2019 NCAA Championship Recap

10.75!

(Sha'Carri Richardson-LSU)

This meet never disappoints, from the individual performances to the team battles, the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships is one the best meets on the track and field calendar. Our theme over the past few years of falling NCAA records continued and we had some major upsets. Let us recap some of the biggest performances from the meet that we did not discuss in our day one recap.

SPRINTS

As usual we will start with the sprints. In the men’s sprints Divine Oduduru of Texas Tech lived up to the hype. After ran blazing semi-final races he followed that up with a 9.86 in the 100 and a 19.72 in the 200. The 100-meter dash also included two other sub 10 second performances in Cravon Gillespie of Oregon in 9.93 and Hakim Sani Brown of Florida in 9.97. Gillespie also went under 20 seconds in 19.93 making this the fastest NCAA meet ever. His time in the 200 is a NCAA meet record and the second fastest collegiate time in history. He will run for his native Nigeria and should be a competitor come World Championship time.

Sha’Carri Richardson a true freshman from LSU is the latest sprint queen from the purple and gold. A school that has developed some of the best NCAA sprinters in history have produced another star. Richardson blazed the track at the University of Texas to the time of 10.75! That was not a typo and yes that is a new NCAA record. We saw Dawn Sowell’s longest standing record finally fall. What was perhaps even more impressive is that she ran that race celebrating nearly five meters out and indicating she could have ran a faster time. She almost completed the double by winning the 200 but she leaned a little to early and defending champion Angie Annelus of USC was able to defend her title 22.16 to 22.17.

In the 400 senior Kahmari Montgomery of Houston has been chasing the only thing missing from his NCAA career and that is an individual NCAA title in his primary event. He literally had to chase the title as Trevor Stewart of North Carolina A&T ran a great race and led the race for the final 98 meters it was the last two meters that saw Montgomery pass him running 44.23 to 44.25.

The women’s 400 was equally impressive. Wadeline Jonathas of South Carolina has had an impressive outdoor season and she capped it off with a personal best of 50.60 to win the NCAA title. Pre-race favorites Sharrika Barnett of Florida and Kethlin Campbell of Arkansas finished third and fourth respectively with times of 51.00 and 51.09. Jonathas is the first Carolina Gamecock to win the event since Natasha Hastings in 2007. Chloe Abbott of Kentucky ran 50.98 to finish second and complete a SEC sweep going from 1-5.

DISTANCE

Bryce Hoppel of Kansas dazzled us this past indoor season by pulling off the stunning upset of Devin Dixon of Texas A&M. This outdoor season was different, we were no longer shocked by his victories but rather expectant of them. With Dixon in the field and in the state of Texas it was evident that it would take a special performance to claim the title. Hoppel delivered running a personal best in the final with a time of 1:44.41.

Jazmine Fray of Texas A&M entered the meet as the top seed and the favorite to win the title. She has been considered a threat to win it ever since she set the indoor NCAA record a couple of years ago but has come up short. This weekend she finally delivered. She won the race in a time of 2:01.31 surpassing Nia Akins of Penn who finished second in 2:01.67. This was her senior season and final race, what a great way finish your career.

In the men’s 1,500 prerace favorite Oliver Hoare of Wisconsin seemed like a solid favorite after a good semi-final. In the finals however he was outdone by fellow Big 10 conference competitor Justine Kiprotich of Michigan State and Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame. Nuguse and Kiprotich took the race to the line battling each other for position and the title. Nuguse was able to barely outlean Kiprotich at the line winning with a time of 3:41.39. He one won the race by 3 thousandths of a second. Hoare finished fourth in 3:42.29.

In the women’s 1,500 it seemed as if senior Jessica Hull of Oregon was going to defend her NCAA title. Sinclaire Johnson of Oklahoma State had something else in mind. Johnson ran the race of her life surpassing a shocked Hull to win the NCAA title in a personal and meet record best time if 4:05.98. The look of shock on Hull’s face is a story in itself but Johnson ran a spectacular race to win her first NCAA title. Hull is a senior who did not end her career the way she wanted but I expect her to perform well at the next level.

The steeplechase for the men did not disappoint. Steven Fahy of Stanford gave us a race we will never forget. The talented senior fell going over the barrier and still manage to cross the finish line as NCAA champion. A dramatic victory for a great career at Stanford. His winning time of 8:38.46 was still a season’s best with the fall it remains to be seen what he can do in a perfectly executed race. His victory should encourage all those struggling with situations in their life, you can fall and still be a champion in the end.

