NCAA Championship Review

(JARRION LAWSON-ARKANSAS)
(NCAA CHAMPION-100-200-LONG JUMP)

What a weekend. As usual the NCAA Championship provided us with many jaw dropping performances and a few head-scratchers. I have to openly admit that I am a fan of University of Florida so watching the men win it all on Friday night was not only surprising but exhilarating plus relieving. It has been a tough year for this group so for them to win it all is quite impressive. Also watching Arkansas dominate the women’s NCAA Championship was special too. Let’s recap not all of the meet, but the five best performances of the meet.

5. ARMAN HALL (FLORIDA)- Arman Hall has had to deal with injury concerns for the past two seasons. As a freshman Hall set the college a blaze by running under 45 seconds and qualifying for Team USA. The next two seasons along with this past indoor season saw him deal with injuries. His future was truly uncertain. During this post season we have seen Hall get consistently better. This past weekend was a culmination of a long awaited championships. Hall ran a smart race, he waited until the last 80 or so meters to use his devastating speed to surpass the field and win his first NCAA title as a season with a time of 44.82. Hall is currently the only 400 runner in the NCAA who has run under 45 seconds.

4. RAVEN SAUNDERS (OLE MISS)- This has been a year of ups and down for shot putter Saunders. She was a preseason favorite and expected to dominate the competition at the start of the indoor season. She was unable to perform to her capability at the NCAA Indoor Championship and missed out on winning the title. She came into the outdoor season with a few top tier performances but she was not consistent. She answered any questions anyone may have had about this season with a throw of 63-5. Her mark sets an NCAA meet and overall NCAA record. This also adds another NCAA Championship trophy to sophomore Saunders.

3. ARIANA WASHINGTON (Oregon)- To those of us who follow high school track and field we knew the talent that Ariana Washington possessed. Washington dominated the California high school scene winning the 100 and 200 three straight years in a row. Not even Allyson Felix was able to perform that feet. Washington missed last season due to a serious injury. She had a slow start this season and begin to show her true potential mid outdoor season. Her coach Robert Johnson trusted her enough to have her on the anchor leg of the women’s 4x100 relay. This past weekend she proved she was worth all the hype. As a freshman she blazed a 100 meter dash time of 10.96, slight wind-aided and a wind legal 22.21. She has become the first freshman in NCAA history to win both sprints at the NCAA Championships.

2.  DONOVAN BRAZIER (TEXAS A&M)- Brazier comes from my home state, Michigan. We are not surprised that he has made an impact as a freshman. He was quite special here breaking multiple state records and running times in the 800 that even some collegians weren’t running. What is still impressive to many of us here in Michigan and likely to you all as well is the times that he is able to perform and in the dominant fashion he is able to do it in. Brazier ran toe to toe with pre-meet favorite Brandon McBride of Mississippi State on the first lap. In the last 300 meters his kick proved to be far superior than that of McBride. The talented freshman set an NCAA record with a time of 1:43.55. Jim Ryun held the NCAA record for 50 years to the day. Brazier who didn’t think of the Olympic Trials as a priority now should truly be considering it.  

1. JARRION LAWSON (Arkansas)- Lawson entered the meet as a contender in the 100 and 200 meter dash and the meet favorite in the men’s long jump. What he did this past Friday has only been done by Jesse Owens. Lawson who was being counted on for heavy points for Arkansas met everyone’s expectation by winning the long jump. But he shocked the crowd win he won the 100 meter dash, running into a headwind. In the 200 meter dash the NCAA leading Nethanaeel Mitchell-Blake of LSU was a scratch because of a leg injury sustained earlier in the day. However Lawson was still not the favorite, he however found a way to win and celebrated before the finish with a time of 20.19. Lawson’s improbable triple was 30 huge team points for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Three championships in one weekend is quite an impressive feat.

HONORABLE MENTION: CLAYTON MURPHY (AKRON)- As an alumnus of a MAC school (Eastern Michigan) it is great to see the conference still churning stellar track and field athletes. Murphy maybe the best the conference has ever produced. Yes I know that is high praise since there have been Olympic Gold Medalist to come out of the conference but Murphy is young and has a bright future ahead of him. Murphy stepped into a highly talented 1,500 meter field and proved to be the best of a talented group. Murphy got out to a solid lead and decided that he had enough speed to hold up. Well he was right, he was able to play keep away to the time of 3:36.38. His performance and time was one of the best in the event in NCAA history. Murphy defeated pre-meet favorite Izaic Yorks of Washington by more than a second.

There were several other big performances this past weekend but the five mentioned above stood out. Hats off to Oregon again for hosting another great meet. I understand that many feel that they have a strong home field advantage but the visual effect of a full stadium does wonders for the sport of collegiate track and field. Oregon puts on quite a show every year and fans fill the stadium. I expect for many athletes to compete at their respective Olympic Trials. The five names mentioned above are sure to be a part of that group. It remains to be seen who comes back for next season, who will transfer and what will many of the incoming freshman do. This season was quite fantastic and next year should be even better.