NCAA Indoor Weekend Recap 4

 7.00!

(Julien Alfred-Texas)

Our first weekend of February brought us another set of NCAA records broken. As I have stated that has been our theme. I thought we would have a quiet start to February since there will be two heavily televised meets this coming weekend in the Tyson Invitational and the Millrose Games. However, that was not the case as we had a total of 10 new number one marks including two NCAA records. This recap we will go over the new number one marks and look forward to the weekend coming up. Also keep in mind that moving forward I will not include an altitude adjusted mark instead allowing for the time and or mark the athlete earned to stand.

Sprints/Hurdles

Women

Julien Alfred of Texas is having a fantastic start to her senior year. She has had an incredible career and garnered an NCAA title in the 100 last outdoor season. All that is missing is the indoor 60 meter title and she is leaving little doubt that she is ready to obtain that now. Alfred broke her own NCAA record set two weeks ago by winning the 60-meter dash at the New Mexico Collegiate Invitational in a time of 7.00. Her start was terrific and her drive phase to sprint was textbook. I thought earlier this season that she might be capable of sub 7 and now I am sure of it.

Alfred’s teammate Rhasidat Adeleke has been an incredible all-around talent. Adeleke is currently number one in the NCAA in the 200 (without the adjustment to her altitude time) with 22.52 and now can add the 400. She claimed the second title for Texas at New Mexico with a time of 50.45. An incredible time so early and a new Irish National Record. That is her second Irish National record of the year. They both give Texas an incredible 1-2 punch.

Men

Omotade Ojora of USC reclaimed his number one ranking competing at New Mexico. Without the altitude adjustment the senior clocked a fast 60-meter hurdle time of 7.58. USC has produced some strong hurdlers under the coaching of Olympic Champion Joanna Hayes. Ojora will likely lower his time again and remain the favorite.

Jumps

Women

Lamara Distin of Texas A&M leads the number one High Jump program in the country. This past weekend she added to her NCAA lead with a mark of 6 feet 4 ¼ inches (1.94m). Distin has nearly matched her outdoor personal best set last season this indoor season. We are truly watching one of the best jumpers in NCAA history.

It was only a matter of time before an Arkansas Pole Vaulter found their way on this list. Amanda Fassold is the latest number one ranked athlete for the Razorbacks. She leaped to a mark of 14 feet 10 ¾ inches (4.54m) nearly garnering the 15 foot mark. Fassold is having a solid start to her season and if we have learned anything it’s that it will take a 15-foot mark to win the NCAA title.

Men

Sondre Guttormsen of Princeton continues his reign at the top of the NCAA list. At New Mexico he leaped to a winning mark of 19 feet 4 ¼ inches (5.90m). Guttormsen is edging closer to that national record and with his recent trajectory it is only a matter of time before he surpasses it.

Jaydon Hibbert is a true freshman at Arkansas by way of Jamaica. The talented superstar began his indoor season with a bang. Leaping to a mark of of 54 feet 10 ¾ inches (16.73m). I said at the beginning of the season with the defending champion moving on that a new leader would have to emerge. I guess the freshman said it might as well be him.

Throws

Axelina Johansson of Nebraska is a new name on the leaderboard for the women’s shot put. Johansson had a strong mark on her home field with a winning throw of 63 feet 4 inches (19.30m). Johansson is just a sophomore, but she has three foot lead on both the former and defending champion. Things are certainly heating up in the shot put, I look forward to seeing what the top indoor mark will be.

Relays

On the women’s side the new number one mark is via the Washington Huskies Distance Medley Relay Team. Washington smashed Oregon’s old NCAA record mark with a time of 10.46.62. Although they had a rabbit in the race it still does not take away from their amazing performance. Washington coaching staff was originally from Oregon, and we are seeing some of those same results now at Washington.

On the men’s side it was Arkansas incredible 4x4 mark. The group clocked in a time of 3:01.09 with Christopher Bailey having a 44.3 split. They currently rank 2^nd all time. What a year for Arkansas in the 400.  

NCAA Indoor Recap 3

6,415! 

                                                (Kyle Garland-Georgia)

What an eventful weekend, there was a total of 21 new number one performances. The marks and times displayed this past weekend are championship level. As we close out our final weekend in January and head to February, we have moved into the second phase of the regular season and should be prepared to see more championship level performances. In this post we will look at each number one mark and discuss the latest team rankings.

SPRINTS/HURDLES

Women

Favour Ofili of LSU made her debut this past weekend and put the country back on notice. The talented Nigerian dipped under 22 seconds in the 200 last outdoor season and is the fastest returning 200 meter runner in NCAA history. She ran a dominant race at the Razorback Invitational on the campus of Arkansas with a time of 22.53.

