2019 NCAA Division 1 Indoor Preview

LYNNA IRBY

Welcome to 2019, what a season this should be. The past few seasons we have season the NCAA record book change consistently almost every week. There are still old records left to be broken and it remains to be seen if this is the season for those old records to fall. The team title on both sides is wide open with major transfers from not only athletes but coaches as well. Although the indoor season started in December 2018 we are heading into the first full week of the indoor season.

60 Meter Dash

On the women’s side Natalliah Whyte of Auburn by way of Jamaica stormed onto the scene last scene. As a stellar freshman she clocked in at 7.12 finishing 2^nd last indoor season. Although sprints coach Henry Rolle has left and now focusing on professional sprinters, head coach Ralph Spry should still be able to coach her to championship form. Kortnei Johnson of LSU is her main challenger and the top returner for the Lady Tigers. Former NCAA Champion from 2016 Teahna Daniels of Texas who is now under new head coach Edrick Floreal.

On the men’s side there is Andre Ewers of Florida State and Raheem Chambers now of Miami formerly of Auburn. Ewers is named to the preseason Bowerman’s list and has been nothing but sensational. The talented sprinter dipped under 10 seconds in the 100 and 20 seconds in the 200. He is the only returning athlete to do so. His personal record time of 6.52 will likely improve and we may see him run 6.4. Chambers is now under new tutelage having left Auburn, while under a new coaching staff it remains to be seen what he will do but we know he can run 6.53 and challenge Ewers for the title.

200 Meter Dash

Lynna Irby of Georgia will have all eyes on her. The talented sophomore burst onto the scene as a freshman setting records in both the 400 and 200. She set an NCAA record in the open 400 last outdoor season. Irby is the lead candidate to complete the long sprint double. NCAA Champion from 2017 Ariana Washington is looking to rebound and push Oregon towards another Championship after an eventful offseason. Also, we must not forget the 2018 outdoor champion in Angerlene Annelus of USC, she has already beaten Irby one on one. Annelus can use the indoor season to prove her win was no fluke.

Divine Oduduru of Texas Tech was the darling of this event for men for majority of the year last indoor season. At the championship meet Eli Hall flew past him for a NCAA/World record mark of 20.02 indoors. Oduduru who is from Nigeria was able to redeem himself by winning the outdoor title over Ewers of Florida State. This could be round two of their battle and a new NCAA/World record maybe established to win.

400 Meter Dash

Irby as previously stated is the highlight here on the women’s side of this season. After chasing Sydney McLaughlin and Kendall Ellis she is now alone at the top. As the top returnee on the only athlete in the field who ran under 51 seconds indoors this looks to be her best event to win. Sharrika Barnett of Florida will be close behind and will look to close out a stellar career in style. Barnett has had an impressive career that includes a SEC title but she is missing a national title and it will require a personal record to take down Irby.

Last year was another record breaking year in this event on the men’s side. Michael Norman set the world record indoors in this event and broke the NCAA record outdoors as well. Kahmari Montgomery of Houston is the top returnee. After having been overshadowed by the stellar work of Norman last year all eyes will be on him this season. Wil London of Baylor a senior who has previously made Team USA in the event will be a solid challenge as both will look to close out their senior years in style.

800 Meter Run

Both sexes have broken the NCAA record in the event in the past two years. Jazmine Fray for women of Texas A&M and Michael Saruni for UTEP. Saruni is the defending champion and will have all eyes on his this indoor season with Marco Arop of Mississippi State chasing. Fray is a different story, although she is the indoor record holder she has no national titles to her credit. Her talented teammate Sammy Watson and Danae Rivers of Penn State will likely challenge her for the title. If there is any event that has a record more under threat it would be this one.

Mile

Dani Jones

Dani Jones of Colorado is the favorite for women to win this race. She is the top returnee in the event and is coming off a stellar cross-country campaign that saw her win the NCAA title both individually and as a team. Jones will like to add another NCAA title to her trophy case here. Millie Paladino of Providence is the only returnee capable of competing with Jones.

Johnathan Davis of Illinois is the top returnee based on time in the mile in an event that technically is wide open. The former NCAA Champion Josh Kerr turned professional early leaving a major void in the event. Kasey Kevelbaard of Southern Utah should challenge.

3,000/5,000

There is the potential for two double champions. Ednah Kurgat of New Mexico along with her teammate Weini Kelati are top returnees in both events. Kelati is coming of a stellar cross-country campaign where she finished 2^nd at the national meet. Both events will have new champions and it is possible that either Kurgat of Kelati could win both or they could split events.

Grant Fisher is the big gun in the longer distance races. Fisher finished 2^nd at the NCAA Cross Country Championship and is the top returnee in the 3,000 from last indoor season and in the 5,000 last outdoor season. Each event will present a challenge, in the 3,000 Cameron Griffith from Arkansas and in the 5,000 Vincent Kiprop of Alabama. It remains to be seen if he competes in both events but for now he is the favorite.

60 Hurdles

Payton Chadwick of Arkansas returns as the defending champion on the women’s side. Chadwick has sub 23 second speed in the 200 and the height to improve greatly in the event. After having clocked 7.93 last season we should not be surprised to see if she goes under 7.9. On her heels will be Anna Cockrell of USC who finished in a closed second last season. Also, Dior Hall and Channel Brissett of USC will be challengers as well.

Grant Holloway

Grant Holloway of Florida is the two-time defending champion. He has won every NCAA Championship race since he arrived as a freshman. Now as a junior and the NCAA record holder he is still the favorite to win. However, he will not be without challenge, Trey Cunningham is now a sophomore and will have adjusted to the increase in height. Chad Zallow of Youngstown State has also been chasing Holloway, the talented sprint hurdler from Ohio is now a senior and has one last shot to win the title.

High Jump

Nicole Greene of North Carolina is the defending champion for the women’s high jump. She had a season’s best of 6’2 last indoor season and went into the championship meet ranked number three but came out on top. Zarriea Willis of Texas Tech had the higher ranking but was unable to out jump Greene. Both are seniors looking to end their indoor careers with a bang.

