2022 NCAA Outdoor Championship Review

 FLORIDA GATORS!

(NCAA Outdoor Champions-Florida Gators)

What a season we had. The regular season gave us exciting stories seemingly every week. The post season has been even more intense. The conversations and speculation throughout the weekend have been fun. The expectation I set was that it would be an incredible record-breaking weekend and it certainly was. In this post we are going to recap the entire NCAA Championship, fair warning this will be a long post.

SPRINTS

Women

My prediction for the champion of the 100-meter dash was Julian Alfred of Texas and to my joy it was Alfred who claimed victory in 11.02. She blasted off with a strong start, but Kemba Nelson of Oregon was able to go with her all the way to the line. Alfred won by mere thousandths of seconds, but the victory was hers.

In the 200 it was a SEC rematch between Favour Ofili of LSU, the NCAA record holder, and Abby Steiner of Kentucky. Steiner set the indoor record and was virtually unbeatable throughout the indoor season. In the outdoors Ofili has defeated her at every stop including setting the NCAA record with a time of 21.96. Steiner got major payback by blasting off to a time of 21.80. Ofili is the first official sub 22 second NCAA sprinter, but Steiner now owns the indoor and outdoor NCAA record. Steiner used a strong curb and power down the backstretch.

Talitha Diggs claimed the indoor title and was the preseason outdoor favorite. She had a bit of a slow start in the 400 falling to number one ranked Charokee Young of Texas A&M and Britton Wilson of Arkansas. Diggs proved during the indoor season that she is a champion runner and claimed the victory with a strong race in a time of 49.99. It was the last 120 meters where she proved her endurance strength and outran the competition.

Men

Micah Williams of Oregon had everything going in his direction. He was the favorite to win the men’s 100 title on his home field. Oregon is very supportive of their local talent, and it seemed as if Williams was going to be next sprint king. In the finals that was not the case, he got a decent start but never relaxed. Joseph Fahnbulleh of Florida had a terrible start, but he is known for his freight train of a close and used it here to claim victory in a time of 10.0. Keep in mind that Fahnbulleh did not even qualify for the finals in the SEC Championship. Fahnbulleh turned right around and defended his 200-meter title with a time of 19.83. Just like the 100-meter dash it was his finish that helped him secure victory.

In the 400 Champion Allison of Florida ran an incredible semi-final race with a time of 44.29 ahead of Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T. Ross the wise veteran saved the best for last. In the final out of lane 8 of 9 Ross outran Allison in the final 100 meters to a time of 44.13. Ross has run sub 44 before but it was clear he has been pushing towards having a better outdoor season against the professionals, especially since the USATF Championships are in a couple weeks.

HURDLES

Women

The 100-meter hurdles have been dominated by Alia Armstrong of LSU all season long. With Grace Stark out after an injury at the SEC Championships, Armstrong chances for victory noticeably increased. Armstrong clearly took advantage beating the field out of the blocks and holding on for victory in a time of 12.57. Jasmine Jones of USC closed strong with a time of 12.66 but Armstrong’s victory was never in doubt.

In the 400-meter hurdles Florida star Anna Hall took on the great challenge of running the 400 hurdles right before running the 800 meters of the heptathlon. Britton Wilson of Arkansas dropped the open 400 an event she was ranked number two in the country in and an event she won at the SEC Championship. Wilson used her fresh legs to dominate the field with a time of 53.86. Hall gave a valiant effort competing in both the heptathlon and 400 hurdles by finishing second with a time of 54.76.

Men

Trey Cunningham of Florida State has been so dominant in the high hurdles this season, both indoors and outdoors. Many, including myself believed that Cunningham could have broken the NCAA record at the Eastern Regional had it not been for the headwind. No athlete has been in his class the entire season. Eric Edwards of LSU had a great outdoor season that was overshadowed by Cunningham’s great season. Edwards claimed the SEC title and the story that weekend was Trey Cunningham. Edwards proved his worth this past weekend, he beat Cunningham out of the blocks and to the first hurdle. Cunningham caught up with him and they matched stride for stride until the last hurdle that Edwards clipped, and Cunningham claimed victory 13.00-13.15.