The woman that Ofili defeated was Talitha Diggs of Florida who ran 22.65 and turned around and ran the national leading time in the 400, 51.34. Diggs is now currently ranked number one in the 400 and three in the 400. Although she was defeated by Ofili she has proven to be quite the sprinter and is the only sprinter to be ranked in the top four in all three sprint events. With that speed I expect for Diggs to fully lower her 400 mark.

Men

Micah Williams of Oregon continues on his redemption tour with a new national leading mark in the 60 meter dash, a time of 6.49. He ran against a strong field but the closest athlete him to him ran 6.65. In the 60-meter sprint, an extremely short race, this proves his level of dominance. Williams is not new to 6.4 but everyone time he does it, it proves to be more and more impressive his level of consistency.

In the 400 Christopher Bailey of Arkansas ran an overall personal best to win the Razorback Invitational. His time of 45.09 is a strong mark at this point in the season and will make him a contender this post season. We should not be surprised if he dips under 45 seconds indoors. He won his race by more than a second and he is one of only two athletes to have gone under 46 seconds.

Giano Roberts of Clemson ran a strong race on his home track. He finished second with a time of 7.66 in the race to take the national lead. The only athlete capable of beating Roberts is a current professional unattached athlete. Roberts was a part of a strong trio for Clemson last year and this year is starting to be much of the same.

Distance

Women

Michaela Rose of LSU ran a incredible 600 meter race early in the season proving her strength for the 800 would be strong. She won the Razorback Invitational 800 meter race by more than two seconds with her national leading time of 2:01.66. She is the only athlete currently under 2:02 and that is her first 800 of the season. Rose is having a great start to her 2023 campaign and I am convinced we will hear more from her in the future.

It is no surprise that Katelyn Touhy appears her again. She is already ranked number one in the nation in the 5k and now is number one in the mile. Touhy ran at the Dr. Sander Invitational and against a professional/collegiate field. Her time of 4:24.26 allowed for her to finish third overall but as the top collegian. She has almost a 7 second lead on the nation in the event and is currently the only athlete under 4:30 in the mile. It remains to be seen what she will do come championship time but one thing is for certain we will hear her name being called as a champion.

Men

Crayton Carrozza of Texas is not new to this blog. We have mentioned his name multiple times before. He just competed at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic, a big distance meet, Carrozza ran a strong final 200 meters to outkick the field and claim the title with a time of1:46.28. He won the race by over a second a vaulted to the number one spot nationally. The Longhorns have a strong depth at the 400–800-meter range and Carrozza is currently at the top of the 800 group.

The mile was certainly the highlight of the weekend. It also played a huge part in the team title rankings. Washington loaded up their home track for the UW Invite. They produced a total of 8 milers to run a sub-4-minute mile. That is not a typo, 8! That is an incredible display of depth. Leading the way was sophomore Joe Waksom with his national leading time of 3:51.9. What perhaps is even more impressive is that this was against a strong field that include some of Stanford’s best and they now have the top four times in the country. That DMR will be hard to beat.

Back at the University of Boston another number one performance was being performed by Drew Bosley of Northern Arizona. Northern Arizona has been a top tier distance power for quite some time and lately when they have been mentioned it has been due to Nico Young. Bosley is proof that they are more than a one-man wrecking crew since he is our latest NCAA record breaker. Bosley competed against a strong field and finished fifth overall along with being the top collegian. His 3,000-meter race time was 7:36.42 and it is a new NCAA indoor record. He is just a sophomore but is currently the best in the country.

In the 5,000-meter run new Tennessee athlete Dylan Jacobs took the national lead with a time of 13:11.01 to finish fourth at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. He is the third number one mark from that meet alone. Jacobs previously competed at Notre Dame and was top tier performer for the Irish and he has seamlessly transferred to Tennessee to give them a strong boost with their distance talent. Jacobs already entered the season as a national title contender with having a NCAA title in the 10,000 last outdoor season.

JUMPS

Women

Lamara Distin of Texas A&M is still the class of the field in the women’s high jump. After setting multiple records in 2022 she has kicked off her 2023 season with a strong start. She led a strong field at the Razorback Invitational with a mark of 6 feet 2 ¾ inches (1.90m). Distin is in her senior year and clearly has shown that defending her title is certainly in her grasp.

Men

Senior Sondre Guttormsen of Princeton is the defending NCAA Champion in the men’s pole vault. He could have turned professional last season, but seeing as he is a Ivy-League student it should come as no surprise that he is remaining a student athlete. He garnered the first 19 foot mark in the pole vault this season. Winning at the HYP meet, his mark of 19 feet 2 inches (5.84m) is a clear cut number one mark. Guttormsen is in prime condition to defend his title.