Allie Ostrander of Boise State entered the race as the favorite and two-time defending champion. The junior did not disappoint and most certainly lived up to the hype. Ostrander ran a dominant race to win the NCAA title in 9:37.73, nearly eight seconds ahead of her closest competitor Charlotte Prouse of New Mexico (9:44.50). Ostrander’s time was also a personal best. Is a four-peat on the horizon? That remains to be seen.

The men’s 5,000 was the final chapter in the Fisher versus McDonald rivalry. Both Grant Fisher of Stanford and Morgan McDonald of Wisconsin are seniors and likely will be moving onto the professional circuit. They have challenged each other at every turn with McDonald finding victory at every national championship. The 5,000 was a cap on McDonald’s place in history he defeated Fisher again with a winning time o 14:06.01 outkicking him to the finish. I am sure we will see more of them at the next level but nothing like this season.

Weini Kelati of New Mexico entered the meet as favorite to win the 5k and 10k races to complete a long-distance sweep. Kelati claimed the first title on Thursday night winning the 10k race in 33:10.84. She returned Saturday likely still feeling the effects of her winning on Thursday night. The end result was an upset with Dani Jones of Colorado winning the 5k with a time of 15:50.65. Kelati finished fifth in 15:54.26 well off her personal best.

HURDLES

Grant Holloway of Florida and Daniel Roberts of Kentucky have given us a rivalry to remember. The stunning upset by Daniel Roberts at the SEC Championships made this race all the more interesting. It seemed as if after the prelims that Holloway looked to be out of place, he missed the final of the long jump sending a devasting blow to the Gators team title hopes. Holloway found his footing in the finals however run an incredible tactical race. He broke Renaldo Nehemiah’s 40+ year NCAA record and became the first athlete under 13 seconds in NCAA history with his time of 12.98. Roberts was close behind in 13.00. They both are turning pro after this season giving up their final year of eligibility and will be giving us more great races in the future.

In the 100 hurdles Janeek Brown of Arkansas has been the story since the mid-way point of the season. After her 12.5 performance at the National Relay Championships she has been on a tear. Brown who is being relied upon heavily for team points ran a blitzing time of 12.40 in the 100 hurdles final outdueling Chanel Brissett of USC (12.52). Brown’s time is more special because it is now a new national record for the country of Jamaica, quite and impressive feat for a sophomore. No mention yet if Brown will go pro but I hope to see competing later this summer at the World Championships.

The 400 hurdles was quite an interesting race on the men’s side. Quincy Hall of South Carolina was the obvious favorite and during the race was clearly mis stepping and having an altogether poor race technically. His speed and competitiveness prevailed allowing him to win with a personal best of 48.48. The sky is the limit for Hall whose speed helped to propel him to victory. Once his technique and speed match he will be a dangerous threat. Senior Norman Grimes of Texas Tech gave the team a solid eight points with his time of 48.71, a new personal best.

Anna Cockrell of USC gave the Lady Trojans another NCAA Champion. She as expected ran a dominant for 400 hurdle race winning by almost a full second. Her time of 55.23 was a season’s best and a huge boost to the Lady Trojans team title race. Second was Gabby Scott of Colorado with a time of 56.04. Although Cockrell did not surpass her personal best a time, she still came back from injury with an impressive outdoor season. There is certainly talent here and it remains to be scene what else she can do.

FIELD EVENTS

The bulk of the men’s field events happened on day one but on Friday we were treated to a rare feat. JuVaughn Harrison who won the long jump competed a double by winning the high jump in a personal best mark of 7 feet 5 ¼ inches. He outdueled defending champion Tejaswin Shankar of Kansas State who was second and indoor champion Shelby McEwen of Alabama who was third.

In the triple jump we had an upset. Jordan Scott of Virginia entered the meet as the heavy favorite. He was upstaged by Chengetayi Mapaya of TCU who had a winning mark of 56 feet 2 ½ inches while Scott was second with 55 feet 9 ¾ inches. Both their top performances came on their final jump and for Mapaya it is a personal best mark. It is also noteworthy that Florida scored no points from their men’s jumping cores for the first time since the pre-Christian Taylor era.

Senior Payton Otterdahl senior lost his second event of the meet falling in the men’s discus. The pre meet favorite finished second with a throw of 205 feet even while Eric Kicinski of Texas Tech added 10 team points with a throw of 205 feet 2 inches.

In the decathlon the favorite and talented freshman Ayden Owens of USC earned did not finish and did not participate in the Javelin or 1,500-meter race. This left Johannes Erm of Georgia to continue the school’s great tradition of multi-event athletes to win the NCAA title with a total 8,352 points a personal best. Erm is just a sophomore and we should be seeing more from him in the future.

