In my preview of the women’s 60-meter dash, I highlighted
Twanisha Terry of USC and Julien Alfred of Texas. Alfred and Terry have been
the top two 60-meter sprinters for nearly two seasons. Kimba Nelson of Jamaica
does have an impressive indoor season resume but nothing like Terry and Alfred.
Terry ran impressive 7.09 in the preliminaries to serve as the number one
qualifier. In the finals it was all Nelson. Nelson had an amazing start
blasting out of the blocks into a time of 7.05, a new collegiate record. Nelson
is a bit of a new name but with a time like that, we are sure to hear her name
a lot more in the future.
In the 200 it was as expected all Abby Steiner of Kentucky.
At the SEC Indoor Championships two weeks ago she joined the all time top five
list, this past weekend she tied the NCAA record with a time of 22.38. Tamara
Clark of Alabama did give her chase and run a personal record time of 22.45. Steiner
has been the number one 200-meter sprinter for over a year and this title is
long overdue.
The 400 was all about Athing Mu of Texas A&M. Defending
Champion Kaelin Roberts of USC was an after thought due to the time that Mu ran
early in the season and her record breaking 800-meter run. Roberts proved why
she is the defending champion after a gutsy race that saw her win the NCAA title
in a time of 50.84. Her time was personal best indoors or out. Roberts who has had
an unfortunate time with injuries in her career is poised for perhaps her best
season.
In the men’s 60 meters true freshman Micah Williams of
Oregon was highly touted recruit after a sensational high school career. He
proved his number one ranking was no fluke and that he had the mental
capability to win a NCAA title. The super freshman clocked a blazing time of
6.49 to defeat last year’s number Raymond Ekevwo of Florida who ran 6.54. Williams
used his blazing start and powerful stride to run an impressive race.
The 200 meters finally gave us the two best runners in the
same heat. Matthew Boling of Georgia versus Terrance Laird of LSU. Boling was
highly touted coming out of high school for not only his sprint times but his
race as well. He put all the negative noise to rest this past weekend with an
impressive performance out of lane 6 to win in a time of 20.19. That is one of
the fastest times in NCAA history and certainly proves that he will have a
strong outdoor campaign.
The 400 certainly did not go as I expected. I did plan on a
sub 45 second performance but not two. Noah Williams of LSU transferred from Akron
and has not looked back. He ran a gutsy race going out quick. He held off a
hard charging Ryan Willie of Florida in his heat to win 44.71. He is now the
fourth fastest 400-meter runner in indoor history. Randolph Ross of North Carolina
A&T did break the 45 second barrier finishing in second with a time of
44.99. If you were not familiar with Williams before you had better get
familiar.
HURDLES
In the men’s 60-meter hurdles senior Trey Cunningham of
Florida State has been dominant for nearly two years. He has held down the
number one spot and beaten whoever threatens that reign. Damion Thomas of LSU
has had to live in the shadow of Cunningham since high school and was finally
able to prove himself better. Thomas defeated Cunningham in a closely contested
race where he won in a time of 7.51. Junior Jamal Britt of Iowa was second in
7.52 and nearly won the race while Cunningham was third in 7.53.
In the women’s 60-meter hurdles Chanel Brissett of Texas last
won the NCAA title in 2019 and due to Covid-19 was the defending champion.
Since then she has changed school going from USC to Texas. She garnered the
number one ranking after winning the Big 12 title in 7.91. Ackera Nugent of
Baylor a true freshman from Jamaica, was the strongest challenger. After having
had the number one time in the Big 12 for majority of the season. It was not
until the Big 12 Championships were Brissett was able to beat her. Nugent got her
revenge on the biggest stage clocking in 7.92 to win the title. Fellow Jamaican
Daszay Freeman of Arkansas was second with 7.99. Brissett was third in 8.01.
MULTI'S
In the women’s pentathlon Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M more
than made up for her performance at the SEC Championships. We got our first
NCAA record in the first overall final competition. Gittens won three events, Long
Jump, Shot Put and High Jump. She finished second in the 60 Hurdles and ran a sub
2:30 800. What is perhaps more impressive is that she jumped 6 feet 4 inches in
the High Jump portion of the competition, a huge personal best and one of the
best marks in NCAA history. Gittens set an NCAA pentathlon record with a total
of 4,746 points.
In the men’s heptathlon Georgia again found themselves in front.
Karel Tilga and Kyle Garland were the only two athletes to go over 6,000
points. With Tilga the eventual winner with 6,264 points to Garland’s 6,200.
They battled each other throughout the competition each claiming individual victories.
