OUTDOOR SEASON IS HERE

50.91!

(Jaide Stepter-USC)

Weekend Recap

The outdoor season began two weeks ago but got underway in a big way this past weekend. Many of the athletes who competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships two weeks ago took the first weekend of the season off. This past weekend we saw many top athletes get right back to were they left off.  In this post we will recap the 6 best performances from this past weekend. 

6. RAVEN SAUNDERS (OLE MISS)- Raven Saunders dominated headlines all indoor season long. After a highly successful 2015 freshman campaign season Saunders began this season by setting many records most notably the NCAA record.

However two weeks ago all that was for not when she failed to qualify to the finals due in part to two fouls. She opened the past weekend by nearly hitting 60 feet. Her winning mark of 59-6 3/4 currently ranks number 1 in the NCAA. 

5. ERIC FUTCH (FLORIDA)- Futch has been a nice addition to the Florida Gators track team. He had a up and down year last year and seem to try all season long to getting his footing right as a long sprinting hurdler. Futch had to take a year off due to transfer rules.

This past weekend at the Cardinal and Gold Invitational he lit up the track with a time of 49.45 among a class field. He matches his 2015 best in his first meet of the season. Futch already returns among the top 3 in the nation his performance just cemented his status as a favorite to win the title.

4. JOHNATHAN STEVENS (WASHINGTON)-  Stevens of Washington decided to place in his name in the contender pot with his performance this past weekend. Washington dropped a 3:43.70 in the men's 1,500. His time would have earned him the national title at the NCAA meet last outdoor season.

Although it's early in the season he earned the victory against plenty of top level talent at the Pac-12 vs Big 10 Invitational defeating All-American Mason Ferlic from Michigan. We should expect big things from Stevens this season. 

3. SHAYLA SANDERS (FLORIDA)- Florida had a great weekend at the Cardinal and Gold Challenge. Sanders was a key part in the team having a great weekend. After a disappointing outing at the NCAA Indoor Championships Sanders has begun her outdoor season with a bang.

Sanders tied a school record in the women’s 100 meter dash with a time of 11.13. She also claimed the 200 meter title with a winning mark of 22.77, her personal best. Both times vaulted Sanders to the top of the rankings and her time allows for her to remain as an All-American candidate.

2. SAM MATIS (PENN)- The Ivy League athletes do not get enough press for the amazing performances. Already competing at a demanding academic institution they have to couple that with the challenges of being a competitive athlete. Being successful in both is a true challenge that they are expected to meet.

Sam Mattis of Penn is already starting his outdoor season with a bang. Matting hurled the discus 202 feet and 4 inches. He was only a few feet off of his personal best set at last season’s NCAA Outdoor Championship that saw him win a National title.

     1.   JAIDE STEPTER (USC)- Stepter is having a great season so far.  She was one of the top 400 runners in all of the NCAA this past indoor season and was coming off an All-American outdoor season in 2015. She was already favored to win the 400 meter hurdle title in the Pac-12 conference. The 400 hurdles may be her signature event but it was her performance in the open 400 that caught everyone’s attention. Stepter opened with a blazing time of 50.91. She becomes the first athlete in USC history to run a sub 51 400.

     With a new school record under her belt it may be time to consider whether or not to focus primarily on the 400 or still keep her running the 400 hurdles. It remains to be seen. 

     This coming weekend is a major weekend for collegiate track and field. There are three really big meets, the Stanford Invitational, Florida Relays and the Texas Relays. Stay by your phone and make sure you are following all the action on twitter and Facebook. This weekend should offer many big time performances. 

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW

(Ronnie Baker-TCU)

(NCAA 60 Meter Record Holder)

The Champions have been crowned. Another year and another successful indoor season concluded. With this being an Olympic year it was my expectation that this year would be one of the best in NCAA history, it certainly was. There were a few eye popping NCAA records and new world number 1’s. In this post I will try to recap the major performances from what was a truly special meet.

SPRINTS

The men’s 60 meter dash was one of the best races of the entire weekend. Defending Indoor Champion Ronnie Baker of TCU cemented himself as the favorite to win after defeating John Teeters of Oklahoma State at the Big 12 Conference Championship with a then world leading time of 6.51. In this very race was young Cameron Burrell of Houston, son of the great former world record holder Leroy Burrell who also had an impressive time coming in.