On the women’s side in the jumps I was expecting the horizontal double from senior Yanis David of Florida. She is currently number two all-time in the triple jump and the winner from the indoor season. It took a personal best to win the long jump on Thursday with a mark of 22 feet 5 ¼ inches. In the triple jump however she was noticeably off on Saturday and Shardia Lawrence of Kansas State capitalize winning with a mark 45 feet 10 ¾ inches. David’s mark was 45 feet 8 ½ inches.

Zarriea Willis of Texas Tech was another highlight for Texas Tech this weekend. The senior leaped to a personal best mark of 6 feet 2 inches to out leap Nicole Greene of North Carolina who was second with 6 feet 1 ½ inches.

The women’s pole vault had a familiar school winning the title. Victoria Hoggard of Arkansas found a way to win the pole vault with a mark of 14 feet 11 ½ inches. Olivia Gruver of Washington is the NCAA record holder with a mark well over 15 feet but she was unable to challenge Hoggard for the title. Hoggard’s mark was huge for team title points for the Lady Razorbacks.

Sophomore Camryn Rogers of California was the favorite to win the hammer throw heading into the meet. It took a personal best throw of 234 feet 7 inches to win the title over runner up Erin Reese of Indiana State who threw for 233 feet 2 inches.

Arizona State continues their championship dominance. Another throwing star is born in Samantha Noenning. The super sophomore hit her top mark on her fifth throw, 59 feet 6 ¼ inches a personal best. Senior Portious Warren of Alabama was the pre meet favorite finished in a close second 59 feet 45 inches.

Senior Mackenzie Little of Stanford has been the top performer in the Javelin all season and this past Friday she proved why. Little claimed the NCAA title with a throw of 195 feet even, 10 feet further then her closest competitor and another throw close to 200. Although her career ends as a collegian we hopefully will be seeing more of Little on the professional level.

Defending champion senior Shadae Lawrence of Colorado State entered the meet as the obvious favorite to win the discus. She found herself on the wrong side finishing third with a mark of 197 feet 11 inches. Junior Laulauga Tausaga of Iowa found a way to defeat the defending champion with her winning mark of 207 feet 6 inches, a new personal record.

Ashtin Zamzow was one of two University of Texas NCAA Champions to win on their home field. The heptathlete hit a new personal best mark of 6,222 points. The senior closed out her NCAA career in style. Her point total included a in impressive high jump mark of 5 feet 10 inches.

RELAYS

On the men’s side were treated to two great races. In the 4x100 relay Florida became the new NCAA record holders with their mark of 37.97. They are the first team (Raymond Ekevwo, Hakim Sani Brown, Grant Holloway and Ryan Clark) to go under 38 seconds in NCAA history. Every finalist in the field went under 39 seconds.

In the 4x400 relay Texas A&M nearly broke the NCAA record with their winning time of 2:59.05 (Bryce Deadmon, Robert Grant, Kryee Johnson and Devin Dixon). Their time is a school record and the second fastest in NCAA history. Texas A&M has really been dominant in this event in recent years. Florida was second thanks to a 43.7 anchor by Grant Holloway with a school record time of 2:59.60. Houston was third in 3:00.07.

On the women’s side USC completed their season dominance in the 4x100 relay by claiming the title with a school record time of 42.21 (Chanel Brisett, Angie Annelus, Lanae Tava Thomas and Twanisha Terry). LSU anchor Sha’Carri Richardson closed strong with 42.29 but was unable to catch Twanisha Terry.

The 4x400 relay had a lot riding on it. USC only had to win the event to defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks for the team title. On the third leg the Alabama runner bumped Anna Cockrell knocking the baton out of her hand. By the time she got the baton and exchanged it to Kaelin Roberts the Trojans were out of the race a disappointing ending to the season. Arkansas held on for second place with a time of 3:25.89. Texas A&M (Tierra Robinson-Jones, Jaevin Reed, Jazmine Fray and Syaira Richardson) won with a time of 3:25.57. The result was a national title for Arkansas.

The team title was decided before the men’s 4x400 relay. It was too much for Florida to overcome no points in the jumping events to contain a strong Texas Tech team. Tech scored a total of 60 points and did not field a 4x400 relay team. The Gators still however finished second with 50 points.

What a season we were treated to. With many champions possibly returning we should expect another exciting year next year. You will hear more from this summer than in previous years and look for the podcast coming soon.