A new champion will be crowned now that Randall Cunningham of USC has exhausted his indoor eligibility. He is also recovering from a devastating leg injury that he sustained while winning the NCAA title. Vernon Turner who was a stud as a freshman returns as the top performer from last season. He will have to deal with the outdoor champion Tejaswin Shankar of Kansas State. Shankar who set the Indian National Record last season indoor season will look to avenge his lost.

Pole Vault

Mondo Duplantis of LSU is perhaps the most talked about freshman in the NCAA this season. He is already a American National Record Holder and World Junior Record Holder. He has already been added to the Bowerman Watch List. He is number two all-time on the outdoor world list. His accolades go on and on. With a personal best of 19-10 ¼ he is clearly the favorite to win the NCAA title. The defending champion Hussain Alhizam of Kansas will most certainly have his hands full.

Formerly known as the Weeks sisters, Alexis Jacobus and Victoria Hoggard of Arkansas have continued Arkansas strong tradition of great pole vaulters. They finished 1-2 last indoor season with Alexis setting a NCAA meet record with a mark of 15 feet 3 ½ inches. Olivia Gruver of Kentucky has the marks to compete with them as well but will hard pressed to surpass both Arkansas sisters.

Long Jump

Georgia has dominated the women’s jumps in recent years with Florida hot on their tails their entire way. With Tara Davis transferring to Texas and now ineligible for the 2019 indoor season all eyes point to Yanis David of Florida. She is the top returnee in the event and already the favorite to win the triple jump. The men of Florida have great success in both horizontal jumps it is now the women’s turn.

The long jump is another event that Grant Holloway has been a star in. However, he has yet to claim the long jump title. He finished 2^nd last season indoors and did not score outdoors hurting the Gators team title hopes. We do not know when he will decide to go the professional route this maybe his last opportunity to win the event. Charles Brown of Texas Tech is the top returnee and will have the help of his teammate Odaine Lewis to pressure Holloway. This event will be key for both universities in the team title chase.

Triple Jump

As stated previously Yanis David is the favorite to win the event. She spent the past few years chasing Keturah Orji. With Orji out of the way David steps into the forefront. She will not be without competition, Marie-Josee Ebewea-Bile of Kentucky is close behind and should be a strong challenger to David’s attempt on the jumps double.

O'Brien Wasome

O’Brien Wasome of Texas returns as the defending champion in the triple jump. He stunned KeAndre Bates last season by winning it all. After a disappointing outdoor season that did not even see him compete at the national meet Wasome will look to rebound this indoor season under a new coach. His coach Edrick Floreal is former NCAA Champion in the triple jump from the great Arkansas days and expect for him to impart great wisdom to Wasome. Chengetayi Mayuba of TCU will be there to challenge along with outdoor champion Tahar Triki of Texas A&M. Triki will be especially difficult for Wasome and could technically be considered the favorite after his great outdoor season. He was also absent during the indoor season making this event more interesting.

Shot Put

The shot put on the women’s side will birth a new star. With most of last year’s All-Americans and champions gone in this event it will be time for new blood to rise up. Lena Giger Stanford is the top returning All-American from last season. Not only does she have the rigors of a brutal academic load at Stanford but also the weight of being the top returnee. Kelly Sabin of Minnesota will be a quality challenger.

Denzel Comenentia of Georgia a huge part of their field event machine. He is also the defending outdoor champion and the runner up from last indoor season. As the top returnee from a school that produces great field athletes Comenentia will look to continue the tradition and live up to the hype. Last year’s freshman stud Jordan Geist will have something to say about that. He was not able to claim the title at either meet but was quite impressive as a freshman and is the next top returnee in the event.

Weight Throw

Sade Olatoye of Ohio State and Stamatia Scarrelis of Tennessee are the top returnees in this event. Like the shot put there is no returning champion and a new one will be crowned. Scarrelis has already gotten the season off to a good start with her early season throw of 72-5 ¼. Both can win the event and it is clear between the two there is no obvious favorite.

David Lucas of Penn State is the defending champion in the event. He also was not the conference champion. It was Michigan’s Joseph Ellis who won the Big Ten title and will be a strong challenger to Lucas this season. Also, there is Daniel Haugh of Alabama and Denzel Comenentia of Georgia looking for the chance to double.

Pentathlon

Payton Chadwick of Arkansas is also the number 1 ranked pentathlete with Nina Schulz not returning to Kansas State. Chadwick is well versed athlete with great speed, strength, endurance and jumping abilities. With another great off season of technical training beating Chadwick in this event will be extremely difficult. Michelle Atherley of Miami should be the primary challenger.

Heptathlon

Johannes Erm of Georgia is the latest multi-event athlete to come from Georgia. Georgia has done a great job over the years in this event with quite a few All-Americans and National Champions. As the top returnee Erm will look to continue the tradition. TJ Lawson of Kent State will be close behind. His personal best is only 50 points below, that could change with just improvement in one event. This event will go down to the wire.

RELAYS

Every year I do a preview for the relay events, this year I will post our predictions until around mid-season. With transfers and new freshman, it feels that this year is the best time to postpone that preview.

TEAM

Although the relays are postponed the team battle can be previewed. Currently Texas Tech has the number one ranking on the men’s side and defending champions Florida are 2^nd. Texas Tech returns a bevy of talent and is loaded. Texas Tech has room to spare in terms of errors, it will be interesting to see what happens come March, I will still rock with Florida. On the women’s side I do not see anyone other Arkansas. If you think Texas Tech is loaded, Arkansas is even more so. With great athletes in every area of the sport the Razorbacks have far more than any other team.

WEEKEND 1 RECAP

(Chad Zallow-Youngstown State)

Week 1 Performances of Note

It is becoming increasingly regular for many programs to begin their indoor season in the first two weeks of December. This gives the program an idea of where their athletes stand prior to the Winter Break. Every year there seems to be an athlete to steal the show for the weekend and gives an early note-worthy performance. This year there were several.

Chad Zallow (Youngstown State)- The talented hurdler who is now a senior is certainly a household name. He has been a threat to win the NCAA title for the past few years and has constantly earned top marks. This past weekend at the Youngstown State Icebreaker he set the NCAA leading time of 7.69 on his home track. Zallow most certainly will lower that time but that is an impressive time early in the season.

