Dennis Mitchell on Diversity in NCAA Track and Field

 

(Dennis Mitchell- Head Coach at Akron)

Here we are at the start of another upcoming season. Here we are collectively scratching our heads at what will happen. The level of uncertainty in several areas has been uncomfortable. This Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of 200,000 people and challenged the lives of many more. College track and field has been challenged as well. We have witnessed the cancellation of many track and field programs, seen scholarships reduced and seen history changed forever.

Perhaps no other program shocked the country more than the University of Minnesota. Cancelling a Big Ten men’s track and field program leaves an entire state without a Division 1 school. Where do the track and field athletes in Minnesota who want to stay home go? What are the results of such a devastating decision? The result is the massive loss of opportunity which effects minority athletes and coaches the most.

Track and Field does diversity as a verb while other sports do diversity as a noun. I was given the amazing opportunity to speak with head coach of Akron University’s cross country and track and field programs about the amazing diversity in the sport and the resulting challenges from it. Below are few responses he provided during our interview.

College athletics has become so professionalized that it has forgotten it’s educational mission.

 

Question 1: Why the cancelling of programs challenges diversity?

Dennis: Men’s and women’s track and field averages 10.5 black athletes per team in the NCAA. In other sports (not including football and basketball) the average is 1.5 in the Mid-American conference the number is 0.79.

Analysis: This statement stuck with me throughout the interview. Every time a men’s program is dropped there are 10.5 opportunities for black athletes removed. This also does not include the loss of opportunity for international competitors as well.

 

Question 2: Why is the sport treated poorly by school administration?

Dennis: For one they don’t see any money in it. They don’t see opportunity from it. Track and field is a spectator sport at our school and we are a school that brings in more money than we spend through tuition, fees and putting on events. That is so small in comparison to the SEC which is worried about losing $2 billion dollars from football during Covid. The system right now is what is paying the bills. The question is now are all the other sports are there because they add value or does it protect football and basketball. It is not financial; they are doing it to look financial.

 

Question 3: Why is diversity important for the sport?

Dennis: Diversity is the sport. Track and field measures a variety of different athletic skills. Each athletic skill presents different people with those set of skills. The sport is about measuring individual differences. There is an event for all body types. One size does not fit all. There is a place in our sport whether you are big, little, tall or petite.

 

Question 4: What can be done to improve the sport?

Dennis: If you put on the meets differently it would be much easier to follow. It is hard to sell a meet that goes on all day, it is a difficult sport to watch. We try to accommodate every even. With indoor track it is easy to put on shorter meets. Outdoors with so many events it takes much longer. For example: I love throws, but it takes a very long time to put on all six long throws on the field.

There is no scoring in our sport for regular meets. We have made it difficult to describe winning and it only matters at the Conference Championship. We have gone away from the dual meets. We have to better market the sport.

 

Question 5: Has the sport respected the legacy of John Carlos and Tommie Smith enough?

Dennis: Yes. The sport itself is really equitable with what it tries to do. I think they tried to do all they can form that standpoint. What we haven’t continued is fighting for their opportunity. We are a massive sport, why aren’t we using our numbers to put pressure on the NCAA about the loss of opportunities. Track did not let John Carlos and Tommie Smith it was San Jose State. The monument build to John Carlos and Tommie Smith was not built by the administration. It was built by the students.  The administration reinstates the track program and then the following season tear up the track.

 

Dennis Mitchell is a champion of diversity and promoting the sport of track and field. He has a great article on track and field news. Please take a moment to read that article as well.

https://trackandfieldnews.com/opinion-track-field-is-diversity-a-value-worth-standing-up-for/

Upcoming: We know that the season is still currently scheduled to start in the winter, but we will wait and see how the increase in Covid-19 cases affect the indoor season. The second wave was predicted to be more devastating. I will still provide you with a indoor preview but it will be tentative. There are several story lines that have gone unnoticed. Including the transfer of major athletes to different schools. I hope there will be a track season, even if there is lowered number of spectators allowed at the meets. Let’s hope for an outstanding 2021 season.

Conference Championship Weekend Review!

45.51!

(Bryce Deadmon-Texas A&M)

Another captivating conference championship weekend has ended. One of the best weekends on the track and field calendar, not just for times but for competition. Top tier athletes and programs competing head to head for a conference title. The team battle is what gives college track and field its extra boost. The weekend as usual provided clarity as who the real contenders were. Let us review.

WE HAVE LIFT OFF! 

Speed was on display at the SEC Championships in a big way. In the sprints there were four number one performances this weekend and three were performed there. Bryce Deadmon of Texas A&M looked impressive in front of his home crowd outlasting a great field to clock in at 45.51. Texas A&M has had quite the impressive run over the years, perhaps proving they are the premier 400-meter program. Teammate Jamal Walton was not far behind with his time of 45.62.

Abby Steiner of Kentucky ran a blistering 22.57 to win the 200-meter dash and garner the number one ranking for the first time this season. A dark horse to win the national title Steiner has proven herself with a win over big competition including Tamara Clark of Alabama who ran an impressive time of 22.68 good enough for third in the nation. Ohio State super junior Anavia Battle had no challenge in the Big Ten but has proven she is big meet capable. It will be interesting to see their head to head battle.

Bailey Lear of USC was one of the other notable number one performances from this weekend. The sophomore dominated the field at the MPSF championships running a time of 51.60 to win the 400 title. What is perhaps more impressive is that she did this on what is not a sprint friendly track. I expect more from Lear at the National Championship meet in two weeks.

Alabama’s women’s 4x400 relay was the last sprinting number one of the weekend. Courtesy of a strong anchor by Natassha McDonald the Crimson Tide clocked an impressive time of 3:29.36. The Crimson Tide were able to hold off Kentucky who had been the number one team all season long.

Other notable performances in the sprints come from Emmanuel Wells of Washington State. It has been a long while since the days of the great sprinters of Washington State. You have to go back to the early 2000’s to see. Wells launched the top 60-meter time of the weekend and the number two ranked time in the country. His winning time of 6.55 was against a strong field that included Kenroy Higgins of UCLA who clocked in at 6.59 to break the school record.

Julian Alfred of Texas impressed on the women’s side. She doubled in the 60 meter and 200-meter dash at the Big 12 Championships with impressive times of 7.15 and 23.02 respectively. Alfred is the first Texas Longhorn to perform the feat since Marshavette Hooker did it fourteen years ago.