Burrell was the talk of the track world after he ran a new world leading time of 6.50 in the preliminaries. Baker not to be dismayed lined up and used an outstanding start to beat Burrell to the line. His time of 6.47 is a new NCAA record and the current world number 1. Burrell was a close 2^nd with a time of 6.48 that matched his father’s lifetime best.

In the women’s 60 meter dash Texas Teahna Daniels became the fastest freshman in NCAA history. She claimed the NCAA title in the women’s 60 dash with a time of 7.11, placing in the all-time top 5 list for women sprinters. She defeated Hannah Cunliffe of Oregon who previously ran an NCAA leading time of 7.12 in the prelims. Daniels had a stellar high school career and looks to continue to succeed at the NCAA level.  Her time in the 60 meter dash is amongst the fastest in the world this year.

Daniels saw her teammates due a Texas two step in the 400 meters. Zach Bilderback and Courtney Okolo both won the 400 meter dash for their university. For Bilderback he became the first man to win for the Longhorns and Okolo joined a long line of successful 400 runners for what can be dubbed as “400 University”. Okolo’s winning time of 50.69 is amongst the fastest in NCAA history and Bilderback won in a time of 46.03.

HURDLES

Cindy Ofili of Michigan entered this season as the championship favorite to win it. She had an outstanding 2015 outdoor campaign which saw her clock in at 12.60 to finish 2^nd at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. She didn’t disappoint early on in the season when she set a personal best for the first time in 2 years in her first meet. She kept setting personal best throughout the indoor season until she ran again at the Big 10 Indoor Championships where she would lose to conference foe Devyne Charlton. Charlton also matched her then number 1 ranking. Her luck looked to have seemingly ran out after her preliminary race where she finished 5^th in her heat and had to qualify on time due a misstep in her race. She put all that behind her and set her blocks and blasted off to a personal and school best time of 7.89 to win the NCAA title. Her time betters her sister’s school record and places at number 9 all time in NCAA history.

Devon Allen of Oregon is another hurdler with a long story. Allen’s story is due to injury with his other favorite sport football. He injured himself in the previous season and had to sit out all last season for track and field. His speed was slowing coming back during the football season but the question remained would he return to hurdling or track and field in general. Each week this season he has taken a step in that direction to getting better. Allen caught everyone’s attention when ran a time of 7.60 to match the number 1 mark in the country set by Jordan Moore of LSU. He then proved that he is back to his 2014 NCAA Outdoor title winning ways when he beat Moore one on one with a time of 7.56. Allen is certainly back and with outdoor season of competition one can only wonder what Allen can do.

DISTANCE

With two less than interesting mile races, the 3k and 5k turned out to be great spectacles on both men and women’s sides. Two stars proved why they are the best in the business.

On the men’s side Edward Cheserek of Oregon continued to impose his will on his fellow distance competitors. Cheserek began the weekend by winning a very competitive 5,000 meter race. His winning time of 13:47.89 was just slightly 2 seconds ahead of runner up Thomas Curtin of Virginia Tech. Curtin gave Cheserek an honest race but was unable to beat the champ. What is perhaps more impressive of Cheserek is that with less than an hour to rest he anchored the Men’s Distance Medley Relay to another victory giving Oregon 10 much needed team points. The very next day he displayed that same dominance in the 3,000 meter race with a winning time of 8:00.40. With that victory Chesrek sealed himself in the distance running and NCAA track and field hall of fame. He tripled within a short time frame against incredible competition.

Molly Seidel had a double on her mind to add to her NCAA Championship trophy case. She entered both the 3,000 and 5,000 meter races as the favorite to win. Seidel was able to live up to the hype and beat Michigan’s Erin Finn in both events to the line. Her time of 8:57.86 in the 3,000 was the only sub 9 minute performance in the race. She had an impressive victory in the 5,000 winning by more than 7 seconds in a time of 15:15.21. Seidel has so far had one of the greatest women’s distance running careers by any collegian. Expect more big things out of her this outdoor season.