Jeremiah Davis of Florida State is having a strong start to his season. He took a national lead in early January and now has returned to the top. Davis took down an impressive field at the Razorback Invitational leaping to a mark of 26 feet 11 ¼ inches (8.26m). Davis nearly earned a 27 foot mark indoors. If you doubted Davis earlier in the season it is clearly time to take him serious now.

Throws

Former NCAA Champion Jorinde Van Klinken of Oregon further improved upon her number one mark. She launched a throw in the shot put of 60 feet 10 ½ inches to win the Texas Tech Open. Van Klinken is currently the only athlete in the country with a mark over 60 feet and her strong start to the season continues.

MULTI’S

Women’s Pentathlon

In the women’s pentathlon Camryn Newton-Smith of Arkansas State has taken the national lead with a score of 4,356 points after winning the Texas Tech Open. Newton-Smith’s performance is more noteworthy given the fact that she defeated an All-American is Texas sophomore Kristine Blazevica. Newton-Smith has never been mentioned her before, but she has certainly earned it with her great performance last weekend.

Men’s Heptathlon

Our preseason favorite Kyle Garland of Georgia has consistently lived up to the hype he built as a high school star. At the Texas Tech open this past weekend he scored a total of 6,415 points. It is an impressive school record and the second best mark in NCAA history. Of the seven events he scored a total of 6 personal bests! Just an incredible performance against a strong field that included Texas senior Leo Neugebauer. Garland broke the NCAA record last outdoor season so it should come as no surprise that he could potentially break the record this indoor season.

RELAYS

Women

There were some impressive relay times this weekend. In the 4x400 relay Arkansas proved their depth was too much for Florida with their national leading time of 3:26.40. In the DMR Stanford women lived up to the hype with their winning mark of 10:55.15. Its still early in the season but now that we are finished with January expect for more eye-popping times even though both times are impressive.

Men

I though after watching the Razorback Invitational that I had seen an NCAA Championship preview in the men’s 4x400 relay. There were several lead changes that came down to a strong anchor from Ryan Willie of Florida to clock in at 3:04.11 over USC 3:04.12. However Georgia actually ran the best time of the season at the Texas Tech open with a time of 3:03.74 and second overall was Alabama that ran 3:03.99 at Clemson. The best three relay times are all in the SEC and within a half second of each other. I expect for all three programs to have lowered their times before then.

The DMR time from Virginia of 9:27.8 is a nice time but without seeing what Washington is capable of I will withhold my thoughts on this race this early in the season.

TEAM RANKINGS

Washington mean have taking over the number one ranking. They certainly have proven solid depth and could sweep the mile indoors. On the women’s side Arkansas proved their depth this weekend impressing the nation on their home track.

2023 NCAA Indoor Weekend Recap 2

                                     7.02!                                                                         

(Julien Alfred-Texas) 

   

  7.75!

                                                     (Masai Russell-Kentucky)

Another season, another set of NCAA records are broken. Although record breaking has been the theme here it was primarily around long-standing records that have stood since the 80’s or 90’s. There are very few of those left, but the new records are not lasting long either. In this recap we will look at two new NCAA records and the new number one performances along with the NCAA rankings that have just released.

Sprints/Hurdles

Women

Julien Alfred of Texas seems to break a record every year. She has been the most consistent in the 60-meter sprint over the years and has been a reliable source of points for the Texas Longhorns. At the MLK Invitational at New Mexico University Alfred blasted out of the blocks riding a strong start to a NCAA 60-meter record time of 7.02. That breaks her own record set last year of 7.04. It is still January and Alfred could lower that mark even more, potentially under 7 seconds. She was the favorite going into this season and I see no reason for that to change.

Alfred’s teammate Rhasidat Adeleke made up for her second-place finish in the 60 of 7.20 to run a strong 200-meter race to a world leading time of 22.52. Adeleke was a strong member of Texas’ sprint core last season running on both the 4x1 and 4x4. Running a time of 22.5 this early in the season is only a promising sign of potential things to come.

Bailey Lear of USC is the Trojans latest 400-meter star. Under Olympic Gold Medalist coach Quincy Watts, the Trojans have produced scores of All-Americans and NCAA champions and Lear is the latest. Lear dominated and led a 1-2-3 finish at the MLK Invitational at the University of New Mexico with her winning time of 52.07. Lear is so close to running under 52 seconds. It is still January, and she has a month more of the regular season expect for that time to come down.