Tonea Marshall of LSU had the most impressive hurdle performance of the season. She was a highly sought off recruit and started to come into her own last outdoor season. This indoor season she is quite the impressive pace. Currently she is one of only two women to go under 8 seconds for the program’s history. She again proved she was the best when took down Grace Stark the true freshman from Florida. Marshall won in a time of 7.89 while Stark broke the world junior record with a time of 7.91.

BOSTON THREE PARTY

Oregon is having quite the year as a distance program. Through all the upheaval and transfers they are perhaps having their best year in the mile ever. This past weekend they decided to compete at Boston for their last chance meet. The competitive field was too enticing for their milers rather than compete at the MPSF Championship. Charlie Hunter led the way with his time of 3:55.41. Although it is the second ranked time in the nation it is the fastest non-converted time of the season. His teammate Cooper Teare was right behind him with 3:55.50. They are both apart of Oregon’s record setting Distance Medley Relay team and will be on full display in two weeks at Nationals.

JUMP AROUND!

What a year for Jamaican jumpers. The NCAA ranks are loaded with them. Most notably in the triple jump where they hold the top four spots. In the long jump however, there is one guy at the top and that is Carey McLeod of Tennessee. The sophomore has been performing at a high level all season long and has taken down defending champion Rayvon Grey of LSU a few times already. His mark of 26 feet 10 ½ won him the SEC title. He finished in a close second place finish in the triple jump with his mark of 54 feet 1 ¼ inches to Clayton Brown of Florida who leaped to 54 feet 1 ¾ inches. Could we see a 27-foot jump from McLeod at Nationals, perhaps but we are more likely to see it this outdoor season.

Ellen Ekholm of Kentucky cemented her position at the top high jumper in the country. She took down the number two and three ranked jumpers in the country with her mark of 6-3 ¼. She’ll enter the championship meet as the favorite and will be relied upon for team battle in terms of points for Kentucky.

In the Pole Vault KC Lightfoot of Baylor did not get a number ranking but did have an impressive weekend at the Big 12 Championships. The sophomore battled it out with another sophomore in Kansas’ Zach Bradford. Lightfoot outlasted him with a mark of 18-11 as he had few missed attempts throughout the competition. Bradford will now move into third overall in the country.

FAR FAR AWAY!

Andrew Liskowitz of Michigan took over the number one ranking in the men’s shot put with his impressive performance at the Big Ten Championships. His winning mark was 68’11 ¾ while former number one and Big 12 Champion Adrian Piperi had a mark of 68’10. Piperi already has a national title on his resume so he gets the lean heading into the championship, but you cannot ignore the performance Liskowitz had this weekend. He represented the Michigan Meat factory well.

CONTROL!

Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M had another solid weekend. On her home track she finished third in the high jump while still leaping past 6 feet. She also topped the pentathlon rankings by winning the SEC title with a total of 4,391 points. That performance included winning three of five events. She competed in the long jump only finishing fourth, she may drop the long jump at nationals to focus only on the high jump and pentathlon. With fewer events to compete in we could see Gittens improve her season’s best point total at the national meet.

Danae Rivers may not have the number one ranking but she has put a cap on quite an impressive career. The senior from Penn State is the first woman from the Big Ten to win the 800 four times in a row. She also claimed the mile title in the Big Ten as well. She is known for the 800 but she is ranked higher in the mile. We will wait and see what she does come nationals.

TEAM STRENGTH

It is quite possible that a team that did not win their conference title will win the national title. I think that is the case on the women’s side. Although Arkansas won the SEC title they did not look like the dominant teams of the past. They were absent their sprint core and dominance in the jumping events. LSU on the other hand looks loaded on a national level. Strong in the sprints as usual with their impressive core of jumpers. USC is an impressive squad as well but looks as if they will be absent defending champion Chanel Brissett who has not looked herself all season long.

On the men’s side Florida State should return to the top of the rankings with an impressive ACC weekend. Their sprinters were their usual impressive selves but include the phenomenal performance of their jumpers and hurdlers. LSU also with their impressive depth in the sprints, hurdles and jumps. It will be a close battle, but I think LSU can pull off the sweep.

Weekend Recap 7

19-5 1/2!!! 

(Chris Nilsen-South Dakota)

The final weekend of the regular season has come and gone. As expected, it was a pretty quiet weekend. There were a total of two new number rankings and many top tier athletes rested this past weekend to prepare for Conference Championship weekend. There were still a few noteworthy performances that are worth mentioning.

NEW NCAA RECORD

As our NCAA record theme has continued the past few years another NCAA record fell this past weekend. In the pole vault KC Lightfoot of Baylor and defending outdoor champion Chris Nilsen of South Dakota have been trading the number one spot for the past few weeks. This weekend champion Nilsen took the ranking to the highest it has ever been. He leaped 19 feet 5 and ½ inches to not only notch the number one ranking but break the NCAA record held by last season’s indoor champion Mondo Duplantis. Duplantis is now the world record holder have broken it twice this indoor season as a professional. Nilsen is the last person to defeat Duplantis added to his impressive legacy. All that is left is for him to win the NCAA Indoor crown.

I AM NUMBER ONE 

Rachel Tanczos of Notre Dame impressed the home crowd this weekend at the Alex Wilson Invitational on the campus of Notre Dame. The talented junior launched a throw of 57’7 ½ to claim the number one ranking in the weight throw. The weight throw has been interesting all season and amongst the women throwers has seen the most interchangeable action to its list. Tanczos is now another threat to claim the title.

THE CHAMP IS HERE

Quincy Hall of South Carolina is having a relatively quite indoor season. The NCAA Outdoor Champion at 400 hurdles is also known for his blazing speed and smooth stride in the open 400. Depending on who you ask they believe Hall should stick to simply competing in the open 400. This past weekend he climbed back up the list with a time of 45.99. His time places him fifth in the nation. He seems to be rounding in to shape at the right time as the SEC Championships are this weekend. It will be interesting to see how he performs with such great competition.

MISSING HARDWARE

Devin Dixon of Texas A&M is the top returnee in the nation in the open 800. He has had quite the career at Texas A&M and put up some impressive times. The only thing missing from his trophy case is the NCAA title. Dixon has been quiet this indoor season focusing on the 600 and anchoring the Texas A&M’s really good 4x400 relay. This past weekend he ran an impressive time of 1:47.88. It is only his second 800 of the indoor season and a strong indicator that he is rounding into shape for a strong championship season.