Brett Neelly (Kansas State)- Neelly had an impressive weekend on his home track. The talented thrower had an early impressive mark of 66 feet 1 ½ inches. His mark is a personal record either indoors or outdoors surpassing the mark he set at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships where he finished 2^nd. With this mark Neelly put the rest of the NCAA on notice.

Kenny Bednarek (Indian Hills CC)- Kenny Bednarek is a talented freshman competing on the JUCO level. He put up a monster 400-meter performance this past weekend clocking in at 45.93. The talented youngster from Wisconsin is a well-rounded sprinter capable of running short and long sprints. His time is all-time personal best in the event and likely will not be the last time we hear of him this season.

Mary Beth Sant (Colorado State)- Mary Beth Sant was a standout high school recruit in the short sprints out of Colorado. She was recruited by Oregon and eventually would sign. Although Oregon had proven with their recent success that they knew how to develop sprinters Sant was sort of the odd one out. She is now rebuilding her career in her home state of Colorado at Colorado State and this past weekend with a time of 7.26 in the 60-meter dash she is clearly on the right track. She should improve as the season goes on and be a name we hear of more than once.

Marie-Josee Excel (Kentucky)- One of the many talented athletes that stayed behind at Kentucky after Edrick Floreal left for Texas is Marie-Josee Excel. She has had a decorated career at Kentucky finishing near the top in either the triple jump or long jump. She began this season with a bang in the triple jump. This past weekend she leaped out to 45 feet 2 ½ inches. An impressive performance so early in the season. Although Yanis David of Florida is the current favorite she just proved that she is still here.

Welcome Back!

A new season is coming around the corner, or better yet it is here depending on where you attend school. We completed what was an exciting Cross-Country season and revving up to what should be an exciting Indoor and Outdoor Track season. There are quite a few new faces and a lot of old faces in few faces. This can be said for athletes as well as coaches. Before we do a preview, it would be best if we updated you on a few of the major changes happening in the collegiate track and field world.

FLO goes to TEXAS.

Former Stanford and Kentucky head coach Edrick Floreal was perhaps the biggest signing since Pat Henry left LSU for Texas A&M. Since Beverly Kearney stepped down from her very successful tenure at the University of Texas the Longhorns have struggled to maintain consistency within their coaching staffs and on the track. Mario Santenga stepped down early in the season and assistant head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey took the reigns as temporary head coach. Bailey’s tenure at Texas was pretty good with several big recruits and keeping the tradition of great Texas 400 runners and 4x400 relays. She also took Texas hurdling to a new level regularly having one of the deepest cores of hurdlers in the country.

However, the Athletic Department at Texas was used to a track team that was dominating the Big 12 and regularly competing for a national title. It was they are accustomed to in all sports and under Bev Kearney it was something they regularly achieved. As of late Texas has not been as national dominant as they would like, meanwhile rival Texas A&M is regularly competing for national titles. The hiring of Eldrick Floreal away from Kentucky was a huge boost. Floreal has had top tier hurdlers on every stop, and has done a great job of developing jumpers as well. He also brings with him a stellar sprint and distance coaching staff that have the tools to build a national power. With a strong incoming class that he did not even recruit expect for Texas to improve in several key areas.

JOANNA HAYES leaves USC

Joanna Hayes is UCLA alumni and one of their many Olympic Champions. She took over the role as USC hurdles coach under head coach Caryl Gilbert. She has elevated the program to a new level not only with recruiting but development of their hurdlers. She made the shocking announcement a few weeks ago that she was leaving USC to coach Sydney McLaughlin full time. She will still serve as a Volunteer Coach but focus on developing professional athletes. Skyler Willis was hired to be the new assistant coach.

There may not be a major change, but things will certainly be different. Hayes had one of the most dominant cores of hurdlers that included talented true freshman Chanel Brissett. Brissett went on to win the Pac-12 100-meter hurdle title as a freshman and will return this season as one of the top hurdlers in the NCAA. All that star talent for USC returns and it may be possible for the USC Trojans to get up to three All-Americans in one event.

SYD GOES PRO

It should not come as a shock to anyone that Sydney McLaughlin has turned pro. This talented young lady was an Olympian in the 400-meter hurdles while in high school. She clocked a new NCAA record in the event with a time of 52.75. McLaughlin was the top-rated competitor in the event and will be force to be reckoned with this summer at the World Championships.

BIG TIME TRANSFERS

There was more than just a flurry of coaches changing schools there were several noticeable athletes that made the change as well.

Michael Timpson Jr left the University of Florida to finish his final season at Florida State under his youth coach Ricky Argo. This is not a totally surprising move with Argo’s history of developing 100-meter sprinters Timpson may have felt that he was not being utilized to his full potential at Florida. The only shock is transferring from one rival to the other.

Arkansas saw three of star athletes leave, Obi Igbokwe to Houston, Carlton Orange to Texas A&M and Harrison Schrage to UCLA. Igbokwe has been a key part of the Arkansas sprint core and his absence will most certainly be felt in the 4x400 relay. Orange is a 1:46 800-meter runner and will be a threat to win the conference title, Schrage can jump pass 25 feet and is a potential All-American candidate. These three loses will certainly be felt by Arkansas, but the Razorbacks do have depth and quality recruiting. It remains to be seen if they can duplicate the success of those athletes.

TJ Brock left USC for TCU. This was a bit of a surprise, Brock had a pretty solid relationship with the coaching staff at USC and outside of injuries plaguing the early part of his career he seemed to be on the right path. A change in scenery to and change in coaching may help him ultimately meet his goals. Brock will likely be training with Nike star sprinter Ronnie Baker. He adds solid depth to an already impressive group of sprinters and will be immediately expected to compete for the Big 12 title in the short sprints.

Lauren Rain Williams was initially a USC commit but was released and allowed to sign with Oregon. After strong freshman campaign that saw her win the silver medal at the IAAF World Junior Championships the sophomore is ready to return to the top. The move to USC will hopefully help her do that.

*Oregon experienced their own mass exodus similar to that of Arkansas except perhaps even bigger. Star distance coaches Andy and Maurica Powell left the University of Oregon and accepting leading positions at the University of Washington. The spent a little over a decade at the University of Oregon developing them into a distance superpower again expect for those same results to follow them at Washington. Several distance stars have left Oregon to help ease the process, on the men’s side Washington native Tanner Anderson and Mick Stanovsek on the women’s side Lilli Burdon, Judy Pendergast and Katie Rainsberger. These are all quality athletes who will make an impact for Washington quickly.

