WEEKEND 1 RECAP

(Chad Zallow-Youngstown State)

Week 1 Performances of Note

It is becoming increasingly regular for many programs to begin their indoor season in the first two weeks of December. This gives the program an idea of where their athletes stand prior to the Winter Break. Every year there seems to be an athlete to steal the show for the weekend and gives an early note-worthy performance. This year there were several.

Chad Zallow (Youngstown State)- The talented hurdler who is now a senior is certainly a household name. He has been a threat to win the NCAA title for the past few years and has constantly earned top marks. This past weekend at the Youngstown State Icebreaker he set the NCAA leading time of 7.69 on his home track. Zallow most certainly will lower that time but that is an impressive time early in the season.

Brett Neelly (Kansas State)- Neelly had an impressive weekend on his home track. The talented thrower had an early impressive mark of 66 feet 1 ½ inches. His mark is a personal record either indoors or outdoors surpassing the mark he set at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships where he finished 2^nd. With this mark Neelly put the rest of the NCAA on notice.

Kenny Bednarek (Indian Hills CC)- Kenny Bednarek is a talented freshman competing on the JUCO level. He put up a monster 400-meter performance this past weekend clocking in at 45.93. The talented youngster from Wisconsin is a well-rounded sprinter capable of running short and long sprints. His time is all-time personal best in the event and likely will not be the last time we hear of him this season.

Mary Beth Sant (Colorado State)- Mary Beth Sant was a standout high school recruit in the short sprints out of Colorado. She was recruited by Oregon and eventually would sign. Although Oregon had proven with their recent success that they knew how to develop sprinters Sant was sort of the odd one out. She is now rebuilding her career in her home state of Colorado at Colorado State and this past weekend with a time of 7.26 in the 60-meter dash she is clearly on the right track. She should improve as the season goes on and be a name we hear of more than once.

Marie-Josee Excel (Kentucky)- One of the many talented athletes that stayed behind at Kentucky after Edrick Floreal left for Texas is Marie-Josee Excel. She has had a decorated career at Kentucky finishing near the top in either the triple jump or long jump. She began this season with a bang in the triple jump. This past weekend she leaped out to 45 feet 2 ½ inches. An impressive performance so early in the season. Although Yanis David of Florida is the current favorite she just proved that she is still here.