TWO THROWERS OF NOTE

Khayla Dawson of Indian moved into the top five in the nation with her throw of 57’7 ½ in the shot put at the Alex Wilson Invitational. This now gives Indiana two athletes in the top five of the women’s shot put.

Kieran McKeag of Minnesota wowed his home crowd with his throw of 75’2 ¾ to claim the Minnesota Cold Classic Weight throw competition. McKeag is apart of a great conference of throwers that is having an impressive season. His mark moves him third in the nation, and he may even improve upon that throw due to the quality of the competition he will face at the Big Ten Championships this coming weekend.

Our next post will be a Big Ten Preview. The plan is to have as many of the power five conferences done by Friday to prepare for Conference Championship weekend. Keep checking back for more great information.

Weekend Recap 6

2:00.71!

There was a grand total of 16 new number one performances from this past weekend. As I expected and stated in last week’s recap this was going to be a busy and fun weekend. There was great competitive meets in multiple locations that all produced a bevy of number one performances. Let us recap the great weekend we had.

Blazing 200

It seems the 200 this season may perhaps be the most compelling sprint event. With no returning champion in either men or women we learn of a new candidate seemingly every weekend. On the men’s side Junior College Transfer Terrance Laird now of LSU ran only his second 200 of the season and clocked a national leading time of 20.43. It seems the folks at LSU are bringing him along slowly. With his next major meet being the SEC Championships look for his season best to fall again.

Anavia Battle of Ohio State is certainly no stranger to being at the top of the rankings. She experienced the top spot briefly last year before the NCAA Indoor Championship. This past weekend she ran an impressive time of 22.66. That time matches the winning time of last year’s indoor champion. There is still plenty of season left but that is quite a noteworthy time.

Bahamian Girl

Recently the Island known as the Bahamas has produced quite an impressive group of quarter milers. Perhaps the most known is Shaunae Miller-Uibo who has an Olympic Gold Medal to her name. Doneisha Anderson of Florida seems to be next in line to join that group. The talented sophomore ran a national leading time of 52.06 to defeat a field that produced several top 16 marks.

Best in Class

Trey Cunningham of Florida State continued his impressive season competing at the Tiger Paw Invitational at Clemson this weekend. Cunningham ran 7.51 to finish second in the men’s 60-meter hurdles. He lost to former NCAA Champion and current World Champion Grant Holloway. His time further cemented his number one ranking and all-time status.

All-Time Great!

Nia Akins joined the collegiate all time top five list in the 800 after her impressive performance this past weekend. Akins clocked a national leading time of 2:00.71 at the Valentine Invitational at Boston University. Her time ranks her as number two all-time and firmly plants her as the favorite to win the Indoor National title.

Super Jumpers

The jumps performances this weekend was incredible. A total of six new number one performances alone came from the jumps area with both men and women producing three.

On the men’s side KC Lightfoot of Baylor took back the number one ranking in the Pole Vault with his mark of 19 feet 1 ½ inches. Chris Nielsen of South Dakota remains the favorite to win the title but the performances of Lightfoot this year make it hard to bet against him.

Jordan Scott re-established his position in the men’s triple jump. The senior from Virginia leaped to a top 20 all-time mark of 55-10 ½. As the defending champion Scott quietly reminded everyone why he is the favorite to win. It will also be interesting to see how high he climbs on the all-time list.

In the long jump Carey McLeod of Tennessee leaped to a national leading mark of 26’9 ¼. He also finished second to Scott in the triple jump with his number two ranked mark of 54’8 ¾. McLeod is have quite an impressive season for Tennessee and should remain a real challenge for all competitors for the rest of the season.

On the women’s side Olivia Gruver further improved her grip on the number one ranking and drew closer to the top performance all time. Her mark of 15-5 at the USA Indoor Championships increases her lead on the national list and proves that she is ready for major competition.

Ellen Ekholm of Kentucky took back her number one ranking in the high jump. Ekholm leaped to 6-2 ¾ to win the Tiger Paw Invitational at Clemson. Her next big competition will be against the number two, three and four ranked performers in the country at the SEC Indoor Championship. We will have a clearer National title picture after that meet.

Taishia Pryce of Kansas State was not a name mentioned on the preseason watch list. This past weekend she proved why she should have been with her mark of 21’10. Pryce is the latest talented field event athlete to come out of Kansas State which has become the best program to challenge Georgia for top field event program title. Pryce has almost a three-inch lead on her closest competitor and will likely improve her national leading mark later this season. Keep an eye out for this new challenger.

Going the Distance

Northern Arizona has truly taken over as the premier program for men’s long-distance racing. The men from Flagstaff flew all the way to Boston to compete at the Valentine Invitational. In quite an impressive performance they finished 1-2-3 in the 3,000. All three performances are also the top three in the country. Sophomore Luis Grijalva led the way with his time of 7:43.73. The men from Flagstaff now have top times in the 3,000 and 5,000. Keep in mind that Tyler Day finished third in the race. Expect more top performances later this season from Northern Arizona.

Whittni Orton of BYU ran an impressive race at the Husky Classic on the campus of the University of Washington. The senior finished second overall losing only to professional Emily Infield of the Bowerman Track Club. Orton did however beat an impressive field that included 7 top 16 marks.  Orton is having an impressive season for BYU and her time of 8:49.63 is currently the only sub 8:50 mark in the country.

GOING, GOING, GONE

Alyssa Wilson of UCLA is apart of the throwing resurgence of UCLA. Wilson took over the number one ranking in the weight throw with a mark of 75’4 ¾. The junior also competed two days later at the USA Indoor Championships were she would finish second with a mark of 74’9 ¾. Her mark there would have also been a number one ranking. This proves her level of fitness and capability to win the NCAA title.

Adrian Piperi of Texas is continuing their championship throws tradition. Piperi launched the shot put to a mark of 68’4 ¼. Piperi is the defending outdoor champion and is clearly focusing on avenging his runner up performance from last indoor season. This performance proves he is on the right track.

Championship Relay Performance

The Kentucky women’s 4x400 relay did it again. This past weekend they began the first team on the season to go under 3:30 with their winning time of 3:29.74 at the Tiger Paw Invitational. What is perhaps more impressive is that they did it without their top performer Alexis Holmes. That is an indication of their depth and how well they can perform.

