Conference Championship Preview 3
Power 5 Conference: Big Ten
Let us head to the cold Midwest. The Big Ten is perhaps the
most distance rich conference in the nation. It practically used to be a
prerequisite that in order to compete you have to have a great distance
program. That isn’t necessarily the case anymore but many of the programs in
this conference still do. Add to that there has been a recent explosion of
speed being added to this conference you have a conference that has become more
well-rounded now than it has ever been. This preview will do something different
and start off with the distance runners.
DISTANCE
Women
A very talented freshman leads the way for Penn State. Danae
Rivers is currently number one in the conference in two events, the 600 and the
mile. Whether she competes in the 600 is remained to be seen but Rivers has
made some major noise this season as a freshman. Perhaps her best event is the
women’s mile, perhaps the most competitive event in the conference. Her time of
4:32.55 has her placed as 3rd in the nation. There are currently
four other athletes with season’s best under 3:40 in the Big Ten indicating
this race could be a classic.
The 800 just got a little more interesting thanks to a great
final regular season weekend by Ohio State senior Rachel Weber. Weber knocked
Rivers down to the number two spot with her time of 2:03.40 this past weekend.
Rivers led three events for majority of the regular season and could sit out
the 600 to be more prepared for Weber in the 800.
The 3,000 and 5,000 have an outstanding defending champion
in Erin Finn of Michigan. The only thing that has stopped her in her career at
Michigan has been injuries. She has been a big name ever since she arrived at
Michigan. She currently leads the conference in the 5,000 meter race with a
time of 15:34.36, 14 seconds ahead of her closest competition. This time also
puts her in the driver’s seat for the national title as it moves her to the
number one ranking in the NCAA. The 3,000 she currently ranks 3rd
but don’t let that early season time fool you, she’ll be ready.
Men
Isaiah Harris is part of a strong middle distance group at
Penn State. The Nittany Lions over recent years have dominated the conference
with their great half-milers and milers and this season looks to be no
different. Harris is the defending champion from last indoor season in the 800
an event he won as a freshman. This season he returns ranked 2nd
with a time of 1:46.65. Leading the conference is defending 600 meter champion
Daniel Kuhn of Indiana with a time of 1:46.42. The irony is for this season
Harris leads the conference in the 600 meter run this season. With their times
being so close already this looks to be an exciting race from start to finish.
The mile is always a popular event in the Big Ten and there
have been many great champions. This year the Michigan men look to continue
that trend. Currently they have three runners under 4 minutes for the mile all
of whom are ranked in the top 3 in the conference. Leading the way is former
Brown University runner senior Ned Willig with a time of 3:58.09. Since Kevin
Sullivan’s arrival as the distance coach the Michigan Wolverines are slowly
returning back to their championship form sweeping the mile would all but prove
that they have permanently returned.
In the 3,000 Morgan McDonald of Wisconsin returns to defend
his conference title. The talented junior has a six second lead on his closest
competitor Aaron Baumgarten of Michigan. Wisconsin has historically been the
dominant distance program in the conference and McDonald looks to continue
their success of conference champions.
A freshman will lead them in the men’s 5,000 meter run.
Jaret Carpenter of Purdue leads the way here with a season’s best time of
13:57.08 ran a few weeks as the Iowa State Classic. His mark is quite
impressive for a freshman and even more impressive since it was performed against
high quality field at the Iowa State Classic. The top three athletes in this
event all run under 14 minutes and all are underclassmen. Carpenter will have
his hands full but with his top ranking will walk into the event with the
target on his back.
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Purdue has began to take the reigns as the premier sprint
school in the conference. Their sprinters are currently ranked number one in
all three sprints events, the 60, 200 and 400. They also currently lead the
conference in the 4x400 relay as well.
The 60 meter dash is currently lead by Devynne Charlton.
Charlton is also the defending champion in the 60 meter hurdles. Her conference
leading time of 7.30 is personal best for her this season. Although she is
currently ranked 2nd in the 60 hurdles Charlton is on a clear path
to complete the impressive double of winning both the 60 dash and hurdles. In the
60 hurdles conference leader senior Pedrya Seymour looks to end Illinois
drought at hurdling champions and with a time of 7.98 she will present a great
challenge to defending champion Charlton.
The 200 talented junior Savannah Roberson steps in. She
leads the conference with a time of 23.48. Roberson also doubles as a sprint
hurdler but in recent years has shown her hand adept at being a great 200 meter
runner. Her teammate Carmeisha Cox is tied for 2nd in the conference
with a time of 23.64. This presents a second opportunity for the Purdue
Boilermakers to finish 1-2 in a sprint event.
The 400 is now being lead by Brionna Thomas. Defending
champion Elexis Guster has transferred from Iowa to Oregon. Thomas has a
leading time of 53.23 which she ran a few weeks ago at the Tyson Invitational.