Masai Russell of Kentucky has been on tear this season. After running a national leading of 7.88 last week she followed that up with a NCAA record time of 7.75 at the Red Raider Open at Texas Tech. The senior is apart of an impressive group at Kentucky. Her time breaks the NCAA record held by Grace Stark/Brianna Rollins. Rollins has an Olympic Gold medal to her credit and the outdoor record as well. Whatever else lies in store for us, I look forward to seeing Russell lower that record.

Men

On the men’s side there was only one new number one mark. That comes from Cameron Murray of NC State. The senior lit up the Hokie Invitational with his national leading mark of 7.67 to win the 60-meter hurdle title. Although Allen Johnson is no longer the coach at NC State, some of the talent he recruited is still there and producing at a high level. Murray competed against a strong field, but he was certainly the class of it.

Distance

Baylor Franklin of Ole Miss is the latest middle-distance standout from Ole Miss. Each year the produce a strong half miler and miler. Franklin ran a national leading time of 1:46.74 to begin his season. His teammate, Tiarnan Croken, who finished second with a time 1:47.39 ran the nation’s second-best mark. Having run a sub 1:47 so early in the season is impressive. Expect to hear his name again and do not be surprises if it is in the mile and not the 800.

Jumps

Zach Bradford formerly of Kansas and now of Texas Tech is having another strong indoor season. The senior leaped to a mark of 18 feet 9 ¼ inches (5.72m) to win the Red Raider Open. Bradford has always been highly rated, and this season is no different, I believe this is the year he breaks through the mold. I doubt this is the last time we will hear his name again.

Throws

Jordan Geist of Arizona was expected to be here at some point during the season. Geist still a top tier performer continues to represent Arizona well and became the first athlete over 70 feet this season in the shot put. At the Lumberjack challenge Geist launched a winning throw of 70 feet 5 ¾ inches (21.48m). As a former number one recruit being at this level is expected, I hope we can continue to see him at the top of the list.

Relays

Texas Tech men’s 4x400 relay caused me to talk about relays earlier than I wanted to. Their impressive winning time of 3:04.52 at their home meet, the Red Raider open, could not go ignored. They are the new number one ranked team over Florida. With an incredible weekend slate coming up expect for that time to get lowered and not only by the Red Raiders. It looks as if it will be another fantastic year in the 4x400 relay.

Team Rankings

The Texas Women are ranked number one while the number one men’s team is Stanford. I approve of both these rankings. Texas has proven to have incredible depth in the sprints as well as the jumps. Stanford is loaded in every distance event and has a strong young sprints/hurdle core. Stanford can truly ride the wave of it’s strong distance core to a national title, I expect for the Cardinal to remain number one for a while, although I expect for Florida to make some noise this coming weekend, Stanford will be making noise as well.

2023 NCAA Indoor Weekend Recap 1

 7.88!

(Masai Russell-Kentucky)

The 2023 season is now in full swing. Although the indoor season technically starts at the beginning of December the second weekend in January is the first full weekend with nationwide competition. In the post I will share with you my thoughts and opinions on the best performances of the weekend. I will not lean on or harp on anyone’s individual ranking since it is still fresh in the season.

Sprints/Hurdles

Women

Rosemary Chukwuma of Texas Tech introduced herself to division 1 with eye opening time of 7.11 in the 60-meter dash. Chukwuma had a solid 2022 season and had a personal best of 10.99. A mark of 7.11 so early in the season should indicate her impressive level of fitness and readiness for the season. 

Talitha Diggs of Florida already has an NCAA title in her trophy case having won both the indoor and outdoor 400-meter title. She began the indoor season with a bang and a time of 7.14. She followed that up with a 300-meter race time of 36.12 to win. Diggs looks to be in impressive form and ready to properly defend her title.

Masai Russell of Kentucky is dropping her name in the bucket to be considered a threat for the NCAA title in the 60-meter hurdles. Russell clocked a winning time of 7.88 on her home track at the Rod McCravy Memorial. That is a personal record for Russell and just 0.01 off the school record set by legend Kendra Harrison. 

Men

Ismael Kone was a noteworthy transfer this past off season, leaving New Orleans University to transfer to Florida State who specializes in short sprinting. Kone proved that the transfer is a perfect fit after running a time of 6.51 and setting his country’s national record along with a new school record.

Evan Miller of South Carolina has the pleasure of being the first sub-46 400 runner of the season. His impressive early season of 45.91 is indicative of a strong off season. After spending majority of last season as a 200-meter runner primarily it should not come as a shock that he stepped up to the 400, it is the time however that stands out. A great time this early is a great sign.

Omotade Ojora of USC was not selected to represent his country Great Britain at the world championships last year even after winning the national title in the 110-meter hurdles. He has continued his focus on being the best hurdler and began his 60-meter hurdle indoor season with a time of 7.68, a solid time to start the season. The 60-meter hurdles will crown a new champion, Ojora certainly can add his name to the mix.