Up Next

This coming weekend should be quiet as many top stars prepare for Conference Championships weekend. Their will be a few smaller conference championships, but we are heading towards the post season expect for more records to fall and the national list to change.

Weekend Recap 5

(Tamara Clark- Alabama)

We have just finished the second weekend in February. No major splashes this weekend, there were still a few new number one rankings, however. Perhaps it was noticeable that quite a few big-name athletes took the weekend off in preparation for the bevy of major meets happening this coming weekend. In this recap we will review the new number one rankings as well as preview a few of the big meets coming this weekend.

200 METER SPEED

Tamara Clark of Alabama became the latest sprint queen to claim the number one ranking in the 200. Clark blazed the track in New Mexico with a time of 22.81 that was converted to 22.88 because of the altitude. She surpassed Anavia Battle of Ohio State with her first attempt of the season. This event has a lot of contenders since the defending champion is gone and she has added herself to the list.

Not a number one performance but it is worth noting the impressive performance by true freshman Langston Jackson of Kentucky. He ran an impressive time of 20.58 that was converted to 20.65 due to altitude. Keep an eye on him for the future.

BIG TIME JUMP

Chris Nilsen of South Dakota is having a great season so far. He solidified his number one ranking in the Pole Vault again with his mark of 19 feet 1 inch. Nilsen is weekly creating more distance between himself and KC Lightfoot of Baylor in the rankings. Nilsen is a big meet performer so with championship season coming soon expect even bigger marks.

MILLROSE GIRLS

Two number ones came from distance runners competing at the Millrose Games. Dani Jones of Colorado claimed the top ranking in the mile with a time of 4:27.88. Alicia Monson of Wisconsin claimed the top ranking in the 3,000 with a time of 8:53.69. Jones was seventh in her race overall against a strong group of professionals including new American record holder Elle Purrier. Monson was sixth overall and right behind her in seventh is the number two ranked Weini Kelati of New Mexico.

QUIET TAKEOVER

It was a big weekend on the professional circuit, there was the Millrose Games and the European Circuit. A new world record in the Pole Vault by Mondo Duplantis and a few other American records at the Millrose Games. Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame quietly took over the number one ranking in the 3,000 with his time of 7:46.71 to win on his home track at the Meyo Invitational. Nuguse has a national title in his trophy case already having won the 1,500 outdoors last season. Will he step down to the mile this indoor season or remain competing in the 3,000? It remains to be seen.

BIG WEEKEND

There are several big meets this weekend, the Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas, Tiger Paw Invitational at Clemson, Grand Valley State Big Meet, Iowa State Classic, Don Kirby Collegiate Elite at New Mexico and the Texas Tech Shootout. The rankings should change next week individually as well as a clearer picture for the Team Battle will appear as well. Also keep in mind that it will be a big weekend on the high school circuit as well. This should be an exciting week.

Expect for the biggest performances to come out the Tyson Invitational. This meet has been scaled back from it hey day when it was the biggest regular season meet on the indoor track and field calendar along with a dedicated professional circuit as well. The meet still draws in major competition such as LSU. With the bevy of access we have through streaming I encourage you to watch at least one great meet this weekend.

Weekend Recap 4

9:24.52!

(Oregon DMR)

It is the beginning of February and the sparks have begun to fly. This weekend produced a total of 21 new number one rankings with 13 on the men’s side. The irony is that there are still a few athletes waiting to debut their seasons this coming weekend. In this recap however we will review last weekend and talk about our trend of collegiate records falling.

RECORD RUNNING RELAYS

How about Oregon winning the Distance Medley Relay in record breaking fashion. We have not gone a season without a NCAA record over the past years and we were overdue for a record-breaking performance this season. The talented group from Oregon clocked in at 9:24.52. The team consisted of James West, Jacob Miller, Charlie Hunter, Cooper Teare.

Texas A&M has become kings of the men 4x400 relay. For the past eight seasons they have had a top ranked 4x400 relay every year. This season is no different after the claimed the event title at Texas Tech with their time of 3:02.77 that was converted down to 3:03.21.

BYU women have developed quite the distance program and their Distance Medley relay team this year seems to be their best event. This past weekend they clocked a NCAA leading time of 10:53.95. An impressive time with a month in the season still left to go.

BLAZING QUICK

Raymond Ekevwo of Florida is certainly living up to the hype produced last outdoor season. Last season he ran a personal best of 9.96 breaking the school record and joining the all-time list in his native Nigeria. The senior blasted off to a time of 6.53 to win the 60-meter dash over a strong field at the Razorback Invitational. He moved squarely into the number one ranking solidifying his contender status.

Michaiah Harris of Texas was on the same wave this weekend. The talented junior has been the talk of the 200 majority of this season. At the Razorback Invitational he too solidified his number one ranking clocking in at 20.49 to win the event title. He has been on a hot streak all season and it looks to continue.

Randolph Ross son of Olympian and North Carolina A&T Head coach Duane Ross is living up to the lofty standards set by his father. The super true freshman clocked a winning time of 45.44 in the 400 at the Texas Tech Invitational. Due to the altitude his time was converted down to a 45.55 which is still the number one ranking. Trevor Stewart his teammate debuted this weekend but could not keep up with the outstanding freshman.

On the women’s side Anavia Battle of Ohio State clocked a time of 22.86 at the Texas Tech Invitational and saw her time converted to a 22.93 which is still the number one time in the country. Last season Battle was one of the top sprinters in the country and nothing has changed this season. Expect to see more from her later in the season.

Kennedy Simon of Texas is living up to the expectations set by the University of Texas under Bev Kearney. Kearney made sure that Texas was known for the 400-meter dominance and current head coach Eldrick Floreal is keeping the trend going. At the Razorback Invitational Simon ran a dominant race that saw clock in at 52.20. This event is wide open, and Simon has proven that she is a legit contender.

JUMPING FOR JOY

The jumpers this weekend was on a mission to rewrite the rankings. Chris Nilsen of South Dakota lived up to his preseason hype after winning the NCAA title last outdoor season. The senior joined the 19-foot club this indoor season with his winning mark of 19 feet ¾ inches. An interesting battle is brewing between him and KC Lightfoot of Baylor. We should know more in a few weeks.

Ravyon Grey of LSU reclaimed his number one ranking at the Razorback Invitational. The senior leaped to a winning mark of 26-6 ½. Grey is a having great senior season fresh off a strong junior season. The question now is can he repeat as champion and get to 27 feet.

