2021 NCAA Outdoor Championship Women's Review

GOING OUT WITH A BANG!

(USC- Women's NCAA Champions)

The women closed the NCAA Championships in style. USC sent off coach Caryl Smith-Gilbert with a national title, Athing Mu continued to shock and awe in more ways than one. We also saw one historic program in LSU implode and go from the favorite to win to not even making the podium. In this recap we will look at all the champions and what to expect from the next. 

 

Women’s Review

Sprints

100 Meter Dash/200 Meter Dash

No event I felt garnered more conversation on social media than this. Not only was there major talk before, but the conversation was equally polarizing. The big four consisted of, Twanisha Terry of USC, Cambrea Sturgis of North Carolina A&T, Kemba Nelson of Oregon, and Tamara Clark of Alabama. All four had registered sub 11 second performances this season. Once all four ran impressive semi-final race the conversation grew even larger.

Sturgis blasted out of the blocks first and never let up, Terry closed strong but was not able to make up. Sturgis winning time was 10.74, it was wind-aided so not enough to break Richardson’s record but an impressive mark. Sturgis followed that 100-meter win by running a dominate 200-meter race. Entering the race Clark was set to be her main competition and she was, but Sturgis clearly had Champion on her mind. She clocked in at 22.12.

The conversation between US and Jamaica added more fuel to the fire with this race. Nelson certainly representing her native Jamaica and the remainder representing the US. With Sturgis win the conversation quickly shifted to the women’s American sprint depth and Sturgis summer potential. I think it is certainly conceivable that we will see Sturgis competing at this summer’s Olympics.

400 Meter Dash

Athing Mu has certainly been a record breaker this season. Whether is has been the 400 or 800 it seems we cannot talk about her and not include a record-breaking performance. This weekend was no different. The star freshman from Texas A&M ran a dazzling 400-meter race. She made up the stagger on the field rather quickly and won by more than a second. Her winning time of 49.57 is a new NCAA record and the closest to her was also a freshman, Talitha Diggs of Florida with 50.74. Mu’s times this season have been off the charts. She has confirmed that she will run the 800 at Olympic Trials but she has already proven to be a rare talent in the 400 as well. She now owns three NCAA Outdoor records.

Hurdles

100/400 Meter Hurdles

Perhaps the most shocking story to come out of this event was that Tonea Marshall of LSU was missing. She had been the preeminent favorite since the beginning of the outdoor season. She clocked a national leading time of 12.44 at Regionals and was the favorite on the team title favorite being relied upon for 10 big points. Instead Marshall was a scratch leaving the race wide open.

This was a perfect opportunity for USC to pounce and add more points to their team title hopes and that is exactly what happened. 400 Hurdle favorite Anna Cockrell took advantage of Marshalls absent. Leading from the gun Cockrell dominated the field clocking in at 12.59 for the win.

Cockrell came right back to dominate the 400 hurdles as well. Winning the race by more than a second with a time of 54.68. Cockrell completed the rare hurdles double and as of late has seemed to be stronger as a 100 hurdler than 400. Cockrell’s name is one we should get used to on the professional circuit.

Distance

800 Meter Run

With no Athing Mu the 800 was now a more competitive race. Mu blasted the NCAA record during the regular season and looks to run for Team USA in the Olympics by competing in the event at the Olympic Trials. Aaliyah Miller of Baylor claimed the event indoors and was looking to do the same outdoors. Unfortunately, she did not qualify to the finals. Michaela Mayer of Virginia who entered the meet number one after a strong showing at eastern regionals stepped up. Mayer ran a personal best 2:00.28 to hold off Laurie Barton of Clemson and Gabrielle Wilkinson of Florida who closed strong.

1,500 Meter Run

Sage Hurta had led the performance list most of the season and was an obvious favorite to win the NCAA title. Hurta was the latest in a long line of championship level distance runners from Colorado. BYU has of late joined the West Coast Distance Machine and has been quite dominant with their development. Anna Camp of BYU beat out Hurta and it took a personal best time of 4:08.53 to do it. Although she was the lone distance champion for BYU they still had an impressive weekend.

5,000 Meter Run

Perhaps the most shocking of the distance events upsets was in the 5k. It seemed in every distance event the favorite was not able to step up and win. Mercy Chelangat of Alabama had an impressive Cross-Country campaign and looked to be perfect to win the NCAA title. It was instead senior Elly Hennes of NC State who claimed the title in 15:28.05. Hennes outclassed a strong field, including Katie Wasserman of Notre Dame who looked to have an outside shot of the title.

10,000 Meter Run

As previously stated, it seemed the theme of the women’s distance events was for the favorites to all lose. Chelangat of Alabama was favored to complete the 5k/10k double starting with the 10k. It was the hometown favorite Carmela Baez of Oregon who claimed the title. Her time of 32:16.13 was a personal best and proof that Oregon women are still strong in the distance events.

3,000 Meter Steeplechase

Courtney Wayment had been the favorite to win the NCAA title since the beginning of the regular season. The indoor 3,000-meter champion looked poised to win it, so of course she did not. Joyce Kimeli of Auburn was another strong contender and the indoor 5,000-meter champion. She ran a daring last lap and with the final 70 meters looked to be in clear position to win it. Instead it was the small and mighty Mahala Norris of Air Force that won it all with a time of 9:31.79.

Jumps

Long Jump

Tara Davis of Texas set the NCAA record early in the season, removing the legendary Jackie Joyner-Kersee from the record books. It took everything in her at nationals to claim the NCAA title. The former high school star finally had the year she had been looking for and capped it off with the NCAA title on her 5^th jump, a mark of 21-11 ¾ (6.70m). It is well away from her 23-foot jump in March, however it is a win and the weather was certainly not her friend.

Triple Jump

In the women’s triple jump, favorite Ruth Usoro of Texas Tech took the lead on her third jump and did not relinquish for the remainder of the competition. Her winning jump of 46 feet 6 ¾ inches (14.19m) was just enough to keep Jasmine Moore of Georgia at bay who leaped to 46 feet 4 ¼ inches (14.13m).

High Jump

It was clear during the competition that the tough and grueling weekend that Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M was going through had finally affected her in an event. She nearly won the high jump and won an impressive Heptathlon. She just did not have the energy to compete against a fresh group of high jumpers. Rachel Glenn of South Carolina, a freshman from Long Beach, California was certainly not phased by the big stage. She leaped to a personal best jump of 6 feet 4 inches (1.93m). Glenn is also a low hurdle and will in the future likely attempt to double.

Pole Vault

This was an event that did go well for LSU, who had a rough weekend. Lisa Gunnarson who entered the meet as the favorite when Nastassja Campbell of Arkasansas failed to qualify. Gunnarson lived up to the height to outlast the competition with her height of 14 feet 5 ¼ inches (4.40m). Gunnarson is only a junior and will return next season with a target on her back.

Throws

Shot Put

No surprise here, indoor champion Adelaide Acquilla of Ohio State was able to live to the hype as the favorite. The Buckeyes have quite the stable of female throwers and Acquilla certainly appears to be the class of the team. Acquilla was one of two athletes to throw over 60 feet with her mark of 62 feet 3 ¼ inches (18.98m).

Discus

Jorinde Van Klinken of Arizona State continued that amazing throwing tradition there. Arizona State certainly specializes in national champions. Van Klinken not only won but set a new meet record with her mark of 213 feet 3 inches (65.01m). Van Klinken is another champion junior that will be returning next year, is the national record on her mind….

Hammer Throw

Camryn Rogers of California put on quite the show in the hammer throw. She began the competition with not only a personal best but an NCAA record. She would follow that up with her final throw by breaking it again with a mark of 247 feet 9 inches (75.52m). Rogers had been quite the thrower and successfully defended her 2019 NCAA title.

Javelin Throw

Marie Therese-Obst of Georgia maybe the last Bulldog for a while to win the Javelin title. She joined the all-time top five list early in the season and never looked back. Her coach Petros Kyprianou will be moving on next season and she is not likely to remain. However her throw of 195 feet 10 inches (59.69m) will cement her as a champion forever.

Heptathlon

As stated earlier Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M put on quite the display in the Heptathlon. Competing against Michelle Atherley of Miami the two superstars went head to head in a number of events. Gittens came out number one in three events. She was top 10 in all other events except for one, the 800. She was able to score a total of 6,285 points to secure the victory. Not a personal best, but still a gusty performance for an athlete in high demand.

