49.51! 53.23!
We are in the heart of the regular outdoor season, and we
had some solid performances this past weekend. A total of 22 new number one
performances were produced and we are getting some key puzzle pieces being
placed together as we draw closer to championship season one month from now. I
know that I owe you a development article and that is still coming. In this
post however we will discuss those 22 new number one performances. Before I do that,
I want to clarify some of the details regarding the rankings. I will not count
wind-aided times. If wind is a factor, it must be wind legal for me. The times
and jumps produced are all wind legal.
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Women
200 Meter Dash- Julien Alfred is having quite the year. As
if her collegiate career wasn’t already spectacular prior to this year. This
season she has shifted into another gear. The star senior began the weekend
with a bang at the Tom Jones Memorial by running a time of 21.91. That is the
earliest sub 22 performance in collegiate history and ranks her second all time
behind only Abby Steiner. Alfred did follow her Friday performance with a wind-aided
10.72 to win the 100. It is fair to speculate that we may see a 10.6 mark from
Alfred later this season.
400 Meter Dash/400 Hurdles- Britton Wilson is my highlighted
athlete because I have never seen such an impressive weekend with two challenging
events. She broke the NCAA outdoor record in the 400 with a time of 49.51 to
start her weekend. Then she followed that up with a time of 53.23 in the 400
hurdles. That time is second all-time and I am convinced she not only will break
Sydney McLaughlin’s collegiate record of 52.75 but I am predicting here and now
a sub 52 performance this season. Wilson is a star!
Men
100 Meter Dash- Terrence Jones of Texas Tech by way of the
Bahamas is the latest star to set the collegiate world ablaze with his speed.
After a late season indoor surge that saw him win the NCAA title in the 60 meters,
he has followed his indoor performance with two NCAA leading marks in the 100
and 200. At the Tom Jones Memorial on the campus of Florida Jones blasted off a
winning 100-meter time of 9.91. His time was wind-legal and not only leads the
NCAA but the world as well. He tied the national mark for Bahamas and should
have an impressive collegiate career as well as professional.
400 Meter Dash- Emmanuel Bynum of Tennessee is the latest 400-meter
star under coach Duane Ross. Ross who had a stellar program at North Carolina
A&T and who is now at the University of Tennessee is clearly establishing a
similar strength at Tennessee. Bynum won against a strong field at the Tom Jones
Memorial with a time of 44.67. Bynum’s time is now the fastest collegiate and
American time and a name we must familiarize ourselves with.
110 Hurdles- Like his teammate Bynum Devon Brooks of Tennessee
is a part of what a resurging Tennessee Vols program. Brooks who previously
competed for Clemson is now the national leader in the high hurdles after his
winning performance at the Tom Jones Memorial clocking in at 13.26. His time is
good enough to win a national title now but expect for it to be lowered later
in the season. Being coached by a former Olympic hurdler has its perks.
DISTANCE
Women
800 Meter Run- Michaela Rose of LSU has mentioned on this
blog several times throughout the year. She is a threat to win the NCAA title
and continues that tradition of strong 800 runners for LSU. Rose this past
weekend at the Bryan Clay invitational became the all-time great for LSU with a
school record and national leading time of 1:59.08. She finished second in the
race to professional Nikki Hiltz who just edged her with a time of 1:59.03. It
goes without saying how impressive her mark is at this point in the season.
Rose will likely lower this mark and she is firmly in the national driver’s
seat of the 800.
5,000 Meter Run- The 5k at the Bryan Clay invitational produced
the national leader in Everlyn Kemboi of Utah Valley. A name not mentioned on
this blog ever. She has been an elite level collegiate runner qualifying the
NCAA Outdoor Championships last season and winning the 3k and 5k indoors at the
WAC Indoor Championships. Now with a time of 15:20.67 used to win the Bryan
Clay Invitational Kemboi is certainly a name we will likely hear and see again.
3,000 Meter Steeplechase- A new champion will be crowned
this year after Courtney Wayment of BYU has graduated and moved on. Elise Thorner
of distance power New Mexico may have raised her hand to be the new star of the
event. Thorner ran a strong race at the Bryan Clay invitational to win with a
national leading time of 9:39.39. Thorner a junior and returning All-American
has rightfully earned our attention and we should give it.
Men
800 Meter Run- Tarees Rhoden of Clemson has been mentioned
here before. He had an impressive indoor season that not only saw him earn
All-American honors but win the ACC title as well. Against a strong field at
the Tom Jones Memorial that included a few All-Americans Rhoden produced the
top time with 1:46.20. Clemson Head Coach Mark Elliott is no stranger to producing
strong 800 runners. Rhoden is clearly his next protégé after another impressive
weekend is added to a solid 2023 resume.