Grey’s teammate Abigail O’Donoghue has proven that the jumping events at LSU is under a resurgence. O’Donoghue leaped to a number one ranking with a mark of 6’2. Her mark is a school record and marks her as a contender for the title.

Jasmine Moore a true freshman at Georgia is proving why Georgia is perhaps the best at developing female triple jumpers in the nation. The super freshman is picking up where Keturah Orji left off. Moore leaped to a mark of 45-7 ¼. She is the only athlete over 45 feet this season and has over a foot lead of the closest competitor. Moore is having one of the more dominant seasons as a jumper, but she is doing it as a freshman.

Deborah Acquah of Texas A&M is continuing her record season in the long jump. The junior still leads the way and broke the school record again this weekend with her mark of 21-7 ¼.  She has a 5 inch lead over the rest of the field with the potential to improve upon this season.

BIG TIME RUNS

The 800 this weekend introduced to a returning contender, Isaiah Jewett of USC. The talented 800/400 runner dazzled the field this weekend at Texas Tech. He ran a NCAA leading time of 1:47.12 that was converted to 1:46.82. Devin Dixon of Texas A&M debuted this weekend running the 600 but it remains to be seen what those two do later this season but for now Jewett makes a impressive season debut.

Joe Klecker of Colorado is another athlete who had his time converted. The senior ran a time of 4:01 on his home track which is a flat 200-meter track. It was converted to a time of 3:55.13 vaulting him to the number one ranking in the NCAA. Although converted his 4:01 mile time is still impressive on a flat track. Klecker is more of a 3k, 5k competitor but with a time like that maybe he should consider the mile this championship season.

Kieran Tuntivante of Harvard stunned the 3,000 field with his impressive performance clocking in at 7:49.15. He finished second chasing professional Willy Fink at Boston University. His time is still impressive enough that he may want to consider the event as the event he will compete for at nationals.

UP, UP AND AWAY

Samantha Noennig of Arizona State reclaimed the number one ranking in the women’s shot put this past weekend. Her winning mark of 59’7 ½ is drawing us closer and closer to a 60-foot performance.

Shay Taiwo of Ole Miss strengthened her lead on the nation. Her mark of 74-5 ¾ earned this past weekend helped her further distance herself at the premier weight thrower in the nation.

McKay Johnson of Cal is the latest top thrower in the men’s shot put. His mark of 67’8 ¼ moved him past Jonathan Thraldsen of Minnesota. This event has seen the number one ranking change four times this year showing how wide open the competition is for this event.

MULTI’S

Georgia continues to prove they are the best at developing multi-event athletes. They swept the Razorback Invitational this weekend led by Johannes Erm who was the preseason favorite. Erm score a total of 6,114 points to win the Heptathlon. What’s perhaps is more impressive is that they are currently ranked 1-2-3 in the nation in the event displaying their incredible depth.

Lauren Taubert a senior from Kansas State is now the number one ranked pentathlete with her score of 4,352 that helped her win the Razorback Invitational. Kansas State over the years has proven to be no slouch in developing their multi-event athletes, Taubert is proof that they are a still a top tier program.

The season has finally started to pick up, expect more this coming weekend and for the team rankings to shift.

Weekend Recap 3

(Tyler Day-Northern Arizona)

We have made it to the end of January and only have about four weeks until Conference Championship weekend which is the start of the post season. This weekend’s bevy of new number one performances indicate that many athletes and coaches are also aware of the timeline as many are stepping up their performances.

Blazing Speed

In the sprints there were several new number one performances on the women’s side and just one new number one on the men’s side. Micaiah Harris of Texas was that guy. Competing at the MLK Invitational in New Mexico he dominated the 200 with a time of 20.53. That time has since been adjusted to 20.60 because of the altitude. This was his seasonal debut and quite an impressive one. With the field wide open we certainly should consider Harris a contender for the title.

Julien Alfred was the other half of the impressive weekend that the University of Texas had. The super sophomore blazed the track to a time of 7.10 to win the 60-meter dash at the MLK Invitational. It is the fastest time ran in January by a collegiate athlete in history. Her time was converted to 7.12 which is still an all-time great performance and the leader of the 60-meter dash this season.

Perhaps no program had a better weekend than the women of Kentucky. Abby Steiner garnered the number one ranking in the 200 with a time of 23.06, Alexis Holmes garnered the number one ranking in the 400 with a time of 52.27. Their high jumping teammate Ellen Ekholm reclaimed the number one mark in the high jump with 6 feet 1 ¼ inches. Steiner would link up with Holmes in the 4x400 relay and they would clock a time of 3:31.29. Four new number one marks in one weekend should tell you the type of team that Kentucky has. Their ranking is for real.

Throwers Delight

The throwers this weekend was on fire. On the men’s side Gleb Dudarev of Kanasas proved why there should be little doubt about him as the primary contender in the men’s weight throw. He joined the All-time collegiate list with his winning throw of 80 feet even. He has over a 6-foot lead and has firmly planted himself as the top ranked contender. The shot put again changed hands this weekend. Jonathan Thraldsen of Minnesota took over the number one spot with his mark of 67’3 ¼. How long he remains number one, remains to be seen.

On the women’s side Ole Miss treated us to quite the impressive weekend in the women’s weight throw. True freshman Jasmine Mitchell on her first throw temporarily had the NCAA lead with a mark of 72’11 ¼. On the next round throw her teammate Shay Taiwo launched a throw of 73’8 ¼ to take over the NCAA lead. Neither would improve upon their marks but would finish 1-2 in the NCAA.

Dominant Half-Milers

The 800-meter run saw both men and women produce new NCAA leading marks. On the men’s side Iowa state has another great Kenyan runner in Festus Lagat. Lagat blazed his home track to the time of 1:47.55. His teammate Roshon Roomes was close behind with his time of 1:47.74 to finish second in the race and the NCAA. Lagat is no stranger to competitive marks let see what he provides us later this season.

Carley Thomas of Washington took over the top spot of the women’s side with her time of 2:03.06 at the Dr. Sanders Columbia Challenge. The true freshman took down the top two competitors in the NCAA in Nia Akins of Penn and Danae Rivers of Penn State. Thomas is only a freshman but that was an impressive performance.

True Runners

Whittni Orton of BYU is the latest star coming out of the Mormon school. Orton ran an impressive time of 4:29.76 to finish second in the mile at Dr. Sanders Columbia. She was only beaten by professional Nikki Hiltz of Adidas. Orton is the first sub 4:30 miler of the season and we can expect more from her later in the season.