Relays

4x100

It came down to the wire as expected. Oregon dropped the baton on the second exchange giving way to Texas A&M taking the lead coming off the curb. It was the strong anchor of Twanisha Terry of USC and Thelma Davies of LSU that surpassed the Aggies to take it to the line. Terry out leaned Davies at the tape to claim the NCAA title in a time of 42.82.

4x400

It looked to be a USC sweep. No one would be shocked, USC had five qualifiers to the national meet. Instead we witnessed the fastest split ever by a collegiate athlete. Athing Mu took the baton in second place and galloped quickly to the front. She never led up and seem to get stronger as the race went on. The super freshman ran a 48.85 split to lead Texas A&M to a NCAA record time of 3:22.34. That broke Oregon’s NCAA record on their home track, making that win even more special.

Team

I thought LSU would put up more of a fight, they certainly had the athletes to win a national title but quite a few things did not go there way. They were unable to qualify an athlete in the 100 meters, which was a complete shock as they have been known for the 100 in recent years. USC capitalize on literally every opportunity. Anna Cockrell in the hurdles, the 400 relay and scoring points all over the track. The USC Trojans score 73 points. It was quite the final win for coach Caryl Smith-Gilbert.

2021 NCAA Outdoor Championship Men's Review

 84 Points!

(LSU-2021 NCAA Champions)

Well that’s the end, and what an ending it was. Hayward Field certainly lived up to the hype with its Hayward Field magic regardless of the poor weather. Our theme of the breaking of NCAA records continued. We saw LSU men dominate their competition and USC send off coach Smith-Gilbert with a team title. In this recap we will review the winners and my picks.

 

Men’s Review

Sprints

100 Meter Dash

The men’s 100 was quite the spectacle. A lot can happen in 10 seconds and this race was proof of that. True freshman Micah Williams of Oregon got out of the blocks well and blasted to the front. Shawn Maswanganyi of Houston took a brief, and I mean brief, lead. Then the closing speed of Terrance Laird was on display and took over the last 20 meters to win in a time of 10.05. It was not the sub 10 second performance we were expecting but it is still an impressive win considering the cool weather.

200 Meter Dash

By this time Laird had already claimed two titles and was looking for a third. Coming off the curb he was out front and Maswanganyi had already made up the stagger on Joseph Fahnbulleh of Florida. It seemed to be a two-man race. Then the last 100 meters Fahnbulleh put on a impressive display of running galloping like a horse to surpass both and nip Laird at the line to win the title with a time of 19.91. His time was wind legal and he became the third Gator to run under 20 seconds.

400 Meter Dash

This is perhaps the best event to highlight the impressive meet that North Carolina A&T had. Trevor Stewart and Randolph Ross (the coaches son) had impressive regional performances and left many curious as to what can be. Ross wowed the crowd running a strong race, especially the last 130 meters and finished with a time of 43.85. He becomes third all time at the NCAA meet. Ross is now currently the world number one runner and is also the only athlete to have run under 44 seconds this season.

Hurdles

110 Meter Hurdles

After an impressive semi-final race Arkansas freshman Philip Lemonius began to start talks of a possible upset. Robert Dunning of Alabama must have heard that conversation and left nothing to the imagination in the final. The senior ran a strong race against an impressive field to claim the NCAA title with a time of 13.25. Lemonius will have more chances to win a NCAA title but he did have quite the debut. For Dunning preparation for the Olympic Trials began immediately.

400 Meter Hurdles

Never have I seen a freshman have such an incredible season and in a new event no less. Sean Burrell of LSU was recruited to be their next great 400 runner. In the middle of the outdoor season the LSU coaching staff thought to put him in the 400 hurdles. Each week that he competed he got better. He started the season running 50.83 and by the SEC Championship had dipped under 49 seconds running a 48.92. He continued to improves at regionals running 48.86. I was convinced the youngster had peak. He had not, running with reckless abandonment and determination he stunned the field with a time of 47.85 to win the NCAA title. That is a U-20 world record for a guy that did not start running the 400 hurdles until April! Quite the impressive talent and a sign of things to come.

Distance

800 Meter Run

What a race this was. There were quite a few big names in this race but none bigger than Isaiah Jewett of USC. Jewett led the NCAA for majority of the season and did not experience an loss until true freshman Brandon Miller of Texas A&M beat him at West Regionals. Granted the purpose of regionals was to qualify that race and their times did not seem like.

Jewett attacked early on running out of line two and coming off the turn at the 300 mark he quickly moved up front pushing a hard pace with Miller trailing him. Jewett outkicked the young freshman and claimed the title with an impressive time of 1:44.68.

1,500 Meter Run

The 1,500 was the first of Oregon’s true freshman Cole Hocker’s double attempt. He would compete in the 5k later on. In the 1,500 Hocker ran a smart and tactical race. That is usually what is needed to win a challenge distance race. He played a game of cat and mouse with Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame. It was his last 200 meters that really set him apart. Locking down the inside and made it difficult for anyone to pass him. It led him to cross the line victorious with an impressive freshman time of 3:35.35, a personal best.

5,000 Meter Run

Hocker attempted quite the double, especially for a freshman. There was only two hours in between both. He was also competing against a group of runners who were fresh. Most notably his teammate, senior Cooper Teare. Teare, Robert Brandt of Georgetown and Athanas Kioko of Campbell jostled for lead position for most of the race with Teare taking the lead around the last lap. Teare was able to outkick both Brandt and Kioko while Hocker for majority of the race seemed out of it. Teare would close strong and claim the national title with a time of 13:12.27. A personal best and a meet record. Hocker would close incredibly strong to finish in fourth.

10,000 Meter Run

The 10k was completed on the first semi-final day. All eyes eventually were transfixed on Connor Mantz as many thought the BYU star would find a way to claim the NCAA title that he was favored to win. Instead it was Patrick Dever of Tulsa who outlasted Mantz and claimed the title with a time of 27:41.87 a new collegiate meet record. Mantz would finish 2^nd and fellow contender Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State finished 11^th.

3,000 Meter Steeplechase

There was no true favorite entered in this race as the performance list for this event constantly changed at the top. This race also had no expected barring on the team title picture allowing for every athlete to leave out all there. Kigen Chemadi of Middle Tennessee State outlasted the competition and found himself the victor with his time of 8:28.20. Middle Tennessee State has had quite the program over the past few years, Chemadi’s national title is a testament to the quality of program being built.

JUMPS

High Jump/Long Jump

JuVaughn Harrison of LSU had all eyes on him. The Tigers were making big statements on the track and needed to make big statements in the field. Harrison certain major noise claiming the NCAA titles in both the High Jump and Long Jump.

In the long jump Harrison took the lead from his first jump with a mark of 26 feet 10 ½ inches (8.19m). His second jump would further cement him as champion with the leap of 27 feet 1 ¾ inches (8.27m). After such a strong season I certainly know that I was not the only one expecting a 28-foot jump, but the weather certainly did not allow for it.

In the high jump there was a little bit of competition. Harrison had some mishaps on his first two heights, missing the bar on first attempts on both. It was his clearance over 7 feet 5 inches (2.26m) that clinched him the lead. He allowed for the bar to be moved up to 7 feet 7 ¾  inches (2.33m) and he cleared it on his first attempt. He was unable to clear the bar at the next height, 7 feet 10 inches (2.39m) but he had some nice attempts. I am quite certain we have not seen the last of Mr. Harrison this season.

Triple Jump

The only thing surprising about the Triple Jump was seeing USC’s Jordan Scott fail to qualify. He won a indoor national title in 2019 and finished runner up outdoors. To see him not qualify was a bit of shock. What was not a shock was freshman Emmanuel Ihemeje of Oregon. Ihemeje shocked the world when he one the indoor national title. He was now a household name outdoors and seemed certainly poised to perform well at nationals with the home crowd behind him. He certainly proved that fact claiming the lead on his very first jump. The mark of 56 feet 2 ¾ inches (17.14m) was also the best performance by a collegian this season.

Pole Vault

I expected Zach Bradford or Hussein Al-Hizam of Kansas to claim the NCAA title. Bradford was the top performer on the season and Al-Hizam has won a national title in the event in the past. Neither were able to claim victory or go 18 feet. Instead it was Branson Ellison of Stephen F. Austin with his jump of 18 feet 8 ¼ inches (5.70m) to claim the crown. Ellison is apart of that recent success in the pole vault that Stephen F. Austin is becoming known for.

Throws

Shot Put/Discus

Turner Washington of Arizona State claimed the NCAA title in both the Shot Put and Discus. Neither victory is a surprise as he was favored to win both. It is also a testament to the phenomenal throws program at Arizona State.

