(Michael Norman-USC)
The outdoor season rolls on. It is still early in the
regular season but the athletes have not gotten the memo. Many of the top
athletes in the country are already climbing the all-time lists, collegiate
records are still being broken and the team title picture is perhaps cloudier
than it has ever been. This past weekend was the first full weekend in April
and with warmer temperatures we got better performances.
SPRINTS
In the sprints Michael Norman of USC reminded everyone who
the dominant long sprinter truly was. The talented sophomore blazed the track
with a time of 20.06 in the men’s 200-meter dash at the Sun Angel Classic. He beat NCAA 400 meter record holder Fred Kerley on the way to victory. Perhaps more impressive was the fact that it was in a negative 1.1 head wind
perhaps indicating that Norman could have gone sub 20 without the wind in early
April. The 400 is where his bread is buttered but he again proves just how talented
he is in the 200.
Gabrielle Thomas of Harvard continues to be a star on the
women’s side and especially in her signature event. The talented Ivy League
junior blazed the track at the Hurricane Invitational at the University of
Miami with a time of 22.32. Her time is the second-best performance in April in
collegiate history and of the best performances in the world this season.
Thomas certainly has proven her performances this past indoor season was no
fluke.
HURDLES
The hurdle events continue to heat up on the men’s side with
Ruebin Walters of Alabama blazing the track early to a time of 13.51 on his
home track. He had virtually no competition in the race winning by a half
second. No other athlete in the race went under 14 seconds. That certainly
proves that Walters is still a viable to defeat Grant Holloway of Florida the
preseason favorite and defending NCAA Champion.
In the 400 hurdles David Kendziera of Illinois was just
finishing up what would be an impressive double when he went under 50 seconds
to clock a national leading time of 49.92. He also ran a time of 13.52 earlier
in the day to be the only athlete in Division ranked in the top five in both
high and low hurdles. Illinois is often known for their hurdling and Kendziera
is certainly proving to be another special talent.
Purdue as of late has become quite the power in the sprints
in hurdles not only in the Big Ten but on a national level as well. The hurdles
have become an event that they have gotten progressive better on the women’s
side. Bahamian star hurdler and senior Devyne Charlton leads the group. She
broke a stadium record held by Olympian and LSU alumnus LoLo Jones at the
Battle of the Bayou. Her time of 12.70 in the 100 hurdles is the fastest wind
legal time in the NCAA. Her teammate Symone Black won the 400 hurdles in a time
of 56.58 to garner the number two ranked time in the NCAA. With two athletes
ranked in the top five in both hurdling events they join LSU and Texas as
proven hurdling powers.
DISTANCE
It was the 800 runners this weekend that take the distance
highlight. Vincent Crisp of Texas Tech was another highlight of the great meet
at Arizona State known as the Sun Angel Classic. Crisp set the track on fire
winning a great 800 race with a time of 1:46.31. His time moved him to the
number one ranking in the NCAA and gave Texas Tech another threat to help
defeat Florida for the team title.
On the women’s side we look to division three. Yes, you read
that correctly, division three. Emily Richards of Ohio Northern clocked an
outstanding time of 2:02.84 at the Sun Angel Classic. She finished second
overall with the only athlete defeating her was a professional runner for Under
Armor. She defeated a quality field with a bevy of division one talent. With
division three we already know of her school limitations making her performance
more impressive.
JUMPS
The jumping events were hot this weekend. All-American senior
Barden Adams of Kansas leaped his way to the number two ranked performance in
the NCAA this weekend. His mark of 53 feet 4 ¼ inches placed in second behind
Florida’s Clayton Brown and another great performance at the Sun Angel Classic.
The senior already has conference champion in his trophy case it remains to be
seen if he can add NCAA Champion to it as well.
Senior Keturah Orji of Georgia is known more for her
performance in the triple jump but this past weekend on her home track Orji
proved that she is still a quality long jumper as well. Orji defeated teammate
and defending champion Kate Hall with a mark of 22 feet and ¼ inch. She is
currently the only athlete over 22 feet this outdoor season and looks to
potentially add a national title in the long jump to her trophy case.
In the high jump Georgia junior Keenon Laine was another
jumping highlight for the University of Georgia. Laine leaped to a mark of 7
feet 5 inches to tie the number one ranking in the high jump. Zarriea Willis of
Texas Tech was the highlight on the women’s side leaping to her number one mark
of 6 feet 1 ¼ inch. She is one of two women over 6 feet this outdoor season.
THROWS
Maggie Ewen has routinely stolen the headlines this season.
After record breaking season last year and this past indoor season she picked
up where she left off. On her home track at the Sun Angel Classic Ewen broke
her own collegiate record in the Hammer Throw with a mark of 240 feet 6 inches.
She also claimed the shot-put with a mark of 63 feet ¾ inch. Her shot-put mark
is also the number two ranked mark in NCAA history. Ewen currently ranks number
one in three throwing events, the Shot Put, Hammer Throw and Discus. A triple
crown is a true possibility.
Gleb Dudarev of Kansas is another positive for the
University of Kansas. The talented sophomore competed at the Sun Angel classic
and launched his hammer out to 243 feet 11 inches. Dudarev is now the number
two ranked thrower in the hammer throw. Dudarev finished third at the NCAA
Championship last year and a performance of that caliber this early in the
season proves he is certainly looking to improve his place.
MULTI
Senior Tim Duckworth of Kentucky is continuing his dominant
season. The talented multi-even athlete is looking to make up for the disappointing
performance last outdoor season that saw him finish 19th in the decathlon at
the NCAA meet after failing to score in the long jump. Duckworth began this
outdoor season with a bang score a total of 8,145 points a new personal best.
His performance garnered him the number one ranking in the NCAA and back in the
driver’s seat for the NCAA Championship.
RELAY
LSU women’s 4x100 relay continues to be the stand out group
this season. They are still the only quartet under 43 seconds and this past
week at the Battle on the Bayou they ran the 9th best collegiate
time is history with their mark of 42.50. With two athletes that can run sub 11
seconds is still possible that they dip under 42 seconds.
NEXT
The Tennessee Relays former known as the Sea Ray Relays will
be held this weekend at the University of Tennessee the site for the SEC
Outdoor Championship. This meet is the biggest meet being held this weekend and
will include teams from the SEC, Big Ten and ACC along with a host of other
conferences. There should be plenty of big performances from this meet.
No comments:
Post a Comment