Weekend Recap 2

(Christian Coleman-Tennessee)

The MLK weekend just concluded providing us with some quality top performances and new NCAA leaders. This weekend also affirmed the status of many of last week’s great performances.  We also have a new collegiate record and a world number 1. Below is a list of the top 5 performances from this past weekend including both of those notable performances.

5. Raven Saunders (Ole Miss)- Saunders now a junior continues to perform at a high level in her signature event the Shot Put. The Olympian has already surpassed 60 feet this season and further improved her mark with a throw of 62-8. Her mark now gives her a 5 feet lead on her closes competitor for the season.

4. Emmanuel Korir (UTEP)- True freshman Emmanuel Korir continues this season trek of great freshman. Korir notched the number 1 time in the nation in the men’s 800 with a time of 1:46.50 at the Vanderbilt Commodore Invite. Korir’s time is impressive for this early in the season and also quite an impressive time indoors for a freshman. Expect to hear more about him later in the year.

3. Sasha Wallace (Oregon)- Wallace is the top returning 60 meter hurdler. Wallace finished 2nd in the event last year and is one of the few talents in the NCAA with a personal best of under 8 seconds. This past weekend Wallace had an outstanding debut winning the Washington Preview with a time of 7.96. To debut under 8 seconds is a clear sign that we can expect big things from the senior this season.

2. Kaela Edwards (Oklahoma State)- The defending Indoor Champion in the women’s mile stepped down to the women’s 1,000 meter race. The race is not sanctioned at the NCAA championships but is a great race for half milers and milers. Edwards earned her first NCAA record wining the 1,000 meter race at Nebraska’s Holiday Inn Invitational clocking in at 2:40.79. Edwards has already proven that she has the capability of winning the mile but could she step down this indoor season and try the 800. With an outdoor personal best of 2:01.97 it’s quite possible.

1. Christian Coleman (Tennessee)- Coleman is the defending NCAA Indoor Champion at 200 meters but has strong 100 meter speed. Under the tutelage of the great Tim Hall he has consistently improved his performance year after year. Coleman already the leader in the 200 meter dash from his debut from early in the season decided to open up in the 60 meter dash. Coleman rocketed to a time of 6.54, his time vaulted him to not only the number 1 spot in the nation but also the top spot in the world. Coleman hasn’t taken the title away from favorite Cameron Burrell but expect for him to be in the discussion with Burrell for the remainder of the year.

RELAY OF THE WEEK

This is a new segment to our weekend recaps. Each week we will have a relay of the week. This week the relay of the week goes to the men’s 4x400 relay of Texas A&M. The foursome ran a nation leading time in front of their home crowd with a time of 3:05.41. The relay consisted of Robert Grant, Mylik Kerly, Richard Rose and Fred Kerley. They had a two second lead on runner up Baylor and have made some serious noise.