In the 400-meter hurdles my prediction was Moitalel Mpoke of Texas A&M with a darkhorse featuring defending champion Sean Burrell of LSU. Mpoke was unable to qualify to the final round and Burrell had his then seasonal best time in the semi-finals and qualifies second overall. Burrell who had some health challenges early in the season seemed to round into shape at the meet. His technique was not as flawless, but that championship level heart cannot be matched by anyone. He successfully defended his title with a time of 48.70.

DISTANCE

Women

The 800 was a wide-open race but I did believe that Sarah Hendrick of Kennesaw State had what it took to claim the title. I was wrong, a surprise personal best performance from senior Kristie Schoffield of Boise State claimed victory in a time of 2:01.09. Schoffield had an incredible kick, and no one was able to reel her in. Hendrick finished fifth with a time of 2:02.19, it was a still a good race.

In the 1,500 Sintaheyu Vissa of Ole Miss entered the race as the favorite when Katelyn Touhy of NC State dropped to focus solely on the 5,000. Vissa did not disappoint running a smart race to claim victory in a time of 4:09.42. She was able to outlast runner up Micaela Degenero of Colorado who ran a time of 4:09.62. Ten ladies in the race ran a seasonal best or personal best alleviating to the quality of the field Vissa defeated.

The 5,000 was dominated by underclassmen. Distance star sophomore Katelyn Touhy of NC State dropped the 1,500 to focus on the 5,000 and it was clear that it was the right decision to make. Touhy won by pushing the pace to her liking and outlasting the field with a dominant performance clocking in at 15:18.39. True freshman Parker Valby of Florida finished second with a time a 15:20.10. Touhy is proving to be a real championship level performer. The tougher the field, the tougher she gets.

I said in the preview, and I will say it again here. To me there is no more grueling race than the 10,000-meter run. With the marathon you have scenic route, with the 10,000 it is 25 laps around the same track. The race is so grueling and demanding that is not run during the indoor season. It requires incredible focus, discipline, patience, and endurance. Mercy Chalangat of Alabama possess that skill. She is always near the top in her races but the 10,000 is where she remains queen. The talented junior by way of Kenya ran a seasonal best race to claim victory with a time of 32:37.08. It was a seasonal best performance.

Courtney Wayment BYU had a disappointing ending to her 2021 season. She was the favorite going into the meet but was outdone in the final lap. This year she left nothing to chance. Dominating the field and race with a time of 9:16.00. Her time is a meet and NCAA record. Her race was a perfect way to end an incredible career at BYU. She defeated the field by over 9 seconds and even celebrated crossing the finish line. This is not the last we have heard from Wayment.

Men

Moad Zahafi of Texas Tech had a disappointing ending to his indoor season. He was expected to challenge Texas A&M star Brandon Miller in the 800. This outdoor season he has certainly proved to be the superior runner this season. Zahafi had run his personal best this season, 1:43.69. In the finals he made his kick around the final 200-meter mark. He never let up after that, claiming the NCAA title with a time of 1:44.49. It is another sub 1:45 performance on the season for Zahafi. Miller would go on to finish third with a time of 1:45.09.

The distance program at Washington is certainly headed to new heights. Already a competitive program it is clear that Washington is headed to an even higher level. In the 1,500 that was ever so evident with three strong competitors. Leading the pack of Huskies was Joe Waskom. Waskom made his move around the final 250-meter mark by swinging outside and sprinting ahead and was able to hold of favorite Mario Garcia Romo of Ole Miss. Romo was boxed in and had to be smart about getting out of the box, he closed hard on Waskom but was unable to close the gap. Washington had two other runners in the race finish 5^th and 7^th, a total of 16 points in one event.

Morgan Beadlescomb of Michigan State had a great regular indoor season. He did not finish the indoor season the way he would have hoped. The outdoor season was a chance for him to turn that around. In the 5,000 he was among the favorite to win along with fellow Big Ten star Olin Hacker of Wisconsin. A smart and tactical race by both runners came down to the final bell lap. Beadlescomb led at the bell and held off Hacker for 300 meters. In the final 100 meters Hacker outkicked Beadlescomb to claim the victory in a time of 13:27.73.

Dylan Jacobs of Notre Dame was certainly a name worth mentioning, but not necessarily for the NCAA title in the 10,000. With Abdihamid Nur of Northern Arizona having a remarkable indoor championship season the expectation was for Nur to ride the wave of success that he has had outdoors to another NCAA title. Jacobs instead was the winner with a time of 28:12.32. This feat is all the more impressive since this is not an event he often runs. Jacobs ran a more gutsy race and was rewarded with an NCAA title.