1,500 Meter Run- Fouad Messaoudi of Oklahoma State is having
quite the year. Fresh off his 3,000-meter NCAA indoor title Messaoudi debuted
outdoors in the 1,500, his signature outdoor event, with a time of 3:35.16. His
impressive time was garnered at the Bryan Clay invitational where he was the
top collegiate but finished second to Cooper Teare who is now professional.
Messaoudi is having a spectacular year and I believe it will continue. A 3:35
this early in the season is an impressive time.
5,000 Meter Run- Senior Brian Fay of Washington is an impressive
runner and has had a solid career. He is the defending 3,000-meter steeplechase
Pac-12 champion and he is an all-American. He has produced quality over every
distance. He was a part of Washington’s impressive group of sub-4 minute milers
this past indoor season and now he has broken out to be the top 5k runner. He
claimed victory at the Bryan Clay invitational with a time of 13:21.99. As
great as that time and performance is, it is still not his personal best. The
best is yet to come for Mr. Fay and will he still run the 5k knowing his success
as a steeplechaser.
JUMPS
Women
High Jump- Lamara Distin of Texas A&M is back where she
belongs, at the top of the NCAA High Jump list. After winning the NCAA Indoor
title, Distin did not make an appearance outdoors until this weekend. That means
no Texas Relays. Distin finished the high jump at the Mt. Sac Relays with a
jump of 6 feet 4 inches (1.93m) as the top collegian. She finished 2nd
overall with professional and former NCAA Champion jumper Vashti Cunningham
winning with a mark of 6 feet 6 (1.98m). Distin is the defending champion, and
this is a strong start to her outdoor season.
Long Jump- Jasmine Moore of Florida had the furthest jump at
the Tom Jones Memorial this past weekend with a leap of 22 feet 11 inches
(6.98m), however her mark is wind-aided. The top wind legal mark was Claire
Bryant her teammate who leaped to 22 feet 1 ¾ inches (6.97m) to finish third
overall and second amongst collegians. At some point during the season Moore
will likely take the top ranking, she is the defending champion and has had an
impressive year. Keep an eye on Bryant though she has also had an impressive
career and is not to far behind Moore.
Triple Jump- Mikeisha Welcome of Georgia put the Georgia
jump squad back in the highlights. The super junior claimed the triple jump
title at the Mt. Sac Relays with her mark of 46 feet 2 inches (14.07m). The
talented junior is the first 46-foot jumper of the outdoor season.
Pole Vault- Nastassja Campbell of Washington has not been
mentioned here in a while. Campbell formerly of Arkansas, a great vaulting
program is now competing for the Washington Huskies. She returned to a familiar
place this weekend, back at the top of the NCAA rankings. At the Mt. Sac Relays
Campbell nearly leaped 15 feet with her winning mark of 14 feet 11 inches (4.55m).
Campbell is a welcome addition to this blog and I expect her to return here
soon.
Men
Long Jump- Jeremiah Davis of Florida State has been
mentioned her multiple times and I suspect he will continue to be. The talented
jumper won the Tom Jones Memorial long jump with a leap of 26 feet 10 ½ inches
(8.19m). This was his outdoor debut and a strong won it was. Perhaps he got his
season started a month later due to his plans to compete for Team USA, after
jumping 27 feet indoors he should certainly strongly consider.
Triple Jump- Russell Robinson of Miami had just been mentioned
her last week and here he is back at again. It was his debut last week on this
blog but now he is becoming a name I cannot forget. The jumper from Miami
leaped to a national leading mark at the Mt. Sac Relays with 56 feet 2 inches (17.12m),
to finish 2nd overall. The mark is a new personal best and he only lost
to previous NCAA Champion and no pro Emmanuel Ihemeje.
THROWS
Women
Shot Put- A new week and a new leader in the women’s shot
put. This is also the first time she has been mentioned here, Josie Schafer of Wisconsin.
Schafer claimed the Mt. Sac Relays title with a throw of 62 feet 3 ¼ inches
(18.98m). Schafer has All-American credentials but this past weekend’s mark
sets the senior apart.
Men
Shot Put- After climbing to the top of the rankings last
week in the Hammer Throw, Jordan Geist of Arizona reclaimed his top spot in the
Shot Put. Geist won the Mt. Sac Relays with a throw of 69 feet 8 ¾ inches (21.25m).
It is only a matter of time before he is in the 70-foot range again.
MULTI’S
Heptathlon- Allie Jones of USC had an impressive win
claiming the Mt. Sac Relays Heptathlon title. She cored a total of 6,217
points. The senior was the top performer in four events. Jones is a All-American
transfer from Stanford and having her name in the rankings should come as no surprise
but her performance was quite impressive.
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