Distance

Women

Talented true freshman Juliette Whittaker of Stanford proved she is certainly worthy of the hype. At the UW Preview she circled the track in a time of 2:02.48 to claim the event 800-meter title. Her time is quite impressive this early in the season for any class especially a freshman. As an 800 runner under the tutelage of legendary coach JJ Clark, Whittaker is a name we should get used to hearing.

Men

Ky Robinson also of Stanford ran an impressive mile time at the UW preview this past weekend highlighting the incredible weekend the Cardinals had. Robinson claimed the race with a time of 3:55.87. His time was one of many sub 4 minute miles this weekend but a sub 3:56 in January will make anyone turn their heads especially since Stanford has four. Robinson is returning after having a strong 2022 outdoor season that ended with All-American honors, although he has primarily been a 5,000-meter runner a time this impressive in the mile should make him consider competing in the mile this indoor season.

JUMPS

Women

There were two great jumps marks on the women’s side this past weekend. The first came from Rylee Anderson of Kansas. Yes, Kansas and not Kansas State which has had quite an impressive run of jumpers. Anderson leaped to a mark of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88m). Anderson missed the podium last outdoor season and will look to finish her senior season on it.

Jasmine Moore is just simply sensational. I enjoy watching her jump as she continues to consistently improve. The talented senior from the University of Florida began her indoor campaign with a mark of 47 feet 4 ½ inches (14.44m). That mark is capable of winning NCAA titles, and she has done it so early. Could we see her produce another NCAA record, if this past weekend is any indication the answer is yes.

Men

Jeremiah Davis of Florida State was another highlight from the Seminoles strong weekend. The talented junior leaped to a mark of 26 feet 9 ¾ inches (8.17m). Davis finished last outdoor season finishing 2^nd at the NCAA championships and decides to begin this season with a personal best. Davis nearly hit 27 feet in his first meet of the season, keep an eye out for him.

Throws

Women

Jorinde Van Klinken is now at Oregon. Van Klinken is now at a new school but will likely continue her winning ways. Her early season shot put mark is 59 feet 5 inches (18.11) set at the UW Preview. Van Klinken is almost over 60 feet at the start of the season. The defending national champion certainly seems ready to defend her crown.

Jalani Davis of Ole Miss is their next throwing star. She defeated her teammate and 2022 NCAA runner up Jasmine Mitchell in the weight throw at the Commodore Challenge with a mark of 79 feet 2 inches (24.13m) nearly breaking 80 feet. Like the shot put this is an impressive mark to hit so early in the season and a positive sign of things to come.

Men

Isaiah Rogers of Kennesaw State formerly of Virginia Tech is finally back competing again and began the season with a solid mark. He launched the weight throw a total of 79 feet 11 ½ inches (24.37m). His mark will certainly gather some attention and is a welcome sight to see a talented thrower return to the top of the field.

 

Recap & Preview             

The NCAA rankings will be released on January 23 next Monday. After this coming weekend I will talk more about the performances and their rankings together. The team title picture will likely not be clear until early to mid-February, but individual marks will certainly be considered. A major meet this coming weekend is the Red Raider Open at Texas Tech. I expect for some eye-popping marks at that meet.

2023 NCAA Indoor Preview Part 3: Field Events

 

(Ayden Owens-Delerme -- Arkansas) 

In our final preview for the indoor season, I will be reviewing the field event athletes. We have seen recording breaking performances over the past few years that include some world records, most notably Mondo Duplantis formerly of LSU. This year we have some special athletes returning to possibly break more records.

Women

Long Jump/Triple Jump

Regardless of what took place last year during the regular season Jasmine Moore of Florida found a way to win the national title whether indoors or outdoors. Moore had quite the season last year garnering 4 NCAA titles. The long jump is perhaps her weakest of the two events and the event she will find the most challenge this season. Already Ackelia Smith of Texas has jumped to a mark of 22 feet 1 inch (6.73m) last weekend. Her mark is one of the best in NCAA history and it is still very early in the season.

In the triple jump she set the all-time record with a mark of 47 feet 9 ¾ inches (14.55m). It is the event she has been most dominant in going back to her time as a high school athlete. No other athlete in the field has even hit 47 feet. Smith will again be her top challenger.

High Jump

It is Lamara Distin of Texas A&M and everybody else. Distin last season dominated the high jump and even broke her country’s (Jamaica) national record. Her top mark of 6 feet 5 ½ inches (1.97m) was earned during the regular season. I think Distin will challenge the NCAA record this year. Rachel Glenn of South Carolina will obviously be her top challenger. Glenn won the NCAA outdoor title in 2021 as a freshman. I look for Glenn to rebound in 2023 but it will be tough to take down Distin.