The 3,000-meter steeplechase did not have a clear leader in the field until late in the regular season. Eastern Kentucky junior Ahmed Jaziri became that guy. Jaziri outdueled his competitor to a new personal best tie of 8:18.70. Two other athletes joined Jaziri in runner sub 8:20 showing the depth and class of the field. Duncan Hamilton of Montana State and Parker Stokes of Georgetown gave Jaziri all that he could handle.

JUMPS

Women

Lamara Distin of Texas A&M had what you could describe as flawless. The talented high jumper by way of Jamaica continued her winning ways by claiming the NCAA title with a jump of 6 feet 4 ¾ inches (1.95m). The talented jumper had no misses the entire competition until everyone was out and she attempted 6 feet 6 ¾ inches (2.0m).

Perhaps the most impressive jumping performance came from Florida’s Jasmine Moore. After sweeping the indoor titles in both the long jump and triple jump, sweeping the outdoor titles appeared to be more challenging particularly in the long jump. Nonetheless Moore found herself the victor in the long jump with a mark of 22 feet 0 ¾ inches (6.72m) and the triple jump with a mark of 46 feet 11 ¾ inches (14.32m). Neither are personal bests, but they are still big-time marks at a key moment. She provided the Gators with 20 huge points.

Heading into the meet in my preview I mentioned two athletes who have gone over 15 feet this season, defending champion Lisa Gunnarson of LSU and Gabriella Leon of Louisville. Leon was my pick because of her performance during the postseason. She continued her winning ways following the ACC title to become the only athlete at the meet over 15 feet with a winning mark of 15 feet 1 inch (4.60m). The senior found the perfect way to end a strong career.

Men

Tejaswin Shankar of Kansas State has been in the mix in the high jump every year since his freshman year. Vernon Turner of Oklahoma took the season by storm including winning the indoor title. Shankar would not let that phase him and claimed the NCAA title with a jump of 7 feet 5 ¼ inches (2.27m). Shankar last won the NCAA title his freshman year, 2018. Turner finished fourth.

Sondre Guttormsen of Princeton was a surprise winner this past indoor season but not a surprise winner this outdoor season. No outdoor 19-foot jump yet but he was able to outlast the competition with his mark of 18 feet 10 ¼ inches (5.75m). Brother Simen finished fourth.

In the long jump as expected Tennessee was well represented with freshman Wayne Pinnock claiming the title with a mark of 26 feet 3 inches (8.0m). Although Jeremiah Davis of Florida State would tie his mark, Davis second best jump does not surpass Pinnock. Giving Pinnock the title. Teammates Carey McLeod finished fourth and Anthony Riley was eighth. A total of 16 points.

The triple jump had defending champion Emmanuel Ihemeje of Oregon versus Chengetayi Mayapa of TCU challenging each other again. This time Mayapa would be the winner. Mayapa would wrestle the lead away of Ihemeje on his third jump which was his best of the competition, 56 feet 7 ½ inches (17.26). Ihemeje would finish with a best of 55 feet 10 ½ inches (17.03m). After chasing Ihemeje for the better part of two years Mayapa has finally garnered victory.

THROWS

Women

Camryn Rogers of California now owns the top 10 marks in NCAA history. The NCAA record holder continued her record-breaking dominance by claiming the NCAA title with another national record. It was her fifth throw of the competition, and she launched a mark of 254 feet 10 inches (77.67m). She almost won the competition by 10 feet.

In the shot-put defending champion senior Adelaide Aquilla of Ohio State left no doubt that she was the best. After her stunning defeat indoors, she has made it a point to consistently perform at or near a champions level every outing. She hit a mark of 64 feet 5 ¼ inches (19.64m) which is now not only the NCAA meet record but also the Collegiate record as well.

Jorinde Van Klinken of Arizona State would rebound in the discus after finishing second in the shot put. The senior had a winning throw of 203 feet 11 inches (62.16m). Van Klinken is the latest throws champion from Arizona State which has produced a stunning number of champions. She was the only athlete in the field over 200 feet indicating how strong her performance was.

The Javelin had no true favorite and Ashton Riner of BYU took advantage of that. Riner wasted no time claiming victory on her first throw with a mark of 191 feet 1 inch (58.24m). Riner ends her BYU career as a NCAA Champion.