Tilga the Shot Put and 1,000 and Garland in the High Jump. The 1,000 was the
final event and both were still in the hunt. Tilga outlasted Garland to claim
victory not only in the final event but overall.
JUMPS
What a show the jumpers put on. Ruth Usoro of Texas Tech entered
the meet as the favorite in both the long jump and triple jump. The long jump
had a more interesting story line courtesy of Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M. Neither
found themselves victors in the long jump it was Tara Davis of Texas.
The former high school superstar and former Georgia Bulldog
broke an NCAA record with her leap of 22 feet 9 inches. Davis has been through
quite the ordeal in her career. When attempting to transfer after her freshman
year at Georgia the Georgia staff refused to release her requiring her to sit a
full season. Then in 2019 Covid struck. She has been having quite the resurgence
this year and fully deserves the success that comes with winning the NCAA
title.
In the triple jump Ruth Osoro won on her final attempt of 46
feet 10 inches. Her mark tied Texas A&M’s Deborah Acquah, but she had the
best second jump overall. This was still a bit of surprise to see if come to
the last jump of her weekend to see Osoro pull of the national title. She
however is the national champion.
In the high jump Tyra Gittens continued her impressive
weekend that started with her performance in the pentathlon. Her winning high
jump mark of 6 feet 2 ¾ inches was not even her best high jump mark of the
weekend but it was strong enough to win the high jump.
In the pole vault Lisa Gunnarson of LSU rebounded from a third-place
finish at the SEC Championships to win with a mark of 14 feet 11 ½ inches. Her
mark was a new personal best and the best mark throughout the entire indoor
season.
In the men’s long jump, we had quite the battle and
impressive showing from JuVaughn Harrison of LSU. Harrison was also equally
impressive in the men’s high jump. In the high jump he outlasted Earnie Sears
of USC with a mark of 7 feet 6 ½ inches. In my preview I thought an exhaustive
high jump competition would wear on Harrison in the long jump. In the beginning
it seemed to be that way. After his first three jumps he was not even in the
top three. His fourth-round jump changed things. He leaped to 26 feet 8 ½ inches.
That moved him into a tie for first place. His fifth-round jump is where he
would dazzle the crowd. Getting all the board he leaped to a mark of 27 feet 8 ¾
inches. His long jump mark ranks him third all time. The combination of jumps
however makes it the best in history of a long jumper and high jumper.
In the triple jump we had a surprise winner. Carey McLeod of
Tennessee was the expected winner after seizing the number one ranking at the
SEC Championships. Emmanuel Ihemeje of Oregon clearly had other plans. He was a
part of Oregon’s fantastic final day. The true freshman claimed the victory on
his fourth-round jump. He had a mark of 56 feet 7 ½ inches. His mark is the top
overall mark for the season and a testament to the develop of their athletes at
Oregon.
In the men’s Pole Vault K.C. Lightfoot of Baylor has lit the
pole vault up all season long having broken the NCAA record three times. For majority
of the season he was the only athlete over 19 feet. He outlasted the competition
again with a mark of 19 feet 5 ½ inches. Zach McWhorter of BYU also went over
19 feet with a mark of 19 feet ¼ inch. Lightfoot has made us forget the great
season that Mondo Duplantis had and he is still not done.
DISTANCE
Aaliyah Miller of Baylor had the women’s 800 all to herself
it seems, as least on paper. The talented senior has run quite a few impressive
times, but her performances were overshadowed by Athing Mu who broke the NCAA
record. Miller walked away a victor on Saturday with her personal best mark of
2:00.69, which was also a meet record.
In the women’s mile Sage Hurta of Colorado was the lead
athlete going into the meet. The senior from Colorado did not disappoint after
running a time of 4:30.58. She had to hold off a pair of Arkansas Razorbacks,
but she was able to get the win with a personal best time.
In the 3,000 Katie Izzo of Arkansas was looking to rebound
after a rough 5,000 saw her not score. She would finish fourth in the race.
Courtney Wayment who was the top entrant in the mile and 3,000 certainly lived
up to her to ranking. The senior ran a great anchor leg in the Distance Medley
Relay displaying her fitness. It was even more on display in the 3,000 when she
outlasted the field with a mark of 9:01.47.
In the 5,000 I just previously mentioned Katie Izzo not
scoring. The 5,000 was a strange race where Joyce Kimeli of Auburn baited the field
to take the lead from her. She clearly did not want to rabbit the race. The
pace was extremely pedestrian, and no one seemed to want to take that pace.
Izzo did not want a repeat of the SEC Championships where she led majority of
the race only from Kimeli to reel her in and win. Izzo stayed apart of the led
pack but when things began to pick up, she slowly started to drift in the back.