Pole Vault

Arkansas has regularly produced stellar pole vaulters each year. In 2023 I expect for that to continue. Amanda Fassold finished second at the outdoor championships after winning the SEC title and had a season best mark of 14 feet 11 inches (4.55m). Sydney Horn of High Point University had an impressive freshman indoor season where she finished second at the indoor championships along with a personal best mark. Fassold is the closest athlete to 15 feet and with the quality development that has taken place at Arkansas over the years that mark should be inevitable.

Weight Throw

Jasmine Mitchell of Ole Miss is the latest throwing star from Ole Miss and Connie Price-Smith. Mitchell has thrown over 80 feet with a personal mark of 81 feet 10 inches (24.94m). She has not been able to completely put it together outdoors, but she certainly is capable in the weight throw. Rebecca Mammel of Virginia Tech is second on the list of returnees and is one of the potentially strong challengers to Mitchell.

Shot Put 

Jorinde VanKlinken is the defending champion from last indoor season with a mark of 62 feet 7 ¼ inches (19.08m) for Arizona State. She is now at her third school competing for the Oregon Ducks as a graduate student. VanKlinken has one multiple NCAA titles before and this will be another opportunity with Adelaide Aquilla gone, to add to her trophy case. Axelina Johannson of Nebraska had a strong freshman year and will be the top challenger.

Pentathlon

Kristine Blazevica of Texas is the top returnee with a personal mark of 4,402 points. She was a freshman last year and will look to improve upon her performance from last indoor championships. Lexie Keller of Colorado State is another returning athlete with championship capabilities.

Men

Long Jump

Wayne Pinnock took the country by storm last year. A true freshman by way of Jamaica who always find a way to win in the biggest moments. Pinnock claimed the NCAA title in the long jump both indoors and outdoors for Tennessee. He has since transferred to Arkansas and under their coaching will likely reach new heights, also we may see him return to his roots as a spectacular hurdler. His teammate Carey McLeod followed him to Arkansas and will be one of his biggest challengers.

Triple Jump

The top returning triple jump based on performance is Owayne Owens of Virginia. He was expected to be the next great triple jumper out of Virginia and looked to be on his way last outdoor season after a personal best performance at the Penn Relays with a mark of 54 feet 6 inches (16.61m). He did not have the best outdoor championships and missing to score. I expect for him to pick things back up this indoor season. Salif Mane of Farleigh Dickinson is the next best performer and should challenge for the title in a event that will have a new champion.

High Jump

Vernon Turner of Oklahoma is the defending indoor champion in the High Jump. He had a remarkable indoor championship last year with a leap of 7 feet 7 ¼ inches (2.32m). Although it did not translate to the outdoor championships where he finished fourth. Turner is a senior and will look to go out on top. Corvell Todd of Southern Mississippi is the top returning challenger, but Turner will be tough to beat.

Pole Vault

The defending champion Sondre Guttormsen and his brother Simen of Princeton will look to have a strong 1-2 finish this indoor season in the Pole Vault. Zach McWhorter of BYU is their top challenger. The irony is that McWhorter like Sondre has a personal best of over 19 feet, but his personal record mark is better. McWhorter is certainly more than a challenger, but Sondre shows up at championship meets.

Weight Throw

Bobby Colantonio of Alabama returns at the defending champion in the weight throw. He is knocking on the door of an 80-foot throw. Colantonio will be exciting to watch this season and it will be interesting to see Jayden White of Washington transition after his freshman campaign.

Shot Put

The shot put will also have a defending champion in Turner Washington of Arizona State. Turner Washington is the NCAA record holder and has been riding high since 2021. He was taking off his square last outdoor championships falling to Adrian Piperi. Jordan Geist of Arizona will challenge him again and it will be interesting to see if Washington can return to the top.

Heptathlon

Ayden Owens of Arkansas is a generational talent. The record holder for the country of Puerto Rico. Owens had a remarkable indoor and outdoor season. Last indoor season he scored a total of 6,211 at the indoor championships. Owens is the class of the field, but Leo Neugebauer of Texas will be a strong challenger.

Closing

It will be a special indoor season. Although Covid is still present in our life, it is in the rear-view mirror. With a lot of transfers and talented incoming freshman it will be a season to remember. Gone are the days of no national records, it has been a habit the past few years of NCAA records falling. The team title battle will clear come mid-January and it will be interesting to see where the defending champion Florida Gators and Texas Longhorns stand.