Ryan Adams of Furman was another number one performance at the Dr. Sanders Columbia Challenge competing in the 3,000. He ran an impressive ran to finish race to finish second overall only losing to professional Jordan Gusman. His time was 7:49.45.

Tyler Day is perhaps the highlight of the weekend after he ran the third fastest time in the NCAA history in the 5,000 with a time of 13:16.95. Day ran a solid race only to finish second to Paul Tanui of Nike. Day’s performance vaulted him into the driver’s seat as the contender for the title. Day has nearly an eight second lead on his closest competitor. Could he perhaps improve upon his time, it remains to be seen.

Big Jumps

Besides Ellen Ekholm and her High Jump leading performance. Ruth Usoro of Texas Tech took over the lead in the triple jump. Her mark of 44’3 ¼ leaped her pass an impressive field of talent. She has certainly made herself a contender but there are still big jumps expected this weekend at the Tyson Invitational. How long will she hold on to the number one spot is the story.

KC Lightfoot of Baylor again improves his stranglehold on the number one ranking in the Pole Vault. He leads the NCAA with a mark of 19’0 ¼ after this past weekend. He is the first 19-foot jumper of the season and is firmly in the driver’s seat.

Multi-Talented

Madeline Holmberg of Penn State is the new number one in the Pentathlon with her score of 4,171 points. Holmberg is a bit of a new name, but the event is wide open.  

Weekend Recap 2

(Darryl Sullivan)

Another week and another record gone. The indoor season is now in full swing and we were treated to a bevy of good performances this MLK weekend. The rankings still are unclear with regard to the team battle. I would also like to apologize since no podcast came last week. I am in recovery from the FLU and was out Tuesday through Saturday last week and was unable to do so. This week is a different story and we will discuss the team rankings.

Record Holders

Darryl Sullivan of Tennessee had such a special performance this weekend that Athletic Director Philip Fulmer even made mention of his weekend on social media. Sullivan leaped to a mark of 7 feet 7 ¾ inches to claim the High Jump at Virginia Tech Invitational. His performance is fourth all-time by a collegiate athlete, but it is a new SEC Indoor record as well as school record.

Tonea Marshall of LSU is one of the top returnees from last season and although she was only considered a dark horse to win the 60-meter hurdle title. This past weekend she marked herself a true contender. Dominating the field at Texas Tech she launched to a time of 7.86. Her time is a school and SEC Indoor record. Her time maybe rounded down because of the altitude at which you compete at Texas Tech.

True Freshman

In the men’s sprints there will be new champions crowned in the 60 and 200 because Grant Holloway and Divine Oduduru turning professional early. Several freshmen can put their name in a hat for 200-meter consideration starting with Ashton O’Conner of Texas Tech. O’Conner blazed the track at Texas Tech with a time of 20.76. He moves into the number one spot in the nation and is joined by fellow freshman contenders, Cameron Miller of Florida with a time of 20.81 and Joseph Fahnbulleh also of Florida with 20.86. is currently ranked number one in the nation and will have plenty of future opportunities to improve upon that.

Stanford Duo

The women of Stanford now boast two of the best distance runners in the NCAA. In the mile at the UW Preview Jessica Lawson earned the top collegiate time in the race and the nation’s number one time with a clocking of 4:37.64, she finished fourth overall. At the same meet her teammate Ella Donaghu earned top collegiate honors in the 3,000 with her time of 8:58.31. Donaghu finished second overall at the UW Preview and is the only athlete in the NCAA with a time under 9 minutes.

Scorching Number One’s

Raheem Chambers of Miami is not a name we have heard in a while. He is an outstanding 100-meter sprinter and perhaps the next great sprinter from the country of Jamaica. He transferred from Auburn last season and this past weekend sent a reminder to everyone with his time of 6.57. His time of course ranks him as number one in the NCAA and now perhaps a new threat to win the title.

Waleed Suliman of Ole Miss is certainly one of the contenders for the NCAA title in the mile. He garnered the number one ranking with a blazing time of 3:57:03 to win the mile at the Vanderbilt Invitational. A sub four-minute mile this early in the season is a positive sign for Suliman.

Amazing Jumps

Olivia Gruver of Washington became our first 15-foot performance in the pole vault this season. The star senior leaped to a mark of 15-3 ½. She set the outdoor record last season and will look to add another record to her collection this indoor season.

Deborah Acquah of Texas A&M jumped into the school record book with a great leap of 21’6 ¾ to win the Long Jump on her home track. Acquah broke a 22-year-old record. At the same meet Ellen Ekholm of Kentucky took the national lead in the high jump leaping to a win of 6-0 ¾.

New number 1’s

KC Lightfoot of Baylor is now the national leader in the men’s pole vault. He leaped to a mark of 18 -8 ¼. Khayla Dawson of Indiana is the new number one in the women’s shot put with her leading mark of 57-3 ¾ that she hit this weekend at Vanderbilt Invitational.

Weekend Recap 1

7.15!

(Cambrea Sturgis- North Carolina A&T)

In this seasons first weekly review we had a few special performances but no NCAA records to start the season. We have the debate for over sized track versus a traditional 200-meter track banked or flat. We even have a special freshman debut. With this only being week one of the 2020 season we are off to a great start.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES

Jaylan Mitchell of North Carolina A&T garnered immediate attention after his impressive 60-meter time so early in the season. The senior blasted off a time of 6.61. He is a returning Indoor-All American and someone to keep an eye on along with his teammates.

Cambrea Sturgis made sure that North Carolina A&T had dominated the 60 after her blazing the track with a time 7.15. Sturgis time although an early season number one is an impressive mark, since the winning national time last season was 7.14. Throughout this season there should many more that surpass that time. Sturgis is only a sophomore but had a great freshman campaign. Her and Twanisha Terry of USC should give us great performances throughout the indoor season. 

Nothing is more special than when you run a personal best in your first race of the year. Dan Schaffer of Binghamton did just that running a time of 4:01.51 in the mile to claim the first number one ranking in the mile on the season.

The jumpers lifted off this weekend and two very notable performances were special and impressive. Rayvon Grey of LSU leaped to a mark of 26 feet 4 ½ in the long jump, Clayton Brown of Florida triple jumped to a mark of 54 feet even and Darryl Sullivan of Tennessee jumped to a mark of 7-4 ½ in the high jump. All three are from the SEC Conference and will be favorites to not only compete for a conference title but national as well.