With Guster out Thomas is in great position to take over as the top
quarter-miler in the conference.
Men
Senior Jordan Charles of Minnesota did not have a great
indoor meet last season. In fact he didn’t even make it to the finals of the
men’s 60 meter dash. This season the senior will look to improve upon that
performance he currently leads the conference with a time of 6.68. The
defending champion Vinnie Saucer of Iowa has a season’s best time of 6.74 and
is ranked 6th. Saucer has a personal best of 6.70 ran last season.
He will have his hands full with Charles who is sitting in the driver’s seat
with a personal best and more consistent 2017 indoor season.
The 200 will also have a defending champion, Nick Gray of
Ohio State. Gray wowed the field last year wining as a freshman and returns
this year as the only athlete in the field with a personal best under 21
seconds. He leads the conference with a time of 20.86. His time of 20.71 which
won the event last season allowed for him to qualify for the NCAA Indoor
Champions in 2016 were he was able to earned All-American honors as a freshman.
The 400 was also won by a freshman last year and that
sophomore now is ranked 2nd in the nation with a time of 45.67. That
sophomore is Izaiah Brown of Rutgers. Brown only has one other athlete in the
field that has run under 47 seconds this season. Brown looks to be in great
position to defend his title and wow the crowd while doing it.
HURDLES (Men)
Defending champion Aaron Mallet returns to set the
conference on fire again. The All-American leads the conference with a time of
7.64 which ranks him 4th in the nation. Mallet is a part of great
sprint/hurdling program that is developing at Iowa, this meet will give him the
perfect opportunity to improve upon ranking nationally.
FIELD EVENTS
Women
Defending Champions: Janae Moffitt, Purdue- High Jump;
Tierra Williams, Nebraska-Long Jump, Triple Jump;
None of the returning champions in the field events are
currently ranked number 1 in the conference in any event. In the high jump
Moffitt sits ranked 2nd with a mark of 6’0.50, her competitor Kandie
Bloch-Jones of Illinois who is ranked number one has a leading mark of 6’0.75.
That quarter of inch does mean the difference between winning and losing but
you can bet that Moffitt will be ready to defend her title.
Senior Tierra Williams of Nebraska may have a more difficult
time defending her two titles. She currently ranks third in both events. In the
long jump her mark of 20’6.50 is a full six inches behind the number one ranked
senior Savannah Carson of Purdue, Carson has a mark of 21’0.5. In the triple
jump Senior Dannielle Gibson of Penn State leads the way with a mark of 43’9
while Williams has a mark of 42’2.75. As you can see this will be a tough day
for Williams but never underestimate a champion.
Conference Leaders: Kiley Sabin, Minnesota-Shot Put; Andrianna
Jacobs, Nebraska-Pole Vault, Sade Olatoye, Ohio State-Weight Throw; Georgia
Ellenwood, Wisconsin-Pentathlon
Pentathlete Senior Georgia Ellenwood serves as the highest
ranked field athlete in the conference. She is currently ranked 4th
in the nation with a total of 4,392 points. She has 300 more points than her
closest competitor and in great position to win her first title in the event.
Men
Defending Champions: Landon Bartel, Nebraska-High Jump;
Kaiwan Culmer, Nebraska-Triple Jump; Steven Bastien, Michigan-Heptathlon
None of the returning champions are currently ranked number
1 in their event. Perhaps the athlete with the hardest road to defending his
title is senior Steven Bastien of Michigan. Bastien currently has a season’s
best of 5,843 points. That’s good enough for 7th in the nation. The
number one ranked competitor is senior Luca Wieland of Minnesota with a
whopping 6,089 points. His point total was achieved at the very beginning of
the season in December. He is ranked number 1 in the nation and only one other
athlete in the country has scored beyond 6,000 points.
Bastien has had quite a few personal bests this season but
are they enough to score beyond 6,000 and defeat Wieland that remains to be
seen. Wieland has not had to compete in the event since December and has
consistently improved himself in individual competition.
Conference Leaders:
Jonathan Wells, Illinois-High Jump; Steve Cahoy, Nebraska-Pole Vault; O’Shea
Wilson-Iowa; Eric Bethea, Indiana-Triple Jump; Willie Morrison, Indiana-Shot
Put
RELAYS
Women
Top Ranked
4X400 Relay: Purdue 3:34.48 (Ranked 11th
nationally)
Distance Medley: Indiana 10:55.94 (Ranked 2nd
nationally)
Men
4x400 Relay: Iowa 3:05.62 (Ranked 9th nationally)
Distance Medley: Indiana 9:28.14 (Ranked 2nd nationally)
Note: Indiana has two great Distance Medley Relays. Both
ranked 2nd nationally seem to be the conference best hope of winning
the event.
No comments:
Post a Comment