The 800 was a less than spectacular race. It cost two teams big points, both Texas A&M and Florida were counting on the 800 runners to not only make it to the finals but to also perform well. Donovan Brazier of A&M and Andres Arroyo were 1-3 entering in the competition. Arroyo and Brazier had one heck of race two weeks ago at the SEC Indoor Championships which saw Brazier hold on to defeat Arroyo. Neither made it to the finals with Brazier suffering and injury and Arroyo having an inability to qualify.  He was another huge disappointment for a rough weekend for the Florida Gators.

The women’s 800 saw Raevyn Rogers of Oregon win the NCAA title but her time was not what everyone hope for. After lighting the field up earlier in the season with a time of 2:00.90 many had predicted she would use this stage to break Tennessee’s Nicole Cook’s 800 meter indoor record. Her winning time of 2:04.68 was well short of the NCAA record but did secure another national title and garner 10 team points for the Lady Ducks.

FIELD EVENTS

Now this category had plenty of upsets, disappointments and shocks. What can you say other than it was a typical NCAA Championship weekend.

In the women’s shot put Raven Sanders had lit the NCAA on fire. She arrived as a freshman last season at Southern Illinois and continued to pump out championship hardware just like her high school days. This season she now competes for Ole Miss following her coach, she began the season so well by breaking the NCAA record and standing as the only woman to surpass 60 feet for the season. She had all but won the Indoor title and was the easiest favorite in the field. However she was unable to qualify to the finals. She had one poor throw and two fouls. Dani Winters of Kansas State was able to hang on and win with a mark of 58-11 ½.

In the men’s shot put senior Ryan Crouser of Texas proved that he is the best thrower in the game. He has had a stellar championship career and just added to it. This past weekend he had 5 of the best 10 throws all competition by himself. His winning mark of 69-9 ¾ almost put him over 70 feet again this season and was certainly too much for his competitors to keep up with. He also owned the 2^nd best mark in the field as well.

The weight throw also had a strong favorite on the men’s side. Chukuebua Enekwechi of Purdue led the field the entire season. He also had such a lead against his competition it was practically a guarantee that he would win. Alexander Young of Southeast Louisiana Unviersity clearly did not believe in the hype. Young would use his best throw to surpass Enekwechi and hold on to win with a mark of 78-1 not even a full foot farther than Enekwechi.

The craziness may have started with the women’s pentathlon. This event had a lot riding on it. Georgia was counting on Kendall Williams for team points and Kansas State Akela Jones was in line of being considered the greatest Indoor multi-event athlete ever. Williams has broken the NCAA record in the event each of the past two seasons. Jones had nearly broken her record early this season is on the top of the NCAA list for 3 events.

Jones began with the 60 hurdles triple over the last hurdle virtually eliminating her from the competition. She performed honorably throughout the competition winning the high jump, the long jump and the shot put. She surprisingly pulled out of the 800 and finished 14^th overall. She would garner an NCAA title in a hotly contested high jump with a winning mark of 6-1 ½. Williams was able to maintain a high level consistency in each event finishing close to Jones in most events. Williams performance was able to garner a new NCAA record of 4,703 points.

Jarrion Lawson of Arkansas was able to live up to expectations and earn the NCAA title in the men’s long jump. He won the event on his very last jump. He had to overcome early foul trouble however to make the finals and to give his team 10 needed points. His mark of 26-1 is not as far as his season’s best, but it was enough to win the title.

Quaneesha Burks of Alabama has been the woman to beat all season long. Burks winning mark of 22’3 ¾ was the only the only 22 foot jump in the field. Akela Jones made headlines here because her mark in the heptathlon was the exact same as Burks winning mark for the women’s long jump. Burks can continue to make headlines this coming outdoor season if she is also able to surpass 23 feet.

The men’s high jump also had another upset, I hope your sensing the theme. Neither Bradley Akins of Texas Tech nor his rival Christoff Bryan of Kansas State claimed the title in the event. Adkins had been number one up until the Big 12 Championships a couple weeks ago when he was beaten by Bryan. Adkins not only did not win the event he did not score. It was his teammate Trey Culver who shocked everyone with his winning jump of 7’3 ¾.