There are a host of other quality transfers that we will likely explore later this season. Just keep your eyes open for the latest post. Our next post will be about the fantastic freshman that will be competing this upcoming season. Indoor is finally here, enjoy!

2018 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP

(USC 2018 Women's NCAA Champions)

Incredible. That word came out of my mouth more than a few times this weekend. The NCAA Outdoor season has completed and the championship meet ended the season with a bang. There were more NCAA records, world leading performances and all done against less than stellar weather as the last two days of the championship meet were full of rain. The team battle was epic and the winners on the men’s side was not mentioned amongst the early top three favorites. Let us take a look back at the best performances from an amazing meet.

SPRINTS

As always, we start with the sprints. We expected for the men’s 400 to be a great race and it was. Michael Norman a sophomore out of USC certainly made sure of that. After breaking the World Record this past indoor season he followed that up with a new NCAA record this weekend in bad weather clocking a time of 43.61. His time is the fastest 400-meter time run in the world since 2016. Akeem Bloomfield of Auburn by way of Jamaica also dipped under 44 seconds finishing second with a time of 43.94 to be the fastest runner up in NCAA history.

On the women’s side the 400 was equally as exciting. The talented true freshman Lynna Irby of Georgia dazzled us with a great performance. Her time of 49.80 became a NCAA meet record and the fastest time ever ran by a freshman. Again, this was done in horrible weather, would could she have done with better weather. Senior Kendall Ellis was not able to take down a fast-starting freshman but still finished second for valuable points for USC with a time of 50.19.

HURDLES

Rai Benjamin of USC was the biggest highlight in the hurdles. Benjamin who proved this indoor season that he has impressive speed. He has dazzled all year long and launched a big time this weekend. His time in the 400-meter hurdles was 47.02. It is the second fastest time in world history and smashes the NCAA record. Benjamin is the closes athlete to the great Kevin Young’s world record time of 46.78. Benjamin may be the one to break the record.

Freshman Sydney McLaughlin of Kentucky once again dominated the field in the 400-meter hurdles. The Olympian ran a scorching time of 53.96 to win the NCAA title by almost two seconds in poor weather conditions. She set the NCAA record of 52.75 earlier in the season and followed that up with a stellar time of 53.96. McLaughlin made the decision to announce that she was going pro after this season.

DISTANCE

Ben Flanagan of Michigan was not even mentioned amongst the contenders to win the NCAA title in the 10,000-meter run. The senior missed last outdoor season due to injuries and has been working his way back to form all season long. The two time Big Ten Champion dazzled the crowd as he ran a phenomenal final lap and passed Vincent Kiprop of Alabama in the final 80 meters of the race. His winning time of 28:34.53 is a personal best. His words after the championship race were “where is my mom” has since become viral.

The women’s 10,000-meter run also had a surprise winner. Entering the meet all eyes were on Karissa Schweizer of Missouri who was expecting to complete the distance double by winning the 10,000 and 5,000-meter races. However, Sharon Lokedi of Kansas by way of Kenya had different plans. Finishing third last outdoor season Lokedi claimed victory this season and broke the meet record with her time of 32:09.20, also a personal best. The meet record was literally 30 years old when she broke it.

JUMPS

The men’s long jump had huge team title implications, most especially from Florida. With Grant Holloway and KeAndre Bates in the long jump the Gators were counting on big points from each of them. Out of the two they were only able to garner two points with Holloway unable to score. Zack Bazile of Ohio State won the long jump with his second jump which was for 27 feet 5 ½ inches. His mark was more than a foot farther than the runner up. Bazile is the Ohio State Buckeye to win a national title in 25 years.

Senior Keturah Orji of Georgia went out in a bang. The talented jumper has dominated the triple jump her entire career become only the second woman in NCAA history to win four straight titles. Orji also believe it or not won her first long jump title as well. Her winning long jump mark was 21 feet 10 ¾ inches and her winning triple jump mark was 46 feet and ¾ of inch. She has been as the top all her career and has broken the NCAA record many times. She ended her career on a high note. Having performed well on the International Stage it is safe to say she may have a impressive professional career.

THROWS

Denzel Comenentia of Georgia had one of the more impressive performances at the NCAA Championship. It is difficult to compete in two events in one day and win both of them as a runner. It is even more difficult as a field event athlete. Comenentia proved to be more than capable however winning both the hammer throw and the shot put scoring 20 huge team points for Georgia. His winning marks were 250 feet 8 inches in the hammer throw and 67 feet 7 ½ inches in the shot put.

Senior Maggie Ewen of Arizona State was also able to double. Ewen claimed titles in the discus and shot put to continue that winning tradition at Arizona State. Ewen has had an impressive career filled with collegiate records and championship trophies. She avenged her performances from last season in both events where she finished second in the discus throw and sixth in the shot put. Ewen now has a national title in three throwing events after having won the Hammer Throw last year.

RELAYS

USC Men’s and Women’s 4x400 Relays put on quite a show. The Trojans were not in the team title hunt but still had a impressive time in the event winning with a time of 2:59.00. Their time is now the NCAA record, breaking a 13 year old record. The Lady Trojans however had to win the event to win the title. Senior Kendal Ellis got the baton back well of first place Purdue. Ellis did not let that deter her she ran the anchor of her life splitting 50.0 to surpass Purdue anchor in the final few meters to win with a time of 3:27.06.

The 4x100 Relay on the men’s side has a new record holder. The Houston Cougars clocked in at 38.17 to break the NCAA Record, Meet Record and Facility Record. They were defending champions and were heavily involved in the team title chase. This great performance being what was a great meet for the Houston Cougars were Cameron Burrell would win the 100-meter title as well.  

LSU women continued their dominance in this event and won another national title clocking in at 42.29. They were the only team under 43 seconds in the field. It is the final time they will have Aleia Hobbs and Mikiah Brisco. Hobbs also won the national title in 100 to complete a day where she won two events.

CHAMPION OF NOTE

Kentucky senior Tim Duckworth set a personal record in the men’s decathlon with a total of 8,336 points to win the NCAA title. Duckworth had several impressive performances most noticeably in the long jump. His mark of 26 feet 3 ½ inches would have him in the top three in the long jump. Duckworth completed an impressive career and we should look to see him do more at the professional level.