Washington led the Shot Put early on with his first throw. He further cemented his position by hitting a mark of 69 feet 2 ¾ inches (21.10m) on his third throw. That mark would remain the top mark for the rest of the competition.

In the discus Washington got the competition over early. His very first throw of 208 feet 1 inch (63.42m) would serve as the top throw of the competition. Only two other competitors were able to surpass 200 feet but none were in the same area as Washington.

Javelin Throw

This was supposed to be another national title for Mississippi State in the Javelin. They came in with the three best throwers and for majority of the competition it looked to be so. However, on his last attempt true freshman Tzuriel Pedigo of LSU gave the Tigers 10 unexpected team points by throwing a personal best of 252 feet 7 inches (76.98m) for the win. He surpassed fellow true freshman DJ Johnsson of Mississippi State who led majority of the competition.

Hammer Throw

What a way to end a prolific career for Thomas Mardal of Florida. That stud senior has been dominant all year long not only in the hammer throw, but in the weight throw. He followed up a indoor national title in the weight throw with a national title in the Hammer Throw. Mardal led the competition from his very first throw and never relinquished the lead. His second attempt of 251 feet 9 inches (76.74m) was the ultimate winner. It was a personal best and the top mark by a collegian this season.

Decathlon

Will this be the last time we see a Decathlete win a national title at Georiga, perhaps. Head coach Petros Kyprianou ended his employment with the University and will be going elsewhere. Karel Tilga went out with a bang. As Georgia’s lone competitor in the Decathlon he did not disappoint. He claimed victory in three events and score in the top 10 in every other event. Ayden Owens of Michigan certainly put up a fight but it was Tilga with a total of 8,261 points that was the victor.

Relays

4x100 Relay

I was curious to see how the big battle between Houston and LSU would shape up. Houston made a baton mishap and dropped the baton at the first exchange. On the anchor leg Terrance Laird had to do some serious working to keep Matthew Boling of Georgia at bay. LSU claimed the title with a time of 38.49. (Dylan Peebles, Noah Williams, Akanni Hislop, Terrance Laird)

4x400 Relay

All eyes were on North Carolina A&T. Having nearly broke the NCAA record at regionals with a time of 2:59.21, there was expectation and hope that they would break it and possibly go under 2:59. Those hopes were further validated after that time of 43.85 by Ross. The first leg Daniel Stokes may have gone out a little too hard. He ran such a strong first 270 meters of his race. The last 130 he really struggled and went from making up the staggard from handing off nearly last. Ross quickly made up the loss by surging to the lead at the 200-meter mark of his leg and A&T never relinquished their lead. They claim the title with a mark of 3:00.92. (Daniel Stoke, Randolph Ross, Elijah Young, Trevor Stewart).

Team Title

LSU was simply to much to handle. The Tigers had their mishaps. Not qualifying the 4x400 relay and Damion Thomas finishing 8^th in the 110 hurdles. They still had quite the impressive showing scoring 84 points without a 4x400 relay, unheard of. They claimed six event titles, 100, 4x100, Long Jump, High Jump, 400 Hurdles and the Javelin. There was just too much fire power to stop them. LSU also has very few seniors on their team, and we should expect for some of their heavy hitters to return and provide fire power to what should be a strong 2022 team. They will lose Damion Thomas and Terrance Laird may decide to go professional but they have a strong core of athletes returning next season and may even have a more potent team.

2021 NCAA Championship Preview 3- Field Events and Relays

 Double Champion?

(JuVaughn Harrison- LSU)

Here in our final preview we will take a look at the field athletes, multi-event athletes and relay races. The beauty of the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oregon is the knowledge that the fan base has about every event. Field athletes who are often left out the discussion will get their day in the sun here. The field events will get round the clock coverage on ESPN 3, so the competition will be all live. We also have a brief relay preview and team title spot in this preview as well.

Women’s Preview

Long Jump

Tara Davis of Texas has a had a long road to this point. She missed the 2019 season due transfer rules from Georgia that kept her out the entire season. Then 2020 happened and she was unable to compete outdoors due to Covid. This celebrated athlete from high school remained steadfast and at the 2021 Indoor Championship she broke the NCAA record. She followed that by breaking Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s NCAA Outdoor record and remains the world leader with a mark of 23 feet 5 ¼ inches (7.14m).

This has been a banner year for the long jump with so many athletes capable of jumping 22 feet. The biggest challenger to Davis is heptathlete Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M. Gittens has proven to be an exceptional jumper and currently has a personal best of 22 feet 10 inches (6.96m). That mark any other year would make her the NCAA leader. Gittens was the top qualifier after regionals completed but you cannot ignore the jumps made by Davis.

Pick: Tara Davis Texas

Triple Jump

Ruth Osoro of Texas Tech has had one of the great outdoor seasons for a triple jumper. She is on the all-time top ten list and is close to potentially breaking Keturah Orji’s NCAA record. She has been at the top of the performance list all season and easily qualified fifth overall. The top qualifier came from Ruta Lasmane of Florida State. Another big name that qualified is Jasmine Moore of Georgia. Moore is the only other athlete in the field that has jumper 47 feet this season with Usoro. Georgia has been quite potent with their jumpers over recent years and Moore would look to continue that trend.

Pick: Ruth Usoro Texas Tech

High Jump

The high jump is another event that Gittens of Texas A&M has been noteworthy for. She has hit marks of 6 feet 4 inches twice during this season, although both were during the heptathlon. This is perhaps her best individual event. Freshman Rachel Glenn of South Carolina has however been able to beat Gittens. She claimed the SEC title with her number two ranked jump of 6 feet 3 ¼ inches (1.91m). Although she is a freshman, she has often this season not performed like it. Keep an eye out for Abigail O’Donaghue of LSU as well.

Pick: Rachel Glenn South Carolina

Pole Vault

Post regionals there was stunning news. Top ranked 1 vaulter Nastassja Campbell of Arkansas failed to qualify. Campbell was meant to be the latest in a line championship level vaulters produced by Arkansas. The Razorbacks are in a team title hunt and this was blow to those chances. LSU who is also in a team title hunt has the number two ranked Lisa Gunnarson. Gunnarson did qualify and has one less challenger to be worried about. Lauren Martinez of Arkansas and Kayla Smith of Georgia will still serve as formidable adversaries.

Pick: Lisa Gunnarson LSU

Shot Put

Adelaide Acquilla of Ohio State claimed the national title this past indoor season. She is also the top ranked athlete of the outdoor season. With her national leading mark of 62 feet 8 ¾ inches (19.12m), she has a solid lead over the entire field. Ohio State has produced some great all-Americans and NCAA champions and Acquilla looks to continue her winning ways. Conference foe Khayla Dawson of Indiana and defending champion Samantha Noennig now of Arizona will look to challenge her. Noennig has not surpassed 60 feet this outdoor season and has already lost to Acquilla early during the indoor season. She still however knows what it takes to win a national title.

Pick: Adelaide Acquilla Ohio State

Discus

Arizona State is none for championship throwers and their latest star is Jorinde Van Klinken. Van Klinken is the top entry in the Discus throw and also has the national leading mark of 211 feet 5 inches (64.44m). Although she is entered in the shot put, this event is clearly her best. Laulauga Tausaga of Iowa held the lead nationally until the post season started, then Van Klinken has been on a tear. Every meet she throws further and further. I think that will continue at the NCAA Championships regardless of weather.

Pick: Jorinde Van Klinken Arizona State

Hammer Throw

Camryn Rogers of California is another defending champion that has returned. Rogers has had quite the career representing her native Canada, including U-20 world titles. Rogers has a best of 239 feet 9 inches (73.09m). She has a 10 foot lead over her closest competitor and is clearly in great position to defend her title. Alyssa Wilson of UCLA will likely be her closest competitor.

Pick: Camryn Rogers California

Javelin Throw

Georgia is known for their success in the field events thanks to their head coach Petros Kyprianou. He is leaving at the end of this season which will likely trigger a mass exodus for athletes to either follow him or join new programs. In the present he has one of the best Javelin throwers in history with Marie-Therese Obst. Obst began the season with a bang joining the top-10 all time list at the beginning of the outdoor season. She has a personal best of 201 feet 4 inches (61.37m). She is currently the only athlete in the field with a throw beyond 200 feet. Kylee Carter of Auburn will be her challenger and is currently the top qualifier. Obst defeated Carter at the SEC Championships and I expect for that to be much of the same at the NCAA Championships.

