. For many of the top tier teams the regular season has ended and for many others it is a final opportunity to improve upon their performances prior to the Championship season. This past weekend the Penn Relays were conducted and as usual grabbed the attention of most of the track and field world. There were also several other meets this past weekend that produced some noteworthy performances.

WOMEN

BRONZE: DeANNA PRICE (SOUTHERN ILLINOIS)- Price has proven to be quite the thrower. She does not get the attention that her former teammate Raven Saunders does but has proven to be quite the talent. Price is the defending champion in the women’s hammer throw and is great position to defend her title. This past weekend cemented her number 1 status with a throw of 238’5 in a dual meet against SIU Edwardsville. Her mark keeps at least 14 feet ahead of the competition.

SILVER: TAYLOR ELLIS-WATSON (ARKANSAS)- Watson is having quite the outdoor season. She has ran a personal best in the 200 meter dash running sub 23 and she can now add a personal best in the 400. Her time of 50.78 has placed her in the number 2 spot in the NCAA and garnered her the win at the LSU Invitational. Her time is quite impressive and proves she may be the only one capable of potentially challenging Courtney Okolo. Watson heads into the SEC Championship season as one of the best 400 meter runners in the conference since Natasha Hastings of South Carolina back in 2007.

GOLD: DOMINQUE SCOTT (ARKSANSAS)- Yes another Arkansas Razorback, this would explain why at one point in the season they were ranked number 1 in the country. Scott has certainly been one of the leaders of this great team. Scott has been a fixture of the Arkansas distance program for quite a while. This past weekend she became the NCAA leader at 10,000 meters with a time of 31:56.84 at the Payton-Jordan Invitational. She is currently the only athlete under 32 minutes in the NCAA. Scott attempted the 5k, 10k double last season and finished 2^nd in both events. This season she may do the same but she is in better position to pull it off.

MEN

BRONZE: IZAIC YORKS (WASHINGTON)- Yorks is having quite the season. After a record run indoors at the mile his 1,500 performance outdoors this past weekend at the Payton Jordan Invitational was equally impressive. His time of 3:37.74 moved him front of the rankings in the 1,500 ahead of Henry Wynne of Virginia. During the indoor season he did not compete in the mile at the National Championship instead opting for the 3,000 and finished 4^th. With the time he put up before Championship season one can only hope that he decides to focus on the 1,500 and wow us again.

SILVER: FUTSUM ZIENASELLASSIE (NORTHERN ARIZONA)- As they do every year Northern Arizona has another solid long distance athlete. Zienasellassie is the next great runner from a program that has produced some great champions. His time of 27:52.70 ran at the Payton Jordan Invitational was enough for him to finish 3^rd in the race but vaulted him to the number 1 spot in the NCAA rankings. Perhaps what is even more impressive about his performance is the time. It is a sub 28 minute race and he has over 40 seconds on the closest competitor.

GOLD: BRANDON MCBRIDE (MISSISSIPPI STATE)- Keeping with our distance theme for this week we saw Brandon McBride make history. McBride has not since fallen out the minds of many who follow the sport as a contender for the 800 title since the Canadian last won it as a sophomore at the Outdoor Championships. This past weekend in front a home crowd at Mississippi State he climbed into the all-time rankings with a winning time of 1:44.63, it is the 3^rd best time in NCAA history.  To those who though he had fallen off it is clear that he hasn’t. Let’s call it the magic of an Olympic year. Along with Shaquille Walker of BYU we now have two athletes with season and personal bests under 1:45. 

On a side note there isn't any relay gold. However I will say that I hope to be a regular visitor to the Penn Relays in the near future. This is the last year of my 20's and I was still unable to attend, I hope to get the opportunity in the near future.