2023 NCAA Indoor Preview Part 2: Distance

 

(Katelyn Tuohy-NC State)

Coming off an incredible Cross-Country season there were plenty of top long-distance runners who competed in the 5,000 in the first week of the season to further prove their fitness and get on the qualifying list as quickly as possible. The times displayed indicate we are in for a treat from the distance runners this season. In the post we will preview the big names expected to perform well.

Women

800-Meter Run

Lindsey Butler of Virginia Tech was the latest star half-miler to come out of Virginia Tech. She claimed the indoor title with a time of 2:01.37, just off her personal best. Unfortunately, she was injured during the outdoor season leaving a void of who the new lead will be. She has returned and perhaps looking for redemption after a disappointing end to her 2022 outdoor campaign and to remind everyone she is the defending champion after all. Her top challenger will likely be Claire Seymour of BYU who equally had a disappointing end to her outdoor season where she did not make the finals. However indoors she was a solid second to Butler.

1600-Meter Run

No race is perhaps wider open than the women’s mile. There will be a new champion with the graduation of Micaela Degenero and the professional signing of Sintayehu Vissa of Ole Miss. The top returnee is Olivia Howell of Illinois. Howell had quite the indoor season, winning the Big Ten title and finishing fifth overall at the indoor championships. Howell had an up and down Cross-Country post season, she finished 23^rd at the Big Ten Championship but won the Midwest regional title. Look for her to lead the way in the women’s mile.

3000/5000-Meter Run

Katelyn Touhy as a indoor freshman last season proved to be quite the gamer for NC State. She finished second in both the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs. Although there are no preliminary races indoors for either event, it is still tough to attempt to a double. She came away with double silver against an impressive field. Touhy followed that up by winning the 5,000 outdoors and claiming the Cross-Country title as well. She will be challenged by Parker Valby of Florida who many thought would beat her at the Cross-Country national championship only for her finish second. Touhy is certainly capable of winning both events regardless of who is challenging her.

Men

800 Meter Run

Brandon Miller formerly of Texas A&M has recently turned pro and moved to Los Angeles to train under Bobby Kersee leaving the race wide open. The top returnee is 400-meter favorite Jonathan Jones of Texas. Remember last indoor season he moved up to the 800 and finished second to Miller. In the outdoor season he moved back to the 400. He may repeat that same process. His teammate Yuzuf Bizimana is also a top returnee finishing fourth last indoor season. Challenging both will be Navasky Anderson of Mississippi State by way of Jamaica. His performance at the outdoor meet last season with a time of 1:45.02 broke the Jamaican national record. I will lean towards Bizimana but this race could go to anyone.

Mile Run

Perhaps the most glamorous distance event, or maybe just my personal favorite, its one in the same. This event will also have a new champion as Mario Garcia Romo has turned professional. Joe Waksom of Washington was the only person to defeat Romo last year but at 1,500 meters. He did not compete in the indoor mile but having a NCAA Outdoor title in the 1,500 is certainly worth the title preseason favorite. Isaac Basten of Drake is the highest returning performer from the last indoor championship and will lead the challenging field.

3000/5000-Meter Run

The 3,000 and 5,000 will also have a new champion and perhaps my preseason favorite may not even compete in both events at the championship, but he deserves to be mentioned here. Charles Hicks of Stanford the 2022 Cross Country champion. He is the top returnee from last years indoor championship in the 3,000 having finished third. His teammate Ky Robinson has taken an early lead to the season with a mark this top four all time with 13:11.53 at the Boston Season Opener this past weekend. Together they make a powerful 1-2 punch in the 3 and 5k. Nico Young of Northern Arizona is certainly worth mentioning here along with Adrian Wildschutt of Florida State. These four names have been synonymous with the distances for the past year and that should not change. pre

Closing

No DMR prediction yet but let’s not forgot about the depth of the Stanford men. I think this will be a great year for distance races and I am excited to see what the 3k and 5k look like come championship season for both men and women. In our next post we will talk about those amazing field athletes.

2023 NCAA Indoor Season Preview- Part 1 Sprints

 

(Micah Williams-Oregon)

The indoor season has officially arrived. This past weekend we were tribute to some special performances in non-traditional events and some special performances in traditional events. The 2022 season was quite special, we saw so many new stars and our theme of breaking long standing NCAA records continued, there are hardly any left. In this post we will begin the first of our indoor series, as usual starting with Sprints & Hurdles, followed by the Distance runners and then our field event athletes. In this post it will be the sprints preview.

Women

60-meter dash

Julien Alfred of Texas has been a headliner since arriving at Texas. Last season she set the NCAA record in the 60-meter dash at the Indoor National Championship during the preliminaries with a time of 7.04. Things did not quite go her way in the finals and finished in fifth place with a time of 7.15. Alfred redeemed herself by winning the outdoor 100-meter title. She returns this season with the goal of adding the indoor title to her trophy case and with Melissa Jefferson gone to the professional level there will be a new champion. Jadyn Mays of Oregon clocked a time of 7.09 last indoor season and will look to challenge Alfred for the crown. Mays will have to match the amazing start that Alfred is known for.