Our next pole vault star is at LSU again this year with junior Lisa Gunnarson who vaulted to a personal best in her season debut with a mark of 14-7. With majority of last season’s All-Americans gone the competition for the title is open and Gunnarson gave a definitive reason why she should be considered.

Our final special performance will come in the weight throw on the women’s side. Avi Bulai who transferred to Ole Miss from Cloud County Community College. Ole Miss has been great in the throws under Connie Smith. Bulai seems to be her next great thrower, her winning mark of 70-7 ¾ is almost a personal record by a foot.

SUPER FRESHMAN

The top freshman of the weekend will go to Langston Jackson of Kentucky. The young star claimed the number one ranking on his home track in the 200 with a time of 20.84. Jackson was overshadowed by the showdown between Taylor Banks of Florida State and Matthew Boling of Georgia. Banks defeated Boling in the 60-meter dash 6.67 to 6.68 but Jackson also competed in the 60 clocking in at 6.63 highlighting his stellar debut as a freshman. Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T clocked the number one ranking in the nation in the 400 debuting under 46 seconds winning with a time of 45.85.

On the women’s side Jasmine Moore of Georgia is already showing great promise in the jumps. The young star leaped to a mark of 20-11 ¾ in the long jump. Expect more from Moore later this season not only in the long jump but perhaps in her premiere event the Triple Jump.

THE SPECIAL DEBATE

Banked versus over sized. On the official IAAF list, they do not recognize the marks performed on an over sized track. This effects every running event except the 60-meter dash and the 60-meter hurdles. The only challenge with that is the over sized track are often a personal favorite of athletes. The 200-meter track whether banked or flat has tight curves which are not kind to taller sprinters or even distance runners. The bank is designed to alleviate that, but you cannot ignore that for a part of the race the sprinters are going up hill and the turns are still tighter than an over sized track. Personally, I do not see the problem with an over sized track. The distance ran is the same and the size of the track should not matter simply the outcome.

Next: A podcast will debut this week, we will do our first post on the transfers that took place this season and what it means.

NCAA Indoor Preview 4: Field Events

(Samantha Noennig-Arizona State)

Completing our preview with a combination of posts including all field events. We will also briefly discuss the relay events with predictions based solely on team depth. I apologize I meant to give the field events a separate preview but was unable to post yesterday so they are combined for today but I think you all will enjoy it just the same. 

JUMPS

Florida took a hit last indoor season and did not live up to the title they have developed as Jumps U. LSU took over the title last season with national titles from Mondo Duplantis and Rayvon Grey and All-American performance from JuVaughn Harrison. Grey returns as the defending champion in the long jump while Harrison returns as the top returning High Jumper based on championship performance and mark. Harrison also won the long jump last outdoor season setting LSU up for a dynamic 1-2 punch.

Duplantis ended his NCAA career early and has turned pro leaving the pole vault to Chris Nilsen of South Dakota as the obvious favorite. Nilsen won the outdoor title and has broken 19 feet over five times. 

In the triple jump another defending champion return in Jordan Scott of Virginia. Chengetayi Mapaya of TCU was third last indoor season but turned the tables on Scott winning the outdoor title. Scott still has proven to be a more consistent high-level performer and had a strong 2019 campaign leading him to be the favorite going into this season.

Jasmyn Steals of Northwestern State is the lone returning champion on the women’s side in the jumping events. There were quite a few graduating seniors who left after strong 2019 seasons signaling the chance for a talented group to come in. Steals will have to deal with Deborah Acquah of Texas A&M who is number two behind her.

The triple jump maybe the best chance we have at seeing a freshman win a NCAA title. The top performance last outdoor season that carries to this season will be from Jasmine Moore at Georgia. The stud freshman had a star-studded outdoor season and high school career that included a national record. Under the tutelage of Petros Kyprianou we may have another four-peat champion in the triple jump from Georgia. Bria Matthews of rival Georgia Tech is the top returnee from last indoor season.

The high jump will have Nicole Greene of North Carolina as the top returnee she is a former NCAA champion from 2018 and will look to reclaim the top spot after finishing 2^nd last outdoor season and missing the podium last indoor season. Keep an eye of Sanaa Barnes of Villanova to challenge her.

The Pole Vault will have a significant change with Arkansas losing its national champion and two other All-Americans in the event that they dominated over the years. Rachel Baxter of Virginia Tech is the top returnee. However there have been a few transfers to Arkansas making this season more intriguing.

THROWS

Both the shot put and weight throw will be crowning new champions. The shot put will still have a defending outdoor champion in Adrian Piperi of Texas. He defeated indoor champion and meet favorite Payton Otterdahl. Jordan Geist of Arizona has been a big name since he arrived at College this may finally be his time to claim the number one ranking.

The top returnee in the weight throw is AJ McFarland of Florida. The Gators are in a rebuild mode with so many athletes either having graduated or turned professionally early. McFarland is one of their few returning All-Americans who is expected to contribute in a big way. McFarland is the clear early favorite.

Samantha Noennig of Arizona State has kept the great throwing tradition of Arizona State alive. After winning the NCAA title in the shot put both indoors and outdoors, Noennig is looking to take her performance to the next level by breaking records. Noebning who is a redshirt junior is the obvious favorite to defend her title.

The weight throw’s top returning athlete is Alyssa Wilson of UCLA. The UCLA Bruins have a strong history of championship throwers. In the past few years the program has been down and has not had the same success they had during the 80’s, 90’s and early 00’s. Expect for Wilson to carry the weight of great expectations well and deliver a NCAA title back to UCLA.

Relays

4x400- Men: Texas A&M, Florida, USC. Women: USC, Texas A&M, Kentucky

DMR- Men: Ole Miss, Wisconsin. Women: Villanova, Michigan, Wisconsin.

It is clear we are headed towards another great NCAA season. All of track and field performs at a higher level because of the Olympic year, look for great performances and new records to fall again.

NCAA Indoor Preview 3: Hurdles/Multi-Events

(Trey Cunningham-Florida State)

Continuing with our indoor preview, this post is about the hurdlers and multi-event athletes. For the indoor season the men will compete in a heptathlon and the women in a pentathlon. There a few returning champions in these events but do not forget it is an Olympic Year, upsets are bound to happen.