In the men’s heptathlon the upset theme continued with favorite Garrett Scantling of Georgia finishing 3^rd after arriving at the meet as the only athlete in the field to have surpass 6,000 points. Zack Ziemek of Wisconsin had a great weekend with a few personal best including the winning mark of 6,173 points. He led the way by winning two events and remaining in the top 10 amongst the rest.

In the triple jump Eric Sloan of USC continued the upset theme by finishing 4^th. Clive Pullen of Arkansas stepped up added to the long history of Arkansas triple jumpers with his winning mark of 54’7.25. Sloan owns the number 1 mark in the nation but was unable to produce that same effort this past weekend allowing Pullen to give his team 10 valuable points.

Perhaps the only heavy favorite to win their event was talented sophomore triple jumper Keturah Orji of Georgia. She climbed to the top of the podium in the event last outdoor season and hasn’t stop. Jones has three marks that were the best of the entire competition. Her winning mark of 46-4 nearly broke a longstanding NCAA record.

Alexis Weeks a talented freshman from Arkansas lived up to the hype about her as well. Weeks was the only competitor the break the 15 foot barrier in the women’s pole vault this past weekend. Her winning mark of 15-2 was one of her two 15 foot jumps this past weekend.

RELAY WINNERS

WOMEN’S 4X400 TEXAS- 3:28.27

WOMEN’S DISTANCE MEDLEY GEORGETOWN- 10:57.21

MEN’S 4X400 LSU- 3:04.28

MEN’S DISTANCE MEDLEY OREGON- 9:27.27

Conference Championship Review (Women)

(Molly Seidel-Notre Dame)

What a great weekend it was for college track and field. There were quite a few upsets and new number 1 rankings.  Each conference provided it's own unique story to add to the book of a great indoor season. Let's look at how each event unfolded around the country.

SPRINTS

60 Meter Dash- Mikiah Brisco had a fabulous weekend at the SEC Indoor Championships. She has been in the shadow of Shayla Sanders of Florida all season. Sanders holds the number 1 ranking in the country with a time of 7.17. Brisco was also attempting a very challenging double winning the 60 and the 60 hurdles. She beat Sanders to the line with the number 2 ranked time this season in 7.18. Brisco's time validates her as serious threat to win the Indoor title especially after beating the number 1 ranked athlete.

200 Meter Dash- Felicia Brown of Tennessee was having a great season. She has consistently been under 23 seconds but has had to sit behind the defending indoor champion Kyra Jefferson of Florida. Brown did not allow the champion to deter her from her goal. Brown sprinted around the track clocking in 22.45, one of the fastest times in indoor history. Brown now sits alone at the top heading to Nationals.

400 Meter Run- Courtney Okolo had quite a meet this past weekend at the Big 12 Championships. She was already having a great season with her number 1 ranking in the 400. She solidified her position and improved upon her number 1 ranking with a time of 51.06. She also wowed the crowd her short speed by dominating the 200 with a time of 22.79. Her 200 meter performances hints at the possibility of her setting a new collegiate and NCAA record. It remains to be seen what she can do, we will have to wait until Nationals.

60 Hurdles- Devyne Charlton of Purdue has sat behind Michigan's Cindy Ofili for years. Ofili has been the dominant hurdler in the conference since her sophomore year. Ofili now a senior led not only the Big 10 Conference but the nation in the women's 60 meter hurdles and was one of only two athletes under 8 seconds. Charlton crashed Ofili's hopes of a three-peat by matching her season best time of 7.97 to claim the Big 10 title. With both now with personal best at 7.97 it will be interesting to see who will be crowned National Champion.

4X400 Relay- Tennessee ran it's best time in the 4x400 relay since the early championship days of the J.J Clark era when Caryl Smith-Gilbert was the assistant. Their time of 3:30.56 was the best of the weekend and helped to lead them to a SEC Indoor title and the number 4 ranking overall.