TEAM TITLE

Florida’s men entered the meet heavy favorites but after a rough day in the long jump the Gators had to watch as their rival Georgia claimed the national title, the first in school history with a total of 52 points. Houston finished third with a total of 35 while Florida had 42.

On the women’s side USC just edged out Georgia 53-52 thanks to a great final 4x400 relay anchor from Kendall Ellis. There was a protest after claims of bumping. It was not enough to warrant a disqualification. USC earned the national title with a gutsy meet that included a surprise 200-meter champion Angie Annelus.

What a year. With the quality training at this level it is quite possible that more records will fall next year. Although there is a bevy of athletes going pro there is still plenty of talent returning next season. LLet us not forgot the many athletes that will competing over the summer for the first time professionally or just simply as a part of their country. Be on the lookout for more posts this summer.

NCAA Championship Preview

(Michael Norman- USC)

It is finally here, the Division 1 NCAA Outdoor Championship. It is our final stop on what has been an exciting collegiate season. The theme for this season picking up from last season has been record breaking. We practically did not go a week this year without a new NCAA record or top three all time performance. With the meet being held at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field we are hoping to see that usual Hayward Magic. In this preview we will look at the most intriguing events that may give us a new national record.

100 Meter Dash

On the women’s side there are a total of four athletes who have legally gone under 11 seconds, the most in NCAA history. Senior Aleia Hobbs of LSU leads the way with a wind legal time of 10.90. Hobbs has been under 11 seconds every race this outdoor season. She is currently ranked number two all-time and is the fastest female sprinter since the great Dawn Sowell wore the purple and gold. With three other strong competitors in the field expect for a great race.

On the men’s side Jaylen Bacon of Arkansas State became the new favorite when he ran the fastest legal time of the year clocking in at 9.97 to be the top qualifier out of the West Region. Elijah Hall of Houston entered the season as the favorite but after an injury at the Mt. Sac Relays those expectations have changed. Bacon is the top entrant however this is still an open race.

400 Meter Dash

The men’s 400 is intriguing for several factors. This is perhaps the deepest 400-meter field in NCAA history. We will likely have a field were every athlete has run sub 45 in the event. Michael Norman of USC could possibly be running his last collegiate race. After breaking the indoor world record and running impressive 200-meter performances this outdoor season one would expect for the young talented sprinter to dip under 44 seconds and give us a repeat of last season. Nathon Allen and Akeem Bloomfield of Auburn by way of Jamaica will certainly give chase and depending on which journalist you ask may be the favorites. What we do know is that this should be an exciting race.

The women’s side it should also be exciting and intriguing. Senior Kendal Ellis has run under 50 seconds already this season and after an indoor season where she set an NCAA record it remains to be seen if she can duplicate that same performance outdoors. She has had moments of brilliance all outdoor season and that should continue at the championships. Winning the NCAA title is the only trophy missing from her resume. True freshman Lynna Irby of Georgia is attempting the 200-400 double and maybe to taxed to compete with Ellis but her blazing speed gives us a reason to believe she has the potential to upset the senior.

HURDLES

What a year for hurdlers on both sides. The men and the women have been devastatingly great in both high and low hurdles through the year including a NCAA record set by a freshman. This should be a meet to remember in all four events.

In the high hurdles Grant Holloway of Florida has done everything except break the NCAA record. He broke the 60-meter hurdle record indoors and set high expectations for his outdoor season. He has meet those expectations by running the second fastest time in NCAA history in 13.15 for 110 meters. Only the great Renaldo Nehemiah stands in his way with his time of 13.00 that has stood since 1979, nearly 30 years. As the defending champion and the top entrant along with being amongst the best in history all eyes will be on him.

In the 100 hurdles on the women’s side Jasmine Camacho-Quinn is looking to regain her national title that she won as a freshman two seasons ago. The talented hurdler who represents Puerto Rico has been known for her blazing speed and has seemed to take another step in her technique. Training with a world record holder will do that to you. Her time of 12.40 is also the fastest wind legal time in the world this year. With a deep competitive field of national and international competition this race should be electric.

The 400 hurdles on the men’s side has Rai Benjamin from USC. The speedy junior is not currently listed with any nationality but whomever gets to claim him will be exceedingly happy. He clocked a NCAA leading time of 47.98. He is the first athlete in the NCAA to go under 48 seconds since Kerron Clement of Florida and Bennie Brazzell of LSU did it in 2005. What was he even more impressive is that he won the race with such distance and without struggling to do so. Clement’s record of 47.56 maybe under threat.

Sydney McLaughlin has been the talk of the 400 hurdles since she was in high school. She made team USA after her junior year and competed at the Rio Olympics. She decided to forgo going pro early and compete for Kentucky. Coach Eldrick Floreal has brought her along slowly and was only going to focus on her speed and potentially the short hurdles. As usual she exceeded expectations running many age records and climbing all-time lists in the 200 and 400 dashes. She has already broken the collegiate record with a time of 52.75 and with the speed she has shown it is entirely possible that she will break it again and draw even closer to the American and World Record.

LONG JUMP

The long jump on both men’s and women’s side have major team implications. On the men’s side the Florida Gators look to their superstar in Grant Holloway. Holloway won his first SEC Championship in the event a few weeks ago and looks to add a national title to his trophy case. Damarcus Simpson of Oregon is a threat to win the event and spoil the party for Holloway. Simpson will also be on his home track and will have the Oregon crowd behind him for support.

Georgia has garnered the title of the field events school with such dominant performances in the field events most notably the jumping events. Kate Hall, Keturah Orji and Tara Davis make a powerful 1-2-3 punch in the jumps for the Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs need for all three to perform well so that they can score enough points to win the national title. Orji is having the best year of her career in the long jump and Kate Hall is the defending champion. Expect for a great performance by all three and potential jumps double by Orji.

MAGGIE EWEN

Yes she is getting her own category. I was hopeful that she would try the triple. Instead she will attempt the double in the shot put and discus. Ewen who is a senior at Arizona State carries the weight of that great Arizona State tradition. She has had one of the greatest throwing seasons ever by leading three events at one time. As the overwhelming favorite in both the shot put and discus the talented senior will look to go out with a bang.