Pick: Marie-Therese Obst

Heptathlon

This event is Tyra Gittens to lose. She has been spectacular all year with record breaking High Jumps and all time great long jump marks. She has been a solid thrower, hurdler and sprinter for Texas A&M. It will take focus and consistent high quality effort for her to claim the title which she is most certainly capable of with her national lead of 6,418 points. She has over a 200 point lead of the closest competitor Anna Hall of Georgia. Hall has been the toughest competitor throughout the season against Gittens and with Kyrpianou as her coach expect for her to dial up a notch.

Pick: Tyra Gittens Texas A&M.

 

Men’s Preview

Long Jump/High Jump

JuVaughn Harrison of LSU is a big part of their team title hopes. This is perhaps the most loaded team LSU has ever brought to the national championships. They are vying for individual titles in so many events and will rely on Harrison to due what he did indoors, sweep the long jump and high jump.

Harrison got his first taste of how challenging this will be at the SEC Championships. He claimed the High Jump title but the long jump was a tough nut to crack, he finished second. Carey McLeod of Tennessee will pose as one of his biggest threats. Harrison still leads the NCAA with a mark of 27 feet 8 ¾ inches (8.45m) and it will take that type of effort or better for him to win there. Keep an eye on 2^nd ranked Steffin McCarter out of Texas as well.

In the high jump Darryl Sullivan also out of Tennessee will challenge him there as well. It took a personal best jump at the SEC Championships for him to claim victory proving just how difficult this double will be.

High Jump Pick- JuVaughn Harrison LSU

Long Jump Pick- Steffin McCarter Texas

Triple Jump

Senior Jordan Scott of USC is one of two athletes in this field with an NCAA title. He claimed the 2019 NCAA Indoor title and was runner up outdoors. He missed his opportunity to defend himself in 2020 and ran out of eligibility. He transferred to USC for the 2021 outdoor season and is currently ranked third overall and is the second-best qualifier in the field. Emmanuel Ihemeje of Oregon burst on the scene as a freshman this past indoor season stunning the field to claim the NCAA title for Oregon. He will be on his home track and is currently the top qualifier in the field. O’Brien Wasome of Texas is the number one ranked overall athlete and has developed quite well under Edrick Floreal his coach, who is a previous NCAA Champion in this event. Expect for him to be ready.

Pick: O’Brien Wasome Texas

Pole Vault

The news during the post season is that KC Lightfoot who set the event on fire during the indoor season has already turned pro to prepare for the Olympics this summer. Kansas Zach Bradford who remained number one majority of the outdoor season suddenly became the new favorite. You also cannot count out his teammate Hussain Al Hizam, he claimed the NCAA title indoors in 2018. I think the battle will likely come down to them and Al Hizam has already won a post season battle by claiming the Big 12 title.

Pick: Hussain Al Hizam Kansas

Shot Put/Discus

Turner Washington of Arizona State has been the man all season long, indoor, and outdoors. He shows absolutely no signs of slowing down and he represents that throwing tradition at Arizona State incredibly well. Having already throw the shot put over 71 feet and the disc over 217 feet he is the number one ranked athlete in both and in perfect position to double. In the shot-put Andrew Liskowitz of Michigan and Texas senior Adrian Piperi will challenge him for the title. Piperi began the year as the favorite to win the title since he is the defending champion. Washington however has been on a tear all season long.

In the discus throw keep an eye out for two true freshmen in Claudio Romero of Virginia and Francois Prinsloo of South Alabama. Prinsloo was the top qualifier, and both are ranked number two and number three on the performance list this season.

Shot Put/Discus Pick: Turner Washington Arizona State

Hammer Throw

Senior Thomas Mardal of Florida has been quite the senior season. He claimed the indoor weight throw title and has been number one in the Hammer Throw all season long. Florida is currently not in the team title picture, but they have an outside shot. With Mardal it will be championship or bust. He potentially will also be the last NCAA Champion at Florida coached by legendary throws coach Steve Lemke. Challenging Mardal will be fellow senior Gleb Dudarev of Kansas. Dudarev has finished 2^nd at this meet in 2019 and is big meet performer.

Pick: Thomas Mardal Florida 

Javelin Throw

Mississippi State has become Javelin U. They same to produce multiple All-Americans and NCAA Champions pretty regularly. Senior Sindri Gudmundsson is the latest to star for the university. Gudmundsson took the number one ranking from his teammate at the western regional with his leading throw of 261 feet 11 inches (79.83m). His freshman teammate DJ Jonsson has a season best of 258 feet 1 inch (78.66m). The third national qualifier is their teammate Tyriq Horsford. It is truly impressive to see the top three qualifiers all from the same school. Gudmundsson seems to be rounding into shape and it remains to be seen what his two underclassmen teammates can do at the big meet.

Pick: Sindri Gudmundsson Mississippi State

Decathlon

Georgia’s decathlon reign will likely end after next season with Kyrpianou leaving. However this season he has an athlete in the driver’s seat to win it again, Karel Tilga. Tilga claimed the indoor NCAA title proving his skill set over multiple events. He currently is ranked number one in the country with 8,484 points earned during a competition in the regular season. A name to not forget is Ayden Owens of Michigan. Owens earned All-American honors indoors and under the tootlage of the Michigan coaching staff seems to be in great position to again garner All-American honors, he has total on the season of 8,238 points earned at the Big Ten Championships. Owens certainly has the speed to beat Tilga but Tilga has superior technique in almost every event.

Pick: Karel Tilga Georgia

RELAYS

Women

4x1- LSU. The Lady Tigers have been consistent all season long and have routinely ran under 42 seconds. USC and North Carolina A&T will certainly challenge.

4x4- Texas A&M. USC has five qualifiers in the 400 alone, but you cannot ignore the talent Texas A&M has. With Mu having run an NCAA record and Cherokee Young under 51 seconds they may not have the depth that USC has but they have greater talent.

Men

4x1- Houston. LSU and North Carolina A&T can make impressive arguments, especially with LSU’s anchor in Terrance Laird. I still think this race with excellent exchanges all around is Houston’s to lose.

4x4- North Carolina A&T. The NCAA record is in serious jeopardy. They almost broke the record with a three second lead at regionals. With the push they will get from Texas A&M I expect for them to actually do it.

TEAM TITLES

Women- This will be a tight competition. I think USC can squeeze it out, but I am not surprised by the LSU ranking. It is well earned, and they have great depth and quality in a multitude of events, but so does USC.

Men- LSU. I understand that the Oregon men will be home, but I think LSU has a stronger team. LSU is certainly in more places to score at a higher level and I respect the Hayward Field crowd, but I think LSU finally gets their just rewards.

2021 Championship Preview 2- Distance

1:59?!

(Aaliyah Miller- Baylor)

We continue with our preview and in this post we will focus on the distance runners. No track that they will compete on will have a more knowledgeable base about distance running. Nor a more interested fanbase. After all this is the house that Steve Prefontaine has built. The Oregon men are in a team title hunt and will rely heavily on their distance runners to score a large volume of their points. Being at home on historic Hayward Field will give them an advantage but is it enough...

Men’s Preview

800 Meter Run

At the west regional meet we were given a championship preview courtesy of the top two qualifiers, Isaiah Jewett the senior from USC and true freshman Brandon Miller of Texas A&M. Jewett lead the country for majority of the season and did not taste defeat until the wester regional meet. Miller was able to outlast Jewett 1:45.57 to 1:45.60. There is also Miller’s teammate Devin Dixon who seems to slowly be rounding in to shape. Let’s not forget Dixon has an indoor personal best of 1:45.27 and has ran 1:44.76 outdoors. He was also runner’s up in 2019. However, Jewett has been running smoothly all year and could Miller hit the freshman wall. Both must be keenly aware of Dixon but he has a lot ground to make up. There is also Finley McLear of Miami (OH) who finished 2^nd indoors and nearly won the title.

Pick: Devin Dixon Texas A&M

1,500 Meter Run

The Oregon Ducks are looking to score high in this event and will be relying heavily on true freshman Cole Hocker. Hocker is going after a tough double running the 1,500 and 5,000. Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame broke the NCAA record in the event in the prelims of the ACC Championship and will most certainly have all eyes on him. Do not forget the top qualifier freshman Eliud Kipsang of Alabama who ran 3:35.49 to defeat Nuguse at the eastern regional. Kipsang seems to be picking up steam as the Championship season moves on. I still expect for the mile’s NCAA record to fall again.