DISTANCE

800- Olivia Baker was a top tier 400 runner coming out of high school. She was one of the best not just in the country but in the world among high school competition. She was also a good 800 runner most notably anchoring the Columbia High School 4x800 relay. Since an interesting try at the 400 as a freshman Baker has been moved up to the 800 where she is having great success. Baker was the best in class this past weekend with a time of 2:04.28 to win the MPSF 800 title. Her season best of 2:04.10 still has her among the top 16 in the nation and she has qualified for Nationals.

Mile- Iona Lake of Virginia took home the ACC Indoor title with the best mile time of the weekend. Her winning mark of 4:36.11 moved her to number 8 in the country. With her time ranked in the top 16 Lake has qualified for nationals.

3,000 & 5,000- These events have been combined because of the oustanding athlete who doubled and claimed the top times in the event for the weekend. Molly Seidel of Notre Dame continued her championship season this past weekend winning both the 3,000 and 5,000 meter race at the ACC Indoor Championships. Her time of 9:02.24 won the 3,000 and her time of 15:19.64 in the 5,000 moved her to the number 1 ranking overall in the event. She is already sitting comfortably at number 3 in the 3,000. It is quite possible that Seidel who won the Cross Country title goes on to double at the National Championships as well.

FIELD

High Jump- Akela Jones had another great weekend to continue with the great indoor campaign she has had. Jones who is currently ranked number 1 in the pentathlon earned her second number 1 ranking of the season with a winning mark of 6-4 in the women's high jump at the Big 12 Indoor Championships.

Pole Vault- Talented senior Megan Clark of Duke validated her number 1 ranking in the Pole Vault by winning the ACC Indoor title and garnering the top performance of the weekend with a mark of 14'10. Clark heads to Nationals tied for number 1 but clearly in the driver's seat.

Long Jump- Akela Jones of Kansas State garnered her third number 1 ranking with a mark of 22-1.75 to win the long jump at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Quaneesha Burks of Alabama who has lead the entire indoor season hit the same mark to win the SEC Indoor title. Both share the number 1 mark in the country with only Nationals left.

Triple Jump- Keturah Orji of Georgia remains the top of class in the women's triple jump. The sophomore leaped out to a mark of 46'2.50 to win the SEC Triple Jump title against a loaded field. Orji's mark kept at the number 1 mark in the country.

Shot Put- Normally this slot belongs to Raven Saunders. However Christina Hillman of Iowa  State had the top performance of the weekend in the women's shot put. Her mark of 58'10 helped her to win the Big 12 Indoor title and firmly rank her as the number 2 thrower in the country.

Weight Throw- Kelsey Card of Wisconsin was the best in class in the women's weight throw with a winning mark of 72'7.75 to win the Big 10 Indoor Championship. Her mark also placed her as the number 1 ranked competitor in the event.

Heptathlon- USC's Miss Everything continued to prove that she belongs. Amalie Iuel had a great performance at the MPSF Indoor Championship competing in the women's heptathlon. Her mark of of 4,444 points garnered her the conference title and the number 4 ranking in the country. Iuel has booked her ticket to nationals.

Conference Championship Review (Men)

(Devon Allen-Oregon)

HE'S BACK!

What a great weekend it was for college track and field. There were quite a few upsets and new number 1 rankings.  Each conference provided it's own unique story to add to the book of a great indoor season. Let's look at how each event unfolded around the country.

SPRINTS

60 Meter Dash- In the 60 meter dash all eyes were on the Big 12 conference championship. In this same race was the defending Big 12 Indoor Champion from 2015 in John Teeters of Oklahoma State and the defending NCAA Indoor Champion in Ronnie Baker of TCU. Teeters has garnered most of the attention all year long by beating every challenger from every conference head on. However Baker not to be dismayed proved to be best in conference defeating Teeters to the time of a new number 1 ranking in 6.51. Baker's time one of the fastest performances in NCAA history.

200 Meter Dash- Nethaneel Blake-Mitchell of LSU has been ranked near the top all indoor season long. He at one point was the number 1 ranked 200 meter runner. Mitchell still did not surpass new number 1 Brendon  Rodney but he improved on his season's best and drew closer to the number 1 ranking. Fellow conference foe Christian Coleman of Tennessee gave Mitchell a real challenge in this race but Mitchell was able to outlast him. Mitchell's winning time of 20.51 firmly places him in the number 2 spot. Coleman now sits number 3 with a time of 20.54.

