Weekly Recap Conference Championship Weekend

20.08!

(Divine Oduduru-Texas Tech)

Conference Championship weekend lived up to the hype! If you paid any attention at all this weekend you saw some impressive performances and the team title picture got clear. As we prepare for the final indoor showdown let us recap what stood out this past weekend.

SPRINTS

As always, we will begin with the sprints, the women’s sprints. Senior Destiny Smith-Barnett of UNLV is no stranger to top tier performances or to this blog. The talented senior has had quite the dominant career in the mountain west and is one of the contenders to win the 60-meter dash at nationals. This weekend she had the top time wining the Mountain West title with a time of 7.15. Her time is converted due to the altitude to a time of 7.17 for third in the nation. Barnett is looking to end her indoor season on top and is in great position to due so.

In the 200 Anavia Battle of Ohio State blazed the track to win the Big Ten Indoor title with a time of 22.80. Perhaps even more impressive is that she did at the University of Michigan. The super sophomore is a Michigan native which likely made winning the race all the more special. The event is wide open and there has been changes to the ranking almost weekly. Battle was not a preseason favorite going into the season but after a dominating performance at the Big Ten Indoor Championships she has become one.

Lynna Irby of Georgia finally claimed a number one ranking this season. After a phenomenal freshman season Irby has been quite for majority of the indoor season. At the SEC Championships she proved she still has what it takes to be number one. Against a quality field Irby clocked in a national leading time of 52.02. This is Irby’s second SEC indoor title of her career and a reminder to the doubters that she is still the favorite.

On the men’s side the sprints were highlighted by two impressive doubles. Divine Oduduru of Texas Tech by way of Nigeria lived up to the preseason hype. Oduduru set the track on fire winning the Big 12 title in the 60 meter and 200-meter dashes. His 60 time of 6.52 ranked him second in the nation and 200 time of 20.08 ranks him as number one. His 200 time is also third fastest indoor time in world history. Oduduru already has an NCAA title from last outdoor season and this weekend he made a strong case for more.

Grant Holloway of Florida continues to perform at such a high level. He surprised some when he stepped onto the track and competed in the 60-meter dash. Holloway ran away with the event title and still holds the number one ranking with a time 6.51. Holloway is one of the most versatile superior athletes ever seen and he continued his impressive performances this past weekend. Against some of the world’s best as the SEC Indoor Championships he pulled off the impressive 60-meter hurdle, 60-meter sprint double. This was last completed by Olympic Medalist Terrance Trammell, making his accomplishment more impressive. His winning marks of 6.54 and 7.44 are all time marks. It remains to be seen if he will attempt both at the National Indoor meet but without him competing in both Florida will struggle in the team title race.

Senior Kahmari Montgomery of Houston had an up and down season last year. He did not win the NCAA outdoor title but a few weeks later found himself at the USATF National Champion. He has clearly had a clear focus all season and this past weekend proved why he should be considered number one. The talented senior stormed the track at the American Conference Championship with a time of 45.04. He won the race by over a season and had over a two second lead over majority of the competition. Remember the 400 is a long sprint making this even more impressive. The 400 has seen a late boost with many great sub 46 second performance but Montgomery’s performance takes it over the top and he may provide our first sub 45 of the season.

DISTANCE

The distance events had no new number one rankings but still had some impressive performances. Senior Rachel Pocratsky of Virginia Tech continued Virginia Tech’s recent string of great 800 runners. Pocractsky won the ACC title with a time of 2:03.43. Her time moved her up to the number four spot in the national rankings.

Hannah Meier of Michigan ran a impressive race at the Big Ten Indoor Championships on her home track. The senior battled Ohio State senior Julia Rizk to the line to claim the Big Ten title in the mile. Her winning time of 4:32.46 moved her to fourth in the national rankings. Meier is having quite the senior year and will look to close out the indoor season strong.

On the men’s side the most notable distance performances start in the 800 at the Big 12 Championships. Junior Bryce Hoppel of Kansas ran a strong race against solid competition. His winning time of 1:46.84 was a season’s best and moved him to the number three ranking. Hoppel has now won the Big 12 Indoor title in back to back seasons.

Morgan McDonald of Wisconsin had the other notable distance performance this past weekend. The senior Cross-Country National Champion won the 5,000 meter Big Ten Indoor title with a time of 13:37.85. McDonald seems to be rounding into championship form at the right time. He has the threat of winning the cross-country national title with plenty of All-American experience to add. He is now ranked sixth in the country and has also qualified for the 3,000 as well.

In the throws senior Payton Otterdahl of North Dakota State has dominated all season long. He has been at the top of both throwing events since mid-January. At the Summit League Indoor Championships, he strengthened his hold on the number one ranking in the shot put with a winning mark of 71 feet 6 ¾ inches. He is still the only thrower over 70 feet this season. He also had the top throw in the weight throw this weekend as well with a mark of 77 feet 9 ¾ inches. Otterdahl has certainly proven throughout the season that he has was it takes to win both titles at the national level.

Senior Sade Olatoye of Ohio State also earned the top mark in the throwing events this weekend at the Big Ten Indoor Championship. It seemed this weekend that Michigan’s rivals had great success on their track. Olatoye threw two number one marks, 78 feet 11 ¾ inches in the weight throw and 58 feet 8 inches in the shot put. Olatoye was one of the favorites to win the weight throw but has proven that she should be considered a favorite for the Shot Put as well.

Senior Yanis David of Florida was the preseason favorite to win both the women’s long jump and triple jump. The senior had quite the weekend at the SEC Indoor Championships wining both events and was the top point earner of the weekend. Her winning mark in the triple jump was 45-5 which vaulter her to the number one ranking and her long jump mark of 21-2 ½ currently ranks number two. She is performing at a high level just at the right time and to continue that great tradition of Florida jumpers.

The twins of Arkansas continued their dominance this season with are first 15-foot marks in the women’s pole vault. Alexis was the victor at the SEC Indoor Championships with a mark of 15-4 ¼. Sister Victoria was second with a mark of 15-1. The two create such a potent 1-2 punch for Arkansas that they practically have 18 guaranteed points at every major championship.

Keeping with the Pole Vault theme freshman Mondo Duplantis of LSU continued his record setting season. He also claimed an indoor at the SEC Championships winning with a mark of 19-5. No other athlete in the field vaulted over 19 feet. Another weekend another NCAA record for the talented freshman. Is it even conceivable that someone can be the talented youngster at the national meet?

Senior Tahar Triki of Texas A&M clearly has no plans of letting go of his number one ranking. The talented senior leaped to a mark of 56-2 to win the SEC title. He won the event by almost 3 feet in one of the toughest conferences in the sport. His mark is a season’s best and further solidifies his number one ranking.

Johannes Erm of Georgia is continuing Georgia’s traditional of great field event athletes and multi-eventers (is that a word). He claimed the SEC title in the heptathlon with a point of 5,996. The talented sophomore is now the number in the country but does not have a great distance between him and number two. He will likely have to surpass 6,000 to win it all.

Senior Michelle Atherley of Miami was the big star who started conference championship weekend on the right foot. The senior nearly broke 4500 points scoring 4,498 points to win the ACC Indoor title. She would later return in the same meet and place in both the 60-meter hurdles and the high jump scoring valuable team points. She is now the number ranked athlete in the nation and in great position to win her first NCAA title.

RELAYS

Texas A&M won the race of the weekend at the SEC Indoor Championships. Against a field that had the top four times in the country all under 3:30 the Aggies claimed victory with a time of 3:29.15. Syaria Richards has turned out to be quite the transfer and 51 split again vaulted her team to victory.