Pick: Eliud Kipsang

5,000 Meter Run

Oregon did qualify two big names in Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker. Keep in mind that neither are near the top of the qualifying list. The top qualifier is junior Morgan Beadlescomb of Michigan State. Beadlescomb finished third indoors at nationals in the 5k and recently added another Big Ten title to his trophy case. Robert Brant of Georgetown was close to defeating Beadlescomb at the eastern regional. He is the number two qualifier with a time 13:40.66. Although Teare did not run the top qualifying time its fair to notice that there were a few top 5k runners whose only goal was simply to qualify. With that being said I have to be honest and say that having the top qualifying mark here does not necessarily make Beadlescomb the favorite.

Pick: Cooper Teare Oregon

10,000 Meter Run

Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State is attempting a tough double competing in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter run. A 25-lap race is the ultimate test on a track of endurance. Connor Mantz of BYU has been the top guy at this distance since mid-May. Unlike Kiptoo, Mantz is only competing in the 10,000. Kiptoo ran a torrid 5k pace indoors to dominate the field. The 10k will require a different strategy since Mantz has a 27-minute personal best. Then there is true freshman from Northern Arizona Abdihamid Nur. Nur is currently ranked 2nd in the country and like Teare of Oregon did not run an overly impressive race to but clearly, he needed to just qualify. This race will come down strategy. How fit will Kiptoo be, how well can Mantz push the pace and what has true freshman Nur learned. 

Pick: Connor Mantz BYU

3,000 Meter Steeplechase

No event has perplexed me more this season than the 3,000. The performance list for this event changed literally ever week. I was constantly reporting a new number one performance for our weekly recaps for this event. The top qualifier for this event was Arkansas State junior Bennet Pascoe. Pascoe was mentioned on this blog before and at one time did have the top mark in the country. Prior to regionals his time was ranked 15th. Fitsom Seyoum of Virginia Tech garnered the top ranking after winning the ACC Championship. With no clear-cut favorite this race is anyone’s game. 

Pick: Bennet Pascoe Arkansas State

Women’s Preview

800 Meters

This event lost some of it’s luster when NCAA record holder Athing Mu decided to focus on the 400 the other event where she holds an NCAA record. There is still Aaliyah Miller of Baylor in the field who won the race indoors. Michaela Mayer of Virginia is a new name to throw in the ring as she is the top qualifier after hitting a mark of 2:01.40 at the eastern regional. There is also ACC Champion Laurie Barton of Clemson who has 2:00.70 on the season. Without Mu the race should still produce a sub 2:00 minute time. 

Pick: Aaliyah Miller Baylor

1,500 Meters

Sage Hurta of Colorado has been the favorite to win this event since claiming the number one ranking during the regular season. She has the sixth ranked qualifying mark entering the meet after a successful western regional. Another Alabama standout will challenger in Amaris Tyynismaa. The true freshman led the way at the eastern regional to claim the top qualifying time of 4:09.48. Tyynismaa has had some impressive performances but has yet to put it together in a championship meet. Whittni Orton of BYU has also performed well throughout the season along with the rest of her BYU teammates. Orton looks to be their strongest representative her and can certainly push for a championship. 

Pick: Sage Hurta Colorado

5,000/10,000 Meters

Alabama clearly decided to recruit nothing but championship level distancer runners to match those great sprinters. Freshman Mercy Chelangat is the latest talent to step up for the Crimson Tide. Chelangat had quite the regional performance claiming the top qualifying marks in both events. Her times were 15:45.59 for the 5k and 33:06.83 in the 10k. She already had the top 10k time before regionals and was in the top three for the 5k. Chelangat is attempting a grueling double but she is certainly capable of winning both. Her biggest challenge in the 5k will come from Whittni Orton of BYU who entered the post season as the number one ranked runner. In the 10k fellow freshman Grace Forbes of Rice should give chase. 

5,000 Pick: Whittni Orton BYU

10,000 Pick: Mercy Chelangat Alabama

3,000 Meter Steeplechase

BYU is having quite the impressive season. They are competitive in every distance event minus the 800 and are coming off the high of winning the Distance Medley Championship indoors. Courtney Wayment has been a big part of those performances and the steeplechase is where she will get her chance to take an outdoor crown. She is the number one performer this season and had a comfortable lead over second place. Top qualifier Gabrielle Jennings of Furman ran an impressive regional performance, but the race seems to me to be Wayment’s to lose. 

Pick: Courtney Wayment BYU

2021 NCAA Championship Preview 1- Sprints/Hurdles

 SPRINT DOUBLE?!!

(Terrance Laird- LSU)

The Championship meet is finally here!! In this post we are going to preview what looks to be a fantastic sprint competition. We have seen some all-time best performances and a national record. Our theme has been breaking long time decade old records and I expect for that to continue.

Women’s Preview

100 Meter Dash

On the women’s side Twanisha Terry of USC has been one of the few names mentioned all season long. Terry has been a top tier performer since her freshman year when she dipped under 11 seconds with a 10.99 performance. She even claimed the 2019 indoor 60-meter title. What is missing is that elusive 100-meter title and she is excellent position to get it. With a season best of 10.89 ran at the western regional qualifying meet, she became the fourth fastest in NCAA history.

Chasing her will be Alabama’s Tamara Clark who led the 100-meter rankings for a good portion of the year and impressed with her time of 10.98. Kemba Nelson of Oregon is also a name we cannot forget after she set an NCAA 60 meter record this past indoor season defeating Terry. Also, there is North Carolina A&T’s Cambrea Sturgis.

Pick: Twanisha Terry USC

200 Meter Dash

Clark of Alabama has become the favorite to win the event after news of Abby Steiner’s injury came to light. There was concern about Steiner of Kentucky after the SEC Championship. She was noticeably absent. Then she was unable to go under 23 seconds at regionals and she then was unable to qualify. Clark on the other hand continued her torrid streak with her time of 22.13. Although defending champion Angelerne Annelus of USC has qualified, she has not been a threat all season. Sturgis of A&T remains the toughest threat to Clark winning the title with her second ranked time of 22.26. Clark pulled off the impressive double at the SEC meet, she is certainly capable of completing the double at nationals.

Pick: Tamara Clark Alabama

400 Meter Dash

This race has been all about Athing Mu. She has gone under 50 seconds twice in one season, something no other collegiate athlete has ever done. Her NCAA record time of 49.68 gives her more than a second lead on the entire field and in the sprints that is saying something. Kaelin Roberts was the last person to defeat Mu, indoors in the 400 for the NCAA title. However, Roberts has not looked as if she is a threat to Mu at all this outdoor season. She has run 50.83 and that is a solid time, but that pales in comparison to 49.68. USC can however hang their hat on the fact that they have qualified five athletes individually for this race, which is an impressive feat and proof of the quality of their program. Stacey Ann Williams of Texas is carrying their flag and she is currently ranked 2^nd with a time of 50.34.

Pick: Athing Mu Texas A&M

100 Hurdles

Tonea Marshall of LSU has dominated this event since the start of the outdoor season. She has not relinquished the top ranking not one time. At regionals she drew closer to the NCAA record with her number one time of 12.44. 12.39 is the NCAA record and a time I think Marshall could legitimately beat. Ackera Nugent of Baylor had the second fastest qualifying time with 12.76 but I do not think she has the technique to keep up. Nugent will eventually take over and give us the same type of performances that Marshall has given.  

Pick: Tonea Marshall LSU

400 Hurdles

Anna Cockrell of USC has been the main figure in this event all season long. Currently Andranette Knight of Virginia is the top qualifier with a time of 56.07. Cockrell, however, has a season personal best of 54.77. Knight is certainly capable of pushing Cockrell, but I think with nearly a second lead on personal best ran this season it is far to say that Cockrell is the obvious favorite to defend her national title.

Pick: Anna Cockrell USC

Men’s Preview

100 Meter Dash

JoVaughn Martin from 100-meter University also known as Florida State is the latest 100-meter sprint king to lead the Noles. Since his eye popping 9.94 ran at the Florida Relays in March, Martin has yet to relinquish his 100-meter crown. He was the only athlete in either region to dip under 10 seconds in qualifying with his mark of 9.97. Challenging Martin will be Micah Williams of Oregon, who will be competing on his home track. There is also Terrance Laird of LSU who has already gone 9.80 at the SEC Championships but it was wind aided. Both Laird and Williams clocked 10.0 to qualify and I think Laird is certainly capable of claiming the title.