MEN’S HAMMER THROW

This event has major team title implications for the Florida Gators. They incredibly qualified their top guys to the national meet, Anders Erikson, freshman Thomas Madral and AJ McFarland. With it being a championship meet it is possible that all three could score or none of the three. Either way this event is very important to the Gators. Gleb Dudarev of Kansas and Denzel Comenentia of Georgia lead the field with great marks set earlier in the season. This event should be hot.

5,000 METER RUN

This event will have a track loving crowd to pull them along to a great performance. Justyn Knight of Syracuse leads the men and Karissa Schweizer of Missouri leads the women. Both have been headlining stars in this distance events all season long including the indoor season. Schweizer is attempting a challenging double by competing in the 10,000 as well. These two talented youngsters will have tough fields to compete against but both have proven their abilities to persevere in challenging situations.

800 METER RUN

Michael Saruni of UTEP seems to break a record every time he steps on the track. The talented Kenyan is the latest distance star from UTEP and maybe the best they have had. He broke the NCAA record with a time of 1:43.25 during the regular season. His time is more than two seconds ahead his closes competitor indicating that this could potentially be a full blow out.

Sabrina Southerland of Oregon leads the 800 on the women’s side. Her NCAA leading time of 2:00.72 was earned at the West Regional Meet. With the home crowd to support her and the Oregon Ducks competing for a national title Southerland will be tough to beat. Oregon has had some great success over the years in this event and Southerland will look to continue that trend. On her heels will be true freshman Sammy Watson of Texas A&M and her teammate Jazmine Fray.

RELAYS

4X100

On the women’s side we may witness history in the event. LSU set a new NCAA record with a time of 42.05. Kentucky is not far behind with their time of 42.30. With LSU’s solid core of short sprinters, we may witness the first team under 42 seconds.

4x400

The team race on the men’s side may be all locked up by the time the 4x400 relay comes around however there will still be a lot of pride on the line. USC, Florida and Texas A&M gave us an incredible race this past indoor season and are in line to give us another spectacular race. USC has the luxury of having Michael Norman on anchor but Florida and Texas A&M have strong teams as well. This race should be exciting.

TEAM TITLE

On the men’s side it looks as if Florida may have the meet locked up before the 4x400 relay but if not, they have a great group to add critical points. Houston still is sending a strong contingent along with Texas A&M but the Gators were solid at Regionals and have their heads on straight.

On the women’s side it will be a clash of several great teams, Georgia, USC, LSU, Kentucky and Oregon. Georgia will rely heavily on their jumpers and talented freshmen Lynna Irby and Tara Davis. USC brings a phenomenal sprint core capable of scoring multiple athletes in several events. They also have a great hurdle group with two great relays.

Recap 7- Conference Championship Weekend

(Florida- 2018 Men and Women SEC Champions)

Championship season is here and the first leg of championship season did not disappoint. This past weekend was major conference championship weekend. As with this season’s theme we have new collegiate records, world junior records and all-time top performances. What a weekend we had, in this recap I will try to highlight all the major performances that took place this past weekend that are now number one ranked performances.

SPRINTS

In the men’s sprints Kendal Williams of Georgia announced his glorious return by clocking the fastest wind-legal time of the year. Williams a high school prodigy who transferred from Florida State and had to sit out a year proves that he still has that burst. Williams won the SEC 100-meter dash with a time of 9.99. He joins the collegiate sub-10 club and garners the number one ranking. With Eli Hall of Houston slowly coming back from injury Williams time proves he can win the National title.

Michael Norman of USC is rounding into form quite nicely. Norman blazed the track at Stanford University. Norman dominated both the 200 and 400 at the Pac-12 conference championship. Norman won the 400 in a time of 44.40. He won the race by nearly two seconds. His time was the number one time in the NCAA for a moment. He followed that up with a dominating 200-meter performance with a time of 19.84. His time was over the wind allowable limit. Norman is gearing for a memorable post season run.

Nathon Allen of Auburn by way of Jamaica is the runner who took Michael Norman’s number one ranking in the 400. Allen rounded the oval in a time of 44.28 to win the SEC title. Allen known for his devastating anchor legs has the skill and ability to defeat Norman. Allen was pushed by Nathan Strother of Tennessee who clocked in at 44.34 but he always rises to the occasion. Those three are the big guns competing for a national title in the 400.

On the women’s side Aleia Hobbs continued her domination in the 100. She won the 100 at the SEC Championships with the third fastest collegiate time in history, clocking in at 10.92. Hobbs a senior missed out on winning the NCAA title last season even though she had the fastest clocking in the country. This season she has been more consistent and has constantly been under 11 seconds whether wind-legal or not. Her winning time at the SEC Championship was in fact wind-legal.  

True freshman Lynna Irby of Georgia did not attempt the SEC double and only competed in the 200-meter dash. It was a wise decision as the true freshman clocked in at 22.25. Her time is the fastest in the NCAA surpassing Gabby Thomas of Harvard. It remains to be seen if Irby will contest the 400 at all later this championship season but it seems that focusing on the 200 at least for now proved to be very smart.

Kendall Ellis of USC has round into form just at the right time. Ellis whose early season showing in the 400 at the Mt. Sac Relays left many disappointed and sractiching their heads. After breaking the NCAA record indoors Ellis had a lackluster performance. This past weekend Ellis proved that was just a fluke as she won the 400 at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 49.99. She is the first woman under 50 seconds in the world this year and her time garners her the number two time in NCAA history. With more time left in the season she could potential take the outdoor record from Courtney Okolo as well.

DISTANCE

In the 800 Isaiah Harris of Penn State improved upon his ranking. Harris won the Big Ten title in a time of 1:45.31 to further cement his status as the number two runner in the 800. Michael Saruni of UTEP is still far ahead of the competition but Harris’ time proved he will be one of the few hoping to keep up with Saruni.

Amon Kemboi of Campbell won the 1,500 at the Big South Conference Championship with a time of 3:39.72. Kemboi had the only top ten performance in the 1,500 this past weekend. Kemboi is now ranked number nine of the NCAA. He also completed the conference double by winning the 5,000. Kemboi is one of two athletes who are currently ranked in the top ten in both the 1,500 and 5,000. Kemboi may attempt to double being ranked in the top ten in both shows that he has the skill set to certainly attempt it.