200-meter dash

Favour Ofili of LSU had a prolific sophomore season last year. She is on the all-time top five list for both indoors and outdoors. With all those accolades you would expect her to have a national title to her credit, but she does not. Abby Steiner of Kentucky set an indoor and outdoor record in this event taking it to new heights and claimed both titles for herself. Ofili has run sub 22 seconds outdoors with her personal record of 21.96 and will likely challenge Steiner’s records this season. Challenging her will be Kevona Davis of Texas. Davis came on strong last outdoor season and lived up to the hype she built up after an impressive high school career at Edwin Allen High School of Jamaica. The topic of many discussions on social media, she is now a major factor and threat to win.

400-meter dash

Florida returns this best 400-meter runner in the country with Talitha Diggs. Diggs is the defending indoor and outdoor champion and the only athlete to have run under 50 seconds. Diggs is the daughter of Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs and niece to Olympian Hazel Clark. This season not only will Diggs look t defend her crown she is likely chasing the NCAA records for both indoors and outdoors. Expect for Coach Holloway to have her prepped and ready. Kennedy Simon of Texas will be her strongest competitor as she was last season. Simon and Diggs went toe to toe last season with Diggs coming out on top.

60-meter hurdles

Grace Stark of Florida wowed us last season. She was a top 10 60-meter sprinter and that translated well in the hurdles. She is the defending champion in the event having run a stellar time of 7.78. Her time ties the NCAA record, and she will look to defeat the record this indoor season. Stark also would like to redeem herself after a disappointing outdoor season that ended prematurely due to injury. Alia Armstrong had the impressive outdoor season and won the outdoor title along with making team USA in the 100 hurdles. Armstrong like Stark is a top 10 60-meter sprinter and that will likely continue for this season. Expecting for one of these two ladies to break the NCAA record.

Men

60-meter dash

Davonte Burnett of USC is the defending champion in the event. Having to run the race twice due to a timing malfunction he won both times getting faster the second race. USC has developed quite the impressive short sprints crew to match their impressive 400-meter crew. Burnett will be challenged by Micah Williams of Oregon. Williams is the only athlete in the field to run under 6.5. He unfortunately false started in the preliminary round and never made it to the finals. I expect for him to redeem himself and fully challenge Burnett for his title. A dark horse could be Favour Ashe formerly of Tennessee and now of Auburn being coached by Leroy Burrell.

200-meter dash

Javonte Harding of North Carolina A&T returns at the defending champion. He followed his coach Duane Ross to Tennessee along with a host of other teammates. Harding chased Matthew Boling of Georgia all indoor season last year and claimed the crown at Indoor Nationals. That did not carry over to outdoors thanks Joe Fahnbulleh of Florida who claimed the title. Boling had a disappointing end to his indoor season with a disqualification. Harding is now competing in the SEC and will get more chances to go against Boling. I think Boling may finally get a NCAA title, but Harding will be tough to defeat.

400-meter dash

Both the indoor and outdoor champions have moved on leaving us to crown a new champion. Jenoah McKiver of Iowa is the top returnee. Iowa has become a national power in the sprints and taken the title as the sprint kings of the Big Ten from Ohio State. McKiver finished second last indoor season and had a strong regular outdoor season clocking in at 44.74. Jonathan Jones of Texas is quite the versatile runner and should be McKiver’s main threat. Last indoor season he stepped up running the 800 indoors and finished second at the indoor championships. He was fourth overall last outdoor season but had a personal best of 44.4. Jones is primed to claim the title, but McKiver has earned the right to be the favorite.

60-meter hurdles

Trey Cunningham of Florida State has graduated and moved onto to the professional ranks. That makes things much easier for the returning athletes because Cunningham was a dominant hurdler. Leonard Mustari now of Tennessee by way of North Carolina A&T, had an impressive freshman campaign. He returns this season to prove it was not a fluke. He clocked a top returning top of 7.55. Joshua Zeller had a solid indoor season, but his outdoor season is where he came alive. Clocking in at 13.19, he competed at the World Championships last summer and is the top returning outdoor hurdler. I expect for both Zeller and Mustari to take the next step in their indoor technique, and we could be in for a special season. Keep an eye out for Jamar Marshall of Arizona State.

Closing 

No 4x400 relay previews this early. I still need to see what depth each team has but for the record I think Texas women and Florida men. In my next post I will preview what should be a spectacular season for distance runners.