Pick: Terrance Laird LSU

200 Meter Dash

Laird of LSU has been on fire all season long. If it isn’t his eye popping 19.81 performance at the Texas Relays, it would be his ability to anchor the LSU 4x100 relay. Laird has run under 20 seconds four times already this season including a 19.94 ran at the eastern regional qualifying meet. Joseph Fahnbulleh took Laird to the line and clocked a 19.94 as well. Laird however has been to consistently great and I think will complete an impressive double.

Pick: Terrance Laird LSU

400 Meter Dash

Noah Williams of LSU stunned the country when he won the indoor title. No one is surprised that he has been number one all outdoor season with his personal best mark of 44.30. He will face a stiff challenge from Trevor Stewart and Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T. Both Stewart and Ross has gone under 45 seconds with their qualifying marks of 44.59 and 44.86. Stewart has a personal best of 44.25 ran in 2019. There is also Bryce Deadmon of Texas A&M who was the top qualifier with a time of 44.57. In a championship race Williams has not been defeated all season and I think that streak continues.

Pick: Noah Williams LSU

110 Meter Hurdles

Robert Dunning of Alabama took the reigns as the nation’s top high hurdler at the SEC Championship when he won with a time of 13.15. Damion Thomas of LSU led early in the season with his time of 13.22 but Dunning has been on fire. Dunning followed the SEC Championship up with a time of 13.24 to garner top qualifying honors. Thomas was only able to qualify with a time of 13.60 proving that the title of favorite has shifted from him to Dunning.

Pick: Robert Dunning Alabama

400 Meter Hurdles

The regional meet led to an explosion of great times, a total of 11 men dipped under 50 seconds, and 4 men dipped un 49 seconds. They were led by Oklahoma junior Isaiah Levingston. Levingston ran a dominant race at the western region qualifying meet, clocking a national leading time of 48.58. Levingston was the Big 12 champion and before the regional meet he was ranked fourth in the nation. Levingston has strong technique and great endurance, all the skills of great 400 hurdler. He will face challenges from Leonardo Ledgister of Texas A&M Corpus Christi (48.79), Moitalel Mpoke of Texas A&M (48.81) and true freshman Sean Burrell of LSU (48.86).

Pick: Moitalel Mpoke Texas A&M

2021 NCAA Regional Recap

 49.68!

(Athing Mu)

So, we have completed another Regionals Weekend. I must admit this is perhaps the best year I have seen with the current regional format. The old regional meet was an actual competition and a champion was named, now it is a qualifying round and it proves the strength of the athletes individually but most especially the team. In this recap we are going to look at the new number one performances, the major wins, and the disappointments.

SPRINTS

Having a stellar senior year is Twanisha Terry of USC. The star senior proved yet again why she is the number one sprinter claiming the top qualifying time with 10.89. Terry is now fourth on the all-time NCAA list. USC is in the team title hunt and Terry is a big part of their aspirations. Joining Terry under 11 seconds was Cambrea Sturgis of North Carolina A&T with 10.92, Kemba Nelson of Oregon with 10.98 and Tamara Clark of Alabama also with 10.98. Four wind legal sub 11 second races.

Clark of Alabama had an impressive weekend in the 200 as well clocking in at 22.13. All in all the top five qualifiers came from the East Regional. Sturgis of North Carolina A&T clocked 22.26, Anavia Battle of Ohio State was 22.28, Favour Ofili of LSU was 22.30 and Symone Mason of LSU was 22.49. Perhaps the biggest story of the 200 was the performance of Abby Steiner of Kentucky. Steiner clocked in a 23.59, well of her 22.38 that led her to an NCAA title indoors. Steiner’s status was updated to injured, a question that many people had after her absence from the SEC Championships.

In the 400 USC women stole the show. I posted a screenshot on my Facebook group (I Love College Track and Field) and the Real Deal Track and Field Group that displayed their rare success. The lady Trojans qualified five athletes in the 400 to the NCAA Championship meet. Yes Five! All five ran under 52 seconds while one, Kaelin Roberts went sub 51 with her time of 50.83. The biggest story however is of course Texas A&M’s Athing Mu who clocked in at 49.68 to not only claim the top qualifying mark but to set another NCAA record, keeping up with our recording break theme! Many were curious to see if Mu would step up to the 800 an event she set the NCAA record in, but instead she will run the 400.

In the hurdles Tonea Marshall lived up to her number one ranking. The star senior out of LSU clocked in at 12.44. Her time ranks her number two in the world this year and brings one step closer to breaking the national record. Both the national record and SEC record stand at 12.39 and 12.40 respectively. Marshall is a big piece of the number one ranked LSU lady tigers not only in the 100 hurdles but also in the 4x100 relay as the first leg.

The 400 hurdles was led by Virginia’s Andrenette Knight. Knight claimed the eastern region title with a time of 56.07 while the west regional meet was led by defending champion Anna Cockrell of USC who clocked in at 56.47. There are only six athletes on the qualifying list who clocked under 57 seconds.

On the men’s side JoVaughn Martin of Florida State was the lone sub 10 second performer in the men’s 100 with his time of 9.97. Martin was apart of trio from Florida State that qualified. Micah Williams of Oregon clocked a 10.00 to claim the top time out of the western region. Williams is looking to set things back right after having been beaten in the Pac-12 Championships by Davonte Burnett. Martin has now dipped under 10 seconds twice this season and looks to be the heavy favorite heading into the championship meet.

The 200 had all eyes on Terrance Laird of LSU and Matthew Boling and the Eastern Region. Laird did not disappoint going under 20 seconds again this season with a wind-aided time of 19.94. Right by him in the race running the exact same time was Joseph Fahnbulleh of Florida. Out of the western region the big story is that Houston was able to qualify four runners to the NCAA meet led by Shawn Maswanganyi.

The 400 saw senior Bryce Deadmon of Texas A&M coming out of the western region as the overall number one with his time of 44.57. Deadmon was the preseason favorite early at the beginning of the school year but Noah Williams of LSU has defeated him multiple times and currently still has the top collegiate time. Randolph Ross and Trevor Stewart however were perhaps the most impressive have gone under 45 seconds twice this past weekend to qualify. Stewart coming out with the top time of 44.59.

In the men’s 110 high hurdles Robert Dunning of Alabama is having quite the senior season. He has been a solid number one performer since the SEC Championships. He further cemented his number one status by claiming the top qualifying time of 13.24. Clemson also qualified three hurdles to the national meet, quite impressive since their school initially cut the program. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Alumni Base, the students, track and field fans the men’s Clemson Track and Field program will remain.

The 400 hurdles saw a major upswing in performances at the regional meets. There were four sub 49 second performances led by Oklahoma junior Isaiah Levingston with his time of 48.58. True freshman Sean Burrell of LSU who is new to the 400 hurdles is still proving that he will be a threat at the championship meet scoring the top eastern regional time of 48.86. Levingston has been under the radar slightly but as the championship season progressed, he continued to make a name for himself.

DISTANCE

In the men’s 800 were privy to a preview of the national championship with senior Isaiah Jewett of USC and true freshman Brandon Miller of Texas A&M. Jewett led the NCAA for majority of the season and was expected to be the top performer going in to the regional meet. They were placed in the same qualifying heat and gave us quite the spectacle. Miller outlasted Jewett at the line with a time of 1:45.57 to 1:45.60. Miller is having quite the freshman season like his teammate Mu.

The 1,500 at the eastern regional meet had two stars competing against each other. Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame and the current NCAA record holder and budding Kenyan star Eliud Kipsang of Alabama. Kipsang a true freshman for the Crimson Tide ran a blistering time of 3:35.49 to be second all-time behind Nuguse. He did however beat Nuguse who finished second in that race with an impressive 3:36.85. The field is quite strong this year with 20 athletes having run under 3:40 to qualify. I expect with the weather holding up that the NCAA record here could fall again.

Morgan Beadlescomb of Michigan State claimed the top qualifying mark in the 5,000 at the eastern regional meet with his time of 13:40.43. He outdueled Georgetown Robert Brandt who finished in 13:40.66. Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State came out of the western region as the top performer with his mark of 13:42.70.

In the men’s 10,000 there were a total of 11 athletes that ran sub 29 minutes. Leading them was Alex Masai of Hofstra. Masai clocked in 28:29.27 to outrun Adrian Wildschutt of Florida State who clocked in at 28:37.77. Conner Mantz of BYU who currently has the NCAA lead finished third in his region. Wesley Kiptoo will attempt quite the challenging double, but he was the top western regional qualifier in 28:50.11.