Obsa Ali of Minnesota was the highlight of the 3,000-meter steeplechase this past weekend. Ali won the Big Ten Championship with a time of 8:44.77 which was good enough for tenth in the country. What is perhaps more notable is that he is the only athlete from one of the power five conferences to currently rank in the top ten in the steeplechase. There is still the regional championships to see the list shake up but for now Ali is the lone ranger.

The action on the women’s side was much more eventful. In the 1,500 Rachel Pocratsky of Virginia Tech became our new leader in the event after winning the ACC Championships with a time of 4:10.03. Her performance was quite impressive she defeated a solid field and still won by more than four seconds. This is the first time since late March that we have a new leader in the but her time and performance was so impressive we must take note. Pocratsky now enters the fray as a potential contender for the title.

Paige Stone of Syracuse improved upon her NCAA ranking all the while garnering the top time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase of the weekend. Stone won the ACC title with a time of 9:50.42 a new personal best and now moves her to the number three in the NCAA. She attempted to double at the ACC Championship by also competing in the 5,000. She finished third and perhaps will only focus on the steeplechase for the remainder of the season.

Ednah Kurgat of New Mexico was a part of a powerful one two punch at the Mountain West Championship in the 10,000. Kurgat won the conference title with a time of 32:31.55. Her teammate Weini Kelati was second with a time of 32:41.92. Kurgat had the top performance in the event over the weekend and now New Mexico has three runners in the top in the country in the event.

HURDLES

Grant Holloway continues to impress. Every time his name is mentioned in a recap he has climbed higher on the all-time list, has a new number one performance, and or a NCAA record. At the SEC Championships Holloway clocked the second fastest time in NCAA history in the 110 hurdles with a time of 13.15. His performance was the fastest time by a collegian since 19.79. It remains to be seen if he can break Renaldo Nehemiah’s record of 13.00. His record is one of the longest standing records in NCAA history, Holloway is the closest athlete we will get to breaking it.

In the 400 hurdles Rai Benjamin truly dominated the competition at the Pac-12 championships. He was the only sub 50 second athlete in the field and won the race by almost two seconds with a time of 48.46. He did not press it during the final 50 meters of that race proving that a faster time would soon be coming. Benjamin who can compete in a myriad of events is truly becoming a solid 400-meter hurdler.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Kentucky has been the leader all year long. Her speed and competitiveness was certainly going to lead her to a performance that she had this weekend. The super junior clocked a world leading time of 12.40 to win and dominate the SEC Championship. Her time is also the second fastest time in collegiate history and cemented her status as the headline favorite. The NCAA record is 12.39 and after the performance Quinn gave this past weekend that record is certainly under alert.

Quinn’s true freshman teammate and Olympian Sydney McLaughlin continues to break records every time she steps on the track. She dominated the SEC Championships in the 400 hurdles with a time of 52.75. She won the race by more than three seconds. Her time is a world junior record and one of the fastest times in the event’s world history. McLaughlin has been the talk ever since her freshman year in high school and she continues to be.

JUMPS

Demarcus Simpson of Oregon refused to be ignored any longer. The talented senior stole the thunder that was created by Holloway of Florida. Although wind-aided his Pac 12 winning jump of 27 feet 4 inches moved him past Holloway in the rankings. Holloway also had a great wind-aided jump of 27 feet 3 ¾ inches.

Tahar Triki of Texas A&M proves why there might be a new NCAA champion in the event. At the SEC Championship the sophomore defeated defending champion KeAndre Bates. Triki’s performance of 55 feet 5 ¾ inches was wind legal and the new number one performance in the nation. Bates of Florida is still ranked third but has not had the same dominant year that he had as a junior. He is a big meet performer so do not count him out but keep your eye on Triki for the championship crown.

On the women’s side the Arkansas women continue to produce championship level pole vaulters. Alexis Jacobus (formerly Weeks) leaped to a new number one ranking winning the SEC title with a leap of 15 feet 3 inches. She is one of two athletes over 15 feet this outdoor season. It is the first time the number one ranking has changed since the end of March.

Senior Keturah Orji of Georgia had quite the weekend at the SEC Championships. Orji completed the double winning both the long jump and triple jump along with earning the number one rankings in both. Her long jump performance of 22 feet 4 ¼ surpasses Taliyah Brooks and she is the first to do so since late March. In her specialty the triple jump Orji set a new collegiate record (yes again) with a mark of 47 feet 11 ¾ inches. Nothing more needs to be said except Wow!

THROWS

Payton Otterdahl of North Dakota State became the new national leader in the shot put after he won the Summit League Championship. His winning mark of 68 feet 9 ¼ inches. His throw was further than number two ranked Denzel Comenentia of Georiga who is a contender for the crown. Ottedahl can now add his name to that list.

Anderson Peters of Mississippi State has lead the javelin this entire outdoor season. He proved at the SEC Championship why even as a freshman he is still the best. The talented Bulldog improved upon his number one mark with a throw of 269 feet 2 inches. He now has a five-foot lead on the closest competitor and after defeating the defending champion Ioannis Kyriazis he has proven he is a true contender for the crown.

There were no new number one performances on the women’s side however Maggie Ewen further proved herself as the top thrower in the country. The senior from Arizona State complete the sweep winning the shot put, discus and hammer throw. She did the same last season and will attempt another triple crown as the NCAA Championships as well. Ewen is currently ranked number one in all three events and in great position to continue the great throwing tradition at Arizona State.

Georgia Ellwnwood of Wisconsin claimed the new number one ranking winning the Big Ten title in the heptathlon with a total of 6,173 points.

RELAYS

LSU Women continued their storied history this past weekend winning the 4x100 relay at the SEC Championships in record form. Their time of 42.05 allowed for them to be sole owners of the NCAA record in which they have held longer than anyone.

Kentucky women also garnered the number one ranking in the women’s 4x400 relay with a SEC title winning time of 3:25.99.

There are no new number one performances on the men’s side however Texas A&M defeated number one ranked Florida without Robert Grant or Mylik Kerley in the 4x400 relay. They won the SEC title in 3:01.17 which is now a national number two ranking and further proves their 400-meter depth.

