Weekend 3 Recap

(Keturah Orji-Georgia)

Whew! That’s all I could say after watching and reviewing the results from this weekend. There was a world record set in the professional ranks and a new American record in the collegiate ranks. This weekend proved that we are on course for another record breaking season. The championship picture is starting to become clearer for not only the team title hunt but for the individuals as well. This post will continue our current theme of the top five performers of the weekend.

WOMEN

5.) MAGGIE EWEN (ARIZONA STATE)- Maggie Ewen continued her hot streak as the nation’s top shot putter. Her throw at the Texas A&M Quad reached 61 feet 3 inches. She remains the only athlete to throw beyond 60 feet this season. She also further solidified her ranking as the number one thrower. With Raven Saunders having yet to compete Ewen’s 60-foot throw proves that Saunders will have to be at her very best to hold off a surging Ewen.

4.) DIOR HALL (USC)- Hall began this season with a bang and injury free. In the preliminary race of the 60 meter hurdles she clocked in at 7.94 behind pro Tobi Amusan. She followed that up with a time of 7.98 in the final. Her 7.94 ran in the prelims immediately vaulted her to the number one ranking and perhaps made her the new favorite to win the title. Due to the altitude at which she competed her time was converted down to 7.96 which still makes her the number one collegiate.

3.) ERIN FINN (MICHIGAN)- Finn is on the list again this week after another solid outing on her home track. The Wolverines hosted Arkansas, Ohio State and Michigan State in the Harvey-Simmons quad. Finn put on an impressive showing in the 3,000-meter run garnering a winning time of 8:58.69 besting her closest competitor by more than 10 seconds. Her time currently ranks her number two in the event and is one of only two performances under nine minutes in the 3,000 this season.

2.) ALEIA HOBBS (LSU)- Hobbs is another repeat offender on this list. This past weekend at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational at the University of Iowa Hobbs clocked in at 7.14 in the 60-meter dash. With that time, she reclaimed the top spot from her teammate Mikiah Brisco. With no performances from the Oregon ladies yet Hobbs remains the favorite to potentially dethrone them and return LSU to the top of short sprints.

1.) KETURAH ORJI (GEORGIA)- Was there really in doubt who the top performer was from this past weekend, in my book no. Orji continues to impress every time she steps on a track, or in her case lands in a pit. On her first jump of the indoor season Orji set a new American/Collegiate record in the triple jump. Her mark of 47’8 to win the Clemson Invitational was three feet ahead of her closes competitor. Orji competed against some of the best jumpers in the NCAA and again proved there is no one on her level, not even close.

(Grant Holloway-Florida)

MEN

5.) CHRIS NILSEN (SOUTH DAKOTA)- It has been a while since a pole vaulter has made the list and after the weekend that Nilsen had he has truly been deserving of being added. Nilsen is the defending NCAA Indoor Champion and reclaimed the number one ranking at the Jim Emmerich Alumni Invite in South Dakota. His mark of 18 feet 6 inches further solidified his number one ranking in the event. Nilsen will remain as the favorite to win the title later this season.

4.) JACOB THOMSON (KENTUCKY)- Kentucky had a weekend full of top performances and Thomson was another one. Thomson clocked a time 7:53.87 to win the 3,000-meter run at the Clemson Invitational. He won the race by more than 10 seconds against a quality field. His time moved him to the number one ranking in the NCAA and he became one of three athletes under eight minutes on the season.

3.) NCINCILILI TITI (SOUTH CAROLINA)- As one of the preseason favorites to win the 200-meter dash senior Ncincilili Titi opened the season with the top mark in the NCAA. He clocked in at in impressive time of 20.45. Titi is one many sprinters this season who look to fill the void left behind by Christian Coleman, a time of this magnitude this early certainly has garnered attention and respect. Titi will remain the favorite to win the NCAA title.

2.) ANDRE EWERS (FLORIDA STATE)- Ewers is a junior collegiate transfer and a native of Jamaica, he did both proud this weekend. Ewers opened his season winning the Larry Wieczorek Invitational 60-meter dash clocking in at 6.52, yes, he read that correctly. His time would have been one of the top times late last season and easily moved him to the number one ranking this season. Only one athlete in the NCAA has a personal record better than that. It seems that Florida State still has that short sprint magic and Ewers is the latest star on a team full of them.

1.) GRANT HOLLOWAY (FLORIDA)- Grant Holloway may have his name on this list every single week of this season. Any time this young man competes he is making headlines. This past weekend was no exception. At the Clemson Invitational Holloway improved his stance on the all-time list clocking in at 7.49 in the 60 meter hurdles. His time currently ranks him number one in the world and in the NCAA. He along with that broke won of Florida’s most impressive school records. He is just a sophomore but the defending NCAA Champion has made some major noise.

RELAY OF THE WEEK: FLORIDA MEN 4X400 RELAY (3:03.49)- The Gators 4x400 relay took the top spot from Texas A&M with the NCAA leading time and one of the fastest indoor times in NCAA history. With Texas A&M showcasing an impressive quartet of quarter milers expect for the rivalry between the two schools to remain hot.

NEXT WEEK: The Razorback Invitational and the Washington Invitational are the two big collegiate meets taking place this upcoming weekend. Expect to see the names listed above perform well again with the Indoor Season now in full swing.