Bennet Pascoe of Arkansas State led the way for the western region and nationally. His top time of 8:37.45 was just slightly better than the rest. Pascoe was the number one in the country for a brief moment and here is again in the spotlight.

On the women’s side there was no Athing Mu but there was Michaela Meyer of Virginia. Meyer clocked the qualifying mark over the weekend in a strong heat at the eastern regional. Her time was 2:00.40. She was the only athlete to go under 2:01 the entire weekend. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that the eastern region had the top nine qualifying times and all twelve qualifiers from their region was in the top thirteen. Aaliyah Miller of Baylor was the top western regional qualifier with her time of 2:02.13.

In the 1,500 Sage Hurta of Colorado has been number one in the country for majority of the season. Although she was fifth out of her region (western) to qualify, she was the winner of her heat and led her Colorado Buffaloes which qualified three. Amaris Tyynnismaa a true freshman from Alabama had the top time in 4:09.48 and was the only sub 4:10 performer of the weekend. She is another strong highlight of what has become quite the impressive distance program at Alabama.

Out of Alabama Mercy Chelangat earned the number one qualifying spot at the eastern regional meet in not just the 5,000 but the 10,000 as well. That puts Alabama in the driver’s seat in three of the five distance races. Chelangat’s time in the 5,000 was 15:45.59 and her time in the 10,000 was 33:06.83. Having claimed the cross-country title, Chelangat has further proved she is the women to beat in the long-distance races.

In 3,000-meter steeplechase senior Gabrielle Jennings of Furman was able to beat out a quality field at the eastern regional to claim the top time. Jennings is no stranger to being amongst the best. Her time was 9:40.53, 10 seconds better than everyone in her region. Courtney Wayment of BYU one of the favorites to win the title claimed the western region title with 9:42.02 against a more competitive field.

FIELD

Perhaps my biggest gripe with this regional format is that we rarely see any record breaking performances. The athletes openly bow out early if they think they have enough to qualify to nationals. The competitive balance is a bit lost here to me. Below is a list of the notable qualifiers form each field event.

High Jump

Men- JuVaughn Harrison LSU

Women- Tyra Gittens Texas A&M

Pole Vault

Men- Zach Bradford Kansas

*KC Lightfoot of Baylor turned professional early.

Women- Lisa Gunnarson LSU

*Nastassja Campbell of Arkansas failed to qualify. Arkansas still has three athletes in the field.

Long Jump

Men- JuVaughn Harrison of LSU had the top mark overall with a leap of 26-8 ½ (8.14m)

Women- Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M had the top mark overall with a leap of 22-9 ¾ (6.95m)- wind-aided

Triple Jump

Men- Emmanuel Ihemeje of Oregon had the top mark overall with a leap of 55-8 ½ (16.98m). Ihemeje won the NCAA Indoor title as an upset.

Women- Ruta Lasmane of Florida State had the top mark overall with a leap of 46-5 ¼ (14.15m)

Shot Put

Men- Turner Washington of Arizona State had a mark of 68-0 ½ (20.74m)

Women- Adelaide Aquilla of Ohio State had a mark of 60-11 ½ (18.58m)

Discus

Men- Francois Prisloo of South Alabama had a mark of 216-0 (65.85m)

Women- Jorinde Van Klinken of Arizona State had a mark of 211-5 (64.44m)

Hammer Throw

Men- Gleb Dudarev of Kansas had a mark of 234-8 (71.53m)

Women- Camryn Rogers of California had a mark of 236-9 (72.16m)

Javelin Throw

Men- Sindri Gudmundsson of Mississippi State had a mark of 261-11 (79.83m)

Women- Kylee Carter of Auburn had a mark of 183-9 (56.01m)

 

*The decathlon and heptathlon did not have regional competition they instead go by the top 12 scorers in each region to form the qualifying list.

RELAYS

4X100- LSU women made it through the eastern regional unscathed and with the top time, 42.63. There are currently six teams under 43 seconds on the women’s side

On the men’s side North Carolina A&T is currently the leader with their top qualifying mark of 38.54.

4x400- Texas A&M is still number one despite USC qualifying five runners to the national meet. The Aggies clocked a winning time of 3:25.84.

On the men’s side North Carolina A&T garnered the number one ranking in the 4x400 relay as well with their time of 3:59.21. They nearly broke the NCAA record while dominating their region. With two athletes who can run open 44 seconds there is no surprise in their success.

Our next few posts will be previews before the big meet. 

SUNDAY- Sprints/Hurdles/Relays

MONDAY- Distance

TUESDAY- Field Events

2021 NCAA Outdoor Conference Championship Recap

3:34.68!

                                                 (Yared Nuguse-Notre Dame)

Conference Championship weekend was a rousing success. If you were a track and field fan you literally spent the entire weekend watching Track and Field meets. Each championship meeting had its moments of “Oooh” and “Aaah”. A weekend much needed for the sport not only for visibility but to give those dedicated track and field fans well deserved entertainment. The collegiate athletes in Division 1 certainly lived up to their top billing as this weekend produced 21 new number one performances and highlighted deficiencies in many top teams. In this recap we will look at the new number one performances and highlight big performances from the weekend.

SPRINTS/HURDLES

(Terrance Laird LSU)

Terrance Laird of LSU was certainly one of the many amazing highlights coming out of the SEC Championships on the men’s side. After he debuted his outdoor season at the Texas Relays with his still number one mark of 19.81 in the 200, all eyes have been on him against Matthew Boling of Georgia. He lived up to the hype with two dominant performances winning the 100 with a national leading wind-aided mark of 9.80 and a 200 time of 19.82. He is now the prohibitive favorite in both 100- and 200-meter dashes. I think it is fair to say he is perhaps the most complete short sprinter in men’s LSU history.

In the 110 hurdles senior Robert Dunning of Alabama has been waiting in the winds to prove that he is a serious threat in the 110 hurdles. Damion Thomas of LSU has held the top time in the country since later March at the Texas Relays. Dunning took the top time with his winning time of 13.15 running a strong race against a solid field. His time was slight wind-aided but does meet the allowable qualifying mark for the national performance list.

Texas A&M has quite the success in the men’s 400 hurdles over the year. They have had many All-Americans and SEC Champions. Moitalel Mpoke is the latest star but he also might be the best one. The talented junior clocked in a winning time of 48.89 to beat previous number one Sean Burrell of LSU. He not only broke the school record but became the national leader. Mpoke is Texas A&M’s best chance at a national champion in this event.

(Tamara Clark-Alabama)

On the women’s side Tamara Clark of Alabama had one of the all-time great performances this past weekend. She ran two dominant races in the 100 and 200 and her coach Olympic Medalist Carmelita Jeter was certainly proud. Clark clocked in winning times of 10.87 and 21.89. Both times were wind-aided, and her 100 time does meet the allowable amount and 200 did not. However, it does prove what Clark is capable of. Clark has spent her most recent history as second quite often, but it looks like this outdoor season she is focused on Gold!

In the 400 Athing Mu of Texas A&M again found a way to wow the crowd. Every time she steps on the track, she is breaking a record or joining an all-time list. She already has broken the NCAA record in the 800 and decided to try and take the 400 at the SEC Championships. She came very close winning the race by more than a second with a time of 49.84, Mu is now third all time in the 400. Currently Mu is ranked number one in both 400 and 800. It remains to be seen what she chooses to compete at nationals but either way I am sure she will continue to impress. What an amazing season she is having.

In the 100 hurdles senior Tonea Marshall finally got her outdoor SEC title. She ran a personal best and school record time of 12.52 to win the SEC title. Marshall has been solid all season long and continues to be a leader for a strong LSU team. She has been the most consistent 100 hurdler all season long. I expect for her winning streak to continue throughout the season.

In the 400 hurdles defending national champion Anna Cockrell crossed over into elite territory. The senior dipped under 55 seconds for not only a personal record but a school record. She claimed the 400 hurdle Pac-12 title with a time of 54.77. Her mark improves upon her number one ranking and she is currently the only athlete under 55 seconds.

DISTANCE

In the men’s 800 Isaiah Jewett has been having a remarkable senior season. He improved upon his number one ranking winning the Pac-12 title in a time of 1:45.16. What is more impressive about his win, he defeated Charlie Hunter, Cole Hocker and Luis Peralta in the same race. Hunter was the pre-meet favorite having won the NCAA Indoor title. Jewett seemed to not be phased by that all and ran a smart race to win.

Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame continued our theme of breaking NCAA records. The defending champion ran an impressive 3:34.68 in the 1,500. That time was done in the ACC Championship Preliminaries. He came back in the finals to win with a time of 3:40.86. Nuguse already has proven what he is about beating Cooper Teare of Oregon at Oregon a few weeks ago. Nuguse with all likelihood will break the NCAA record again this season.

BYU did not compete at a conference championship this weekend but still made noise in a few distance events. In the men’s 10,000 Conner Mantz competed at the American Track League and clocked in at 27:41.16. The race was against professional athletes and he held his own finishing fourth overall. His time however is number one in the NCAA.

A new week and a new number one in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. No distance event has had more changes to it’s leaderboard than this one. This time it came from the new ACC Champion Fitsum Seysum of Virginia Tech. No denying the quality at Virginia Tech their distance core is one the best in the country. Seysum is certifiable proof of that. Seysum clocked in at 8:31.23 to win the ACC title. It is perhaps even more impressive to note that his win and time came up against extremely high-quality competition as both number two and number three in his race finished with times that are now nationally ranked in the top 10.

On the women’s side Whittni Orton of BYU also competed at the American Track League and the quality of the competition brought out the best in her as well. She ran a time of 15:12.91 in the 5,000-meter run to finish 10^th overall but with the top time in the country. BYU now owns the top two times in the event nationally.

Mercy Chelangat of Alabama completed a family sweep. She claimed the 10,000-meter SEC title with a time of 32:13.13. Her brother Vincent Kiprop also won the 10,000-meter title. Chelangat had quite the weekend by also winning the 5,000-meter run as well.

FIELD EVENTS

Tyra Gittens is Superwoman, I am convinced. What an incredibly talented athlete. She had quite the performance in the heptathlon. She scored a total of 6,418 points. A new NCAA leading performance. It was her individual performances during the competition that stand out, a high jump mark of 6 feet 4 ¾ inches (1.95m) and a long jump mark of 22 feet 10 inches (6.96m). Her high jump mark is currently ranked number one in the country and her long jump mark is currently ranked number two.  Both marks are high quality marks in their own right and she performed during the same competition. Gittens has just been the class of the field and with this being an Olympic year I think we should just get comfortable with her name.

Arkansas women return as the center of the Pole-Vaulting world. Nastassja Campbell is the latest talented vaulter out of Arkansas to claim the SEC title. Campbell defeated a top tier field with a mark of 14 feet 10 ¾ inches (4.54m). Campbell helps to solidify Arkansas championship team depth. She is also apart of the reason why they were able to win the SEC Team title.

Adelaide Aquilla is rounding into championship form quite nicely. The NCAA Indoor Champion out of Ohio State reclaimed the number one ranking with her winning throw of 62 feet 8 ¼ inches (19.12m) to claim the Big Ten title. 

Jorinde Van Klinken of Arizona State is the latest throwing star from Arizona State. Washington Turner is not the only Sun Devil having a strong year. Van Klinken won the Pac 12 title in the Discus with a mark of 205 feet 4 inches (62.58m). She is currently one of two athletes that thrown of 200 feet this season.

JuVaughn Harrison of LSU had quite the weekend. Harrison claimed the SEC High Jump title with a number one mark of 7 feet 8 ¾ inches (2.36m). We expected for him to follow that up with a win in the long jump. He was defeated by Carey McLeod of Tennessee who leaped 27 feet 4 ¼ inches (8.34m). His mark is number three nationally. Harrison still holds the top two marks in both events but clearly it will not be easy to complete the same jumping feet winning both titles.

Mississippi State has found another Javelin thrower. The Bulldogs seem to produce to a champion every few years. DJ Jonsson by way of Iceland continued their winning tradition with his SEC title throw of 258 feet 1 inch (78.66m). The Bulldogs now have the number one and number two marks in the country in this event.

RELAYS

LSU Women’s 4x100 Relay improved upon their number one ranking with their time of 42.52. Texas A&M Women’s 4x400 Relay also improved upon their number one ranking with their SEC Winning time of 3:26.17.

 

THOUGHTS

There were so many great performances this weekend. Over 21 new number one performances, and all-time legendary marks. The team title picture is becoming clearer and we will have a better understanding after Regionals but applause to Arkansas of the SEC. They show up every championship meet and perform at a high level and this year was no exception. USC women was dominant out west in the Pac-12 and Oregon men won their 14^th straight. 14 straight titles remind us of the John McDonnell Arkansas dominance. Also, on the men’s side you cannot ignore Florida State. They have put together their best team in recent memory and have the pieces to contend or a team title.

2021 NCAA Outdoor Recap Week 7

 LAST ONE, BEST ONE !

(North Carolina A&T)

The post season has officially started, not only does that indicate conference championships but the last chance meets as well. The last chance meets are for athletes to meet the qualifying standards to compete in their respected regional competition. Although it was the start of the postseason this week was relatively quiet regarding number one performances, there was only one. So, in this post we will recap the major stories from Conference Championships that have already completed and a new division two national record.

THE LONE NUMBER ONE

The lone number one performance from this weekend came from the men’s side in the 1,500. Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame is the defending champion from 2019. Against a strong field at the Oregon Twilight Nuguse was able to defeat fellow senior Cooper Teare of Oregon on his home track 3:35.96 to 3:35.97. Teare and Nuguse are sure to gives us more later this post season but at least for now we know that Nuguse’s title defense will be a great race.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T GOES OUT WITH A BANG

This is North Carolina A&T’s last season in the MEAC and I am pretty sure that majority of the conference is happy to see them go. North Carolina A&T put on a sprinting clinic. Talented freshman Javonte Harding put on quite an impressive display of sprinting running a time of 10.21 in the 100 and 20.21 in the 200. Harding anchored their 400 relay and ran a leg on their winning 1600 relay. Four golds as a freshman is an impressive feat. His teammate Randolph Ross garnered his first outdoor conference title as well winning the 400 in a time of 44.60. A new personal record and the fourth ranked time in the country.

On the women’s side Cambrea Sturgis lead the sprinting hall that was on display. Sturgis ran a wind-aided 11.03 in the 100-meter dash and a wind legal time of 22.88 in the 200. Although wind-aided Sturgis is currently ranked third in the country and big championship expectations later this season. Sturgis also anchored their winning 400 relay with a time 43.75. There were several sweeps by the Aggies, 100, 200, 800, 100 hurdles and high jump. They had an incredible championship display. The SWAC is their new conference and will certainly be more of a challenge.

NATIONAL RECORD

Our theme for the past few years has been the fall of national records, most notably in Division 1 where some of the records have stood for a decade or longer. In Division two Benjamin Azamati of West Texas A&M by way of Ghana. Azamati has already broken the record in the 100 with his all division national leading time of 9.97. This past weekend he broke the 200 record with a time of 20.13. Azamati has now met the Olympic Standard for both the 100/200-meter races. Azamati also proves that he is no fluke and could certainly hang with the best in Division 1.

THE MAC

It was surprising to me as a Eastern Michigan alumnus to see the MAC have their conference championship a week before conference championship weekend. Conference championship weekend are normally about the Power 5 conferences, but the MAC always been able to make noise amongst the big conferences. This past weekend the MAC still made noise albeit on a smaller scale.

Miami of Ohio really made a statement this weekend. Olivia Bechtel is the other big star at Miami and she ran two dominant races, the 200 and 400. Bechtel claimed the 400 in a time of 51.65. Her time is in the 400 is a new MAC record. She claimed the 200-meter title with a time of 23.41.

On the men’s side her teammate Finley McLear lived up to the hype that he has developed all season. McLear led a 1-2-3 sweep in the 800 with his winning time of 1:49.04. Miami also swept the 1,500 to make a strong statement about their talent and depth in the middle-distance races.

Amir Williams of Akron made noise in the men’s sprints. He ran a 10.24 in the semi-finals of the 100 and 10.35 in the finals. It was 200 time that was special, his winning time of 20.45. He is a sophomore and currently ranked 17^th in the country. It remains to be seen with all the changes coming to Akron if he follows Noah Williams to a new school for 2021-2022 season. My hope is that he stays and continues to dominate the MAC Conference.

Conference Championship Weekend

As the big weekend comes this week there were major storylines all over the place. The team battle will certainly shake up as there will be athletes who have not competed all indoor season that will be competing this weekend to try and hit their regional qualifying mark. My expectations for the men is that Florida, LSU and Florida State will all make major noise at their respective conference championships. On the women’s side, USC, Arkansas and Texas should make some major noise and shake up the rankings.