Our next post will be a preview to the NCAA Regional Championships that will take place memorial day weekend. 

Weekend Recap 6

1:43.25!

(Michael Saruni-UTEP)

This past weekend was considered to be Relay Weekend. There were multiple relay carnivals going on all over the country. You had the historic Penn Relays and Drake Relays. There was also a new meet for collegians, the National Relay Championships held at the University of Arkansas. Even with all the great relay meets there was still plenty of quality individual performances along with the theme of new collegiate records. We will also in this recap discuss the noticeable friction between some collegiate teams and the historic Penn Relays. Let us first take a look at the top five performances from the weekend.

MEN

5.) JORDAN GEIST (ARIZONA)- This talented freshman continues to appear among the top performers in the men’s shot put throughout the year. He spent a period during the indoor season as the number one ranked performer and he will now carry that same success to the outdoor season. This past weekend at Desert Heat Classic at the University of Arizona he launched a throw of 66 feet 11 ½ inches to not only win the competition but earn the number one ranking in the NCAA. There is still plenty of time left in the season but Geist has proven that he is not going anywhere and plans to be in thick of the hunt for the national title.

4.) TEJASWIN SHANKAR (KANSAS ST)- Tejaswin Shankar is the latest freshman star to show in the high jump. Last weekend it was Vernon Turner of Oklahoma who I watched win the Penn Relay title. This weekend was Shankar who leaped to a mark of 7 feet 6 inches to win the Texas Tech Corky/Crofoot Shootout. His mark not only garnered him the number one ranking in the NCAA but it was against Texas Tech star jumper Trey Culver on his home field. A mark this good certainly earns him notoriety and serves notice that there is now another threat to winning the title.

3.) KENNY SELMON (NORTH CAROLINA)- The past few years North Carolina has developed quite a stable at the 400-meter hurdles. Kenny Selmon has been a constant for the program since arriving as a freshman. He is having a great senior year so far and this past weekend further cemented his status as the number one prospect by winning the Virginia Grand Prix in a time of 48.98. No one else in the country has gone under 49 seconds further proving Selmon’s status.

2.) KEANDRE BATES (FLORIDA)- KeAndre Bates has had an up and down senior season. He entered the season as favorite to win the long jump and triple jump. However, after finishing without a national title in either event indoors expectations on him have dwindled. This past weekend at the National Relay Championships he garnered his first number one ranking of the outdoor season by winning the triple jump with a mark of 54 feet 9 ¼ inches. As we approach championship season this was a strong performance by Bates and could be the confidence booster he needed for a strong finish to his Florida career.

1.) MICHAEL SARUNI (UTEP)- Ever since that explosive 800-meter time early in the indoor season Saruni’s name has become synonymous with the 800. At the Desert Heat Classic Saruni smashed the 800-meter collegiate record with a time of 1:43.25 to win the event and cement his status as number one in the NCAA rankings. His time also places him number one in the world along with a clear distance between him and number two. He is in position to be the next great Kenyan runner and one of four ranked in the top five in the world. He will be 23 this June and in prime position to potentially lower that time again.

WOMEN

5.) JASMINE CAMACHO-QUINN (KENTUCKY)- Quinn’s talent and position at the University of Kentucky cannot be understated. She runs both relays, the high hurdles along with the open 200 and is currently ranked nationally in all four. She already has a NCAA title to her credit from her freshman season and now as a junior proved this weekend she is ready to take the title back. Although slightly wind-aided Quinn clocked in at 12.53 to win the National Relay Championships. She has yet to lose this outdoor season and whenever there is a challenge she has consistently risen to the challenge. She is ranked number one in the nation and I do not expect that to change.

4.) KARISSA SCHWEIZER (MISSOURI)- Schweizer has been the queen of distance running for quite a while. This season however she seems to have stamped her name permanently at number one. She is ranked number one in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs. This past weekend at the Drake Relays is when she garnered the number one ranking in the 5,000 with a time of 15:23.51. It remains to be seen if she will try the difficult double of the two longest races in distance running on a track but she has made a strong case to at least attempt.

3.) ASHLEY HENDERSON (SAN DIEGO ST)- Henderson has been no stranger to the collegiate ranks as she has been a formidable sprinter since her freshman season. Henderson nearly broke the 200-meter collegiate record this indoor season. Her time proved there was plenty of speed in those legs and she was ready to use it. At the Desert Heat Classic, she clocked in at 10.98 to win the race. Her time is the fastest wind-legal time in the country and in the world. This season is shaping up to be the fastest in NCAA history and has the potential to have a field were six athletes maybe under 11 seconds in the final. You can expect Henderson to be a part of that mix.

2.) MAGGIE EWEN (ARIZONA STATE)- Normally what Ewen did this weekend would garner the number ranking on my list, but there is a explanation as to why she is not number one later. Let us focus on the greatness that she has given us now. This multi-talented thrower broke another collegiate record this past weekend at the Desert Heat Classic. Her winning mark of 63 feet 10 ¼ inches broke the old record held by Raven Saunders in 2016. Ewen has been the star of the throws all year long and with this latest record she will continue that trend.

1.) SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN (KENTUCKY)- Similar that too Grant Holloway, McLaughlin seems to be mentioned on this blog practically every week. This week she finally debuted in her signature event which when she arrived at Kentucky there was consideration that she would not compete in the event at all this year. However, her coach Eldrick Floreal felt it was time for her to compete. She did not disappoint and debuted as fourth all time in the 400 hurdles with her mark of 53.60. Her time immediately placed her in the number one ranking and she has almost a two second lead on the country. We’ve known about her talent for years. Expect for that time to fall even more later on this season.

HOT RELAYS

LSU Women 4x100 Relay reclaimed the number one ranking with a time of 42.49. LSU is also ranked number one for the first time in quite a while under Dennis Shaver.

Arkansas men 4x100 relay clocked a time of 38.59 to garner the number one ranking in the NCAA. They did that while beating a pretty solid Florida team that had trouble with the baton exchanges. Arkansas rounding into shape rather nicely and will as expected be a threat at the NCAA Championship.

Thoughts: This weekend is the final weekend of the regular season. Some conference haves already had their championships and more will have them this weekend. As we head into championship season expect for the quality of the performances to go up as well.