Grant Holloway set the world on fire last season. He broke the NCAA record and at the end of a successful season went pro and won the world title. No one will be able to replace that level of success or production. The top returnee is from the other Florida school, Florida State in junior Trey Cunningham. Cunningham broke Holloway’s high school records and will look to perform at the same high level. After finishing third last indoor season and missing the championship meet outdoors Cunningham is finally ready to step into the spotlight.

In the indoor heptathlon we will look to last outdoor season to tell the story. Johannes Erm of Georgia looks to continue the strong multi-event tradition of Georgia, he won the decathlon last outdoor season and earned All-American honors in the indoor season. Erm is looking to garner another national title for his trophy case.

Chanel Brissett of USC is the defending champion in the 60-meter- hurdles and the top returnee from the 100 hurdles last outdoor season. The speedy hurdler will be relied upon to win the Indoor title to help with the team battle between Arkansas and USC. Teammates Anna Cockrell and Mecca McGlaston return to be a challenge along with Tonea Marshall of LSU.

Two names come to mind win considering the Pentathlon. With defending champion out of eligibility the battle will be between Aliyah Whisby of Georgia and Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M. Whisby is the top returnee from last indoor season and Gittens was runner up outdoors in the heptathlon. Whisby is the latest to pick up the multi-event mantle for the women of Georgia. The Bulldogs will look to make a sweep of the multi-events and continue their storied success. Gittens has proven to be quite the field athlete herself performing well in the jumps and throws.

NCAA Indoor Preview 2: Distance

(Weini Kelati-New Mexico)

Here is the second segment of our indoor preview, distance. It will be tough going this indoor season with so many big names and high level talent competing. Expect some great performances and races this season. 

DISTANCE

In the 800 there is major turnover from last season. Bryce Hoppel of Kansas and Marco Arop of Mississippi State have both turned pro in preparation for the Summer Olympics. Devin Dixon who was the star majority of the season. He ran a American collegiate record time of 1:45.27 as a season debut in 2019 and was able to defend his SEC title later in the indoor season. He has fallen short at the championship meet and that is the only piece of hardware he is missing. Expect for Dixon to have learned from last season and convincingly win the NCAA title.

The mile will see the return of a surprise champion in Geordie Beamish of Northern Arizona. The all world distance program specializes at preparing its athlete for championship meets. Beamish stunned the field and favorite Olive Hoare of Wisconsin. Hoare will look to finally add a title to his illustrious career. Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame won the outdoor metric mile and will be a strong factor this indoor season.

The top 3,000 and 5,000 returnee is Joe Klecker of Colorado. Klecker finished 3^rd in the 3k and 2^nd in the 5k last indoor season. He also finished second at the NCAA Cross Country championship this past November. Edwin Kurgat of Iowa State is the man who beat him and will be a threat in either event. It remains to be seen if Klecker will focus on one event or two but after a strong attempt last indoor season we should not be surprised to see him attempt a repeat.

In the women’s 800 Danae Rivers of Penn State returns as defending champion. Rivers had a disappointing showing last outdoor season and did not make the finals. Rivers will likely be eager to defend her title to prove that she has not fallen off. Nia Akins of Penn will be a strong challenger after having a strong 2019 campaign that saw her almost win the outdoor title.

The mile on the women’s side is a wide-open race. With several big names turning to the professional ranks and the previous indoor champion graduating it remains to be seen who would even be competing in the mile come championship time. The top returnee from last indoor season is Carina Viljoen of Arkansas who will be relied upon to continue their dominant team title streak. Also keep an eye on Lotte Black of Rhode Island and Dillon McClintock of Michigan State.

The 3,000- and 5,000-meter races have a bevy of big names. The 3k’s top returnee Taylor Werner of Arkansas will be challenged by the dynamic Champion from New Mexico in Weini Kelati. Kelati competed in both the 3k and 5k last indoor season earning All-American honors in both. Kelati had a better result outdoors where she claimed the 10,000-meter title.  

Both brought home silver medals last indoor season Werner in the 3k and Kelati in the 5k. Alicia Monson of Wisconsin is the returning champion in the 5,000. Monson also competed in both races having clearly better success in the 5k. Dani Jones of Colorado enters the discussion after having won the 5,000 at the Outdoor meet. Now as you can see, a bevy of names to compete for the titles. All with the ability to win.

2020 NCAA Indoor Preview: Sprints

(Trevor Stewart- North Carolina A&T)

Welcome back. We are now in year 2020 a Olympic Year and that means we are in for an exciting season. We have developed a theme of breaking long held NCAA records. Dawn Sowell the legendary sprinter from LSU no longer holds any NCAA records and lost 100-meter school record that had stood since the late 80’s. 

This year I am splitting the preview into parts starting with sprints as to not produce a large post for you to read. This season brings a lot of newness so I will join in and create a new process. With so many stars having graduated or turning to the professional ranks this is a year for new stars. 

With two Florida Gators turning pro early in Grant Holloway and Hakim Sani Brown. Along with super star Divine Oduduru of Texas Tech also turn pro early, a new star sprint star will be born this season. Kasaun James of Florida State is the top returnee in both the 60- and 200-meter dash based on time with personal bests of 6.55 and 20.49. Along with teammate Bryand Rincher Florida State looks to return to their glory days of short sprint domination.

In the 400 Trevor Stewart of North Carolina A&T has a big target on his back. After leading the NCAA for majority of the 2019 outdoor season along with finishing in a close second, he returns as the top guy. The top threat will 400 hurdle star Quincy Hall of South Carolina. Hall is the top returnee from the indoor season with a time of 45.25. A dark horse for this race will be Johnathan Jones of Texas.

On the women’s side the defending 60-meter Indoor Champion in Twanisha Terry of USC returns. She stunned the field with her winning time of 7.14. Her teammate Anglerne Annelus defended her outdoor 200-meter title with a time of 22.16. Annelus did not have a good indoor season and will look to rebound and prove she can dominate indoors as well as out.

The 400 will have another USC defending champion returning in Kaelin Roberts. Roberts missed last outdoor season with an injury and will look to use the indoor season as a reminder to everyone of who she is. Chloe Abbot of Kentucky will be a strong challenger to Roberts reign and is the top returnee from last outdoor season.

The 4x400 relay battle will require more of the season to play out. However for the men expect for the usual cast of characters to come to the front in Texas A&M and Florida. For women, Texas A&M and USC should battle it out with Arkansas as a dark horse.

Our next post will be all about the distance runners.