Men

Logan Blomquist of Southeast Missouri was the favorite heading into the finals of the hammer throw and would certainly live up to the hype. Blomquist had a personal best throw of 240 feet 8 inches (73.37m) to win the NCAA title. He entered the meet as the only guy over 240 feet and he will remain that way.

Marc Minichello of Penn stunned pre meet favorite Ethan Dabbs of Virginia in the Javelin. Minichello took the lead with his third throw of 266 feet 3 inches (81.17m) to claim the NCAA title. It was Minichello’s personal best and enough to win. Dabbs was second with a throw of 261 feet 5 inches (79.68m)

I fully expected for NCAA record holder Turner Washington of Arizona State to defend his national title. Adrian Piperi of Texas had other ideas. The senior from Texas remains the only 70-foot thrower on the season with his wining mark of 70 feet 7 ¼ inches (21.52m). Washington finished second with a season best thrown of 69 feet 0 ¾ inches (21.05m) Piper had quite the senior year and certainly leaves on top.

In the discus the favorite entering the meet was freshman Mykolas Alekna of California. It would be another freshman from Virginia in Claudio Romero would find his way to victory. On his second throw he would claim the lead and never relinquish it. His mark was 217 feet 1 inch (66.17m). Alekna would finish runner up.

MULTI’S

The decathlon was an exciting competition. Ayden Owens-Dularme of Arkansas, Kyle Garland of Georgia and Leo Neugebauer of Texas all did battle for the title. Garland entered the meet as favorite having broken the NCAA record just a month earlier to qualify for the World Championships. It was however Owens-Dularme’s meet. After a successful championship indoor season, he follows that up with an outdoor title scoring a total of 8,457 points tying Ashton Eaton’s NCAA meet record. Owens-Dularme finished in the top ten in nine of the ten events he contested, including two victories in the 100 and 400. It was an impressive performance. Neugebauer would also have a personal best performance to finish second with a total of 8,362 points and Garland finished third.

In the women’s heptathlon Anna Hall of Florida simply dominated the meet. She had quite the weekend when it was clear that after she ran the 400 hurdles, she would only have 20 minutes to rest to prepare for the final event in the heptathlon the 800. She has had record breaking 800 meter runs but no one expected a personal best performance after running such a grueling race. Hall finished first in three of seven events and finished in the top 10 in the remainder. That’s even more impressive because she outdid some of her competitors in the 800 running with nearly an empty tank. Hall was still the only athlete over 6,000 points with a total of 6,385.

RELAYS

The women’s 4x100 relay victor, Texas was no surprise. The only surprise is that they did not go under 42 seconds. They were still spectacular with a time of 42.42. The weather likely played a factor, still a impressive performance nonetheless thanks to a stellar start from Julien Alfred.

In the 4x400 relay NCAA record holders Kentucky would not be denied thanks to a 48.9 leg from Abby Steiner. Kentucky claimed the event with a time of 3:22.55. Texas and Arkansas gave strong chase but were unable to challenge Kentucky.

On the men’s side Florida entered the race as favorites and perhaps would have claimed the title had they had a better final exchange. The Gators still finished second with a time of 38.52. USC won the NCAA title for the first time since 1980, over 40 years. Their victorious time of 38.49 was made more impressive since they had no one in the 100-meter final. Also, they did not have their top runner in Davone Burnett who was injured at the Pac-12 championship meet.

Florida would get revenge in the 4x400 relay defeating USC with a time of 2:58.88. The Gators remain the only team in NCAA history with times under 2:59, they are the new NCAA record holders and NCAA Championship meet record holders. 400 runner-up Champ Allison ran an anchor split of 44.06 pulling away in the final 100 meters.

TEAM TITLE

It was Florida all the way in both men’s and women’s competition. The men had to solely rely on their sprinters. Their outstanding jump core was unable to qualify outside of Regionals and their hurdlers were not able to qualify as well. Thanks to three victories and a pair of runner-up performances and 5^th place score in the 100 they scored a total of 54 points, enough to win the title. The women would overwhelm their competition. Four NCAA titles from Anna Hall, Talitha Diggs and two from Jasmine Moore was 40 points alone. The Gators scored a total of 74 points to claim the title. Both programs will return a large talent pool along with some strong incoming recruits.