Kimeli of Auburn reluctantly led for majority of the race and towards the end
used her speed to outkick her competition. Her wining time was 15:48.98.
In the men’s 800 Charlie Hunter of Oregon had to come from
behind to claim victory. Finley McLear of Miami of Ohio looked heading into the
final lap to be the winner of the 800 and shock everyone at home watching.
Hunter in the final stretch slightly outkicked and out leaned McLear to win
1:45.90 to 1:45.91. McLear is certainly a new name and will be interesting to
watch later this outdoor season. Hunter’s ten points added to the impressive
performance the Ducks had throughout the weekend.
In the mile Cole Hocker of Oregon stepped up a big way. He
outlasted the field and had an impressive final few laps courtesy his strong
kick. The sophomore won with a time of 3:53.71 setting a meet record. Hocker
turned around and defeated his teammate Cooper Teare to win the 3,000 as well
with a time of 7:46.15. His teammate Cooper Teare who only ran the 3,000 had the
lead in the race with the final two laps to go. It took the final stretch for
Hocker to outkick and surpass his teammate to highlight the impressive weekend
he had.
In the 5,000 Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State left little doubt
that he felt that he was the best in the field. The junior decided to lead from
the gun and never relinquished his lead. He ran an impressive race that led to
a meet record time of 13:23.77.
In the shot-put Turner Washington of Arizona State lived up
to the top billing he developed after breaking the NCAA record. He was the only
athlete with a mark over 70 feet with his final mark of 70 feet and 1 inch. Adrian
Piperi of Texas did not qualify to compete with the final eight. Leaving the competition
all to Washington who proved to be the best in class.
In the weight throw Thomas Mardal of Florida was being counted
for team points. The senior got things started for Florida in a great way by
winning with a mark of 80 feet 3 inches. Mardal was the only athlete over 80
feet as predicted.
In the women’s shot-put Adelaide Aquilla of Ohio State took
down defending champion and number one ranked Samantha Noennig of Arizona. The
junior launched a winning throw 59 feet 5 ½ inches. Aquilla’s mark was a
personal best. Noennig finished second with a mark of 58 feet ½ inch.
In the weight throw neither Shay Taiwo nor Jasmine Mitchell
of Ole Miss were able to claim the title. It was Louisville senior Makenli
Forest who stunned the field with her winning throw of 76 feet 3 ¼ inches. She
hit that mark on her last throw to surpass Rachel Tanczos of Notre Dame who
finished second. Forest mark is also the best mark throughout the collegiate
season.
The distance medley relay was an exciting race for both men
and women. In the women’s DMR the home team Arkansas were heavy favorites.
Heading into the 800 meter leg the Razorbacks looked to be in great position. BYU
had a strong 800 leg from Lauren Ellsworth. She chipped away at the lead from
Arkansas and handed the baton off dead even. Courtney Wayment outdueled Krissy
Gear and with a half a mile to go took a commanding lead and never let up. The
Cougars clocked an impressive time of 10:52.96.
In the 4x400 relay USC and Texas A&M traded leads
throughout the race. USC led on 1st and 3rd legs while
Texas A&M led on the 2nd and anchor leg. Courtesy of 49.5 anchor
split from Athing Mu the Texas A&M Aggie surged past USC to victory with a
meet record time of 3:26.68.
In the men’s Distance Medley we thought there could be a
potential upset. Oregon did not dominate like expected. North Carolina and Ole
Miss just would not quit. Ole Miss never led at any point in the race however
North Carolina did. After a strong 400-meter leg North Carolina had the lead
going into the 800-meter leg. Their 1200 runner Allen Siegler went out perhaps
to hard as he began to fade in the final two laps. In the mile and the final leg
of the relay Oregon’s Cooper Teare outlasted Mario Garcia Romo to win with a
meet record time 9:19.98. Ole Miss was second with a time of 9:20.75.
In the 4x400 relay North Carolina A&T certainly proved
they were worthy of the hype. The Aggies led two legs in the race, both 2nd
and Anchor legs. Courtesy of a 44.67 anchor leg from Trevor Stewart. The Aggies
surged past Kentucky to victory with a time of 3:03.16.
TEAM RACE
Congratulations to Arkansas Women and Oregon Men. Both
programs lived up to their number one ranking by winning the national title.
Oregon claimed victory in the 800, mile, 3k, DMR, 60-meter dash and the triple
jump. They scored a whopping 79 points in route to an impressive dominant
victory. The Arkansas women scored 68 points and won by sheer volume. The Lady
Razorbacks had no individual victories or relay victories but did collect a lot
of points in a multitude of events.
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