400 Meter Dash- Former Baylor star Jeremy Wariner used the Big 12 Indoor Championship as an opportunity to launch what would be his Olympic Gold Medal season. He set the big 12 indoor record that stood from 2004 until 2016, 12 long years. Zack Bilderbeck of Texas looks to be the next great 400 runner from the state of Texas. His time of 45.27 became a new conference record and moved him to the number 1 spot in the country.

60 Hurdles- Heading into this weekend Jordan Moore of LSU was looking to solidify his status as the number 1 hurdler in the country. He was able to obtain the number 1 ranking after winning the 60 meter hurdles at the SEC Championships but was unable to place himself as the sole contender. Devon Allen of Oregon who wowed the country two years ago at the Outdoor Championships as a freshman has come back after injury and proved that he still has what it takes to be number 1. Allen claimed the MPSF Conference title with a number 1 tying time of 7.60. We will find out who the real number 1 ease at the NCAA Indoor Championships in a couple weeks.

4x400 Relay- Florida has had an interesting indoor season to say the least. A season that has had more down then ups for the men saw their number 1 ranking become a number 10 ranking. The Gators year and year out have been known to have the best 4x400 relay in the country saw their lofty rankings come into question. In on their few highlights from the weekend the relay put together a memorable performance dominating their SEC competition with a winning time of 3:04.02 that vaulted them to the number 1 ranking. Florida's performance was even more impressive because it was won by more than 3 seconds overall and 5 seconds in their heat. No that was not a typo.

DISTANCE

800- Donovan Brazier of Texas A&M garnered quick national attention when he ran a NCAA leading 1:45.93 at his first meet as 800 runner for Texas A&M. His time broke several age group and freshman records along with a school record. At the SEC Indoor Championships he again proved himself to the be the best in class by defeating defending champion Andres Arroyo of  Florida. Brazier's time of 1:46.08 has only been surpassed by himself and Arroyo's runner up time of 1:46.20 is his best and 2nd best in the country.

Mile- Izaic Yorks of Washington had the home crowd behind him at MPSF Indoor Championships when he lined up against conference rival Sean McGorty of Stanford. I don't many expected to see what they eventually saw. Yorks and McGorty provided distances fan with a great race. When Yorks crossed the line first the time that followed would put him the top 5 all time list for men's miler. His winning time of 3:53.89 place him number 3 all time. Coincidentally McGorty would also end up in the top 5 with his runner up performance of 3:53.95. What a treat of a race that was, it still remains to be seen if Yorks can run just as great against Cheserek or his fellow conference rival McGorty at the National Championships. This event has just gotten even more exciting.

3,000- Pierce Murphy of Colorado took home the event and the best time of the weekend with a time of 7:51.51. Murphy was another national leader from a great conference championship for the MPSF hosted by Washington. Murphy now ranks 12th overall and had guaranteed himself a qualifying spot to the Indoor National Championships.

5,000- Aaron Nelson of Washington added to the distance haul by Washington to claim the MPSF Indoor title. Nelson's winning time of 13:49.93 was the best of the weekend. Nelson is still sitting outside the top 16 however, if someone should focus on another distance or report injury than Nelson is the next man up.

Distance Medley Relay- It seems most teams used the previous weekend to run their best group to qualify for Nationals. However Georgetown used the Big East Championship to stamp their ticket to Nationals. The Hoyas had the best time over the weekend with a time of 9:28.91. They comfortably sit ranked 8th overall.


FIELD

High Jump- Christoff Byran of Kansas State has had to sit behind all of the talk regarding number 1 ranked conference foe Bradley Adkins of Texas Tech. Adkins entered this season as pre-season favorite and had not done anything to disappoint. In fact Adkins has already beaten Bryan this season one on one. At the Big 12 Indoor Championships it would be a different story. Bryan was able to outlast Adkins with a mark of 7'3.25, the top mark of the weekend.

Pole Vault- Pau Tonnesen of Arizona proved to be the best of championship weekend with his mark of 18'1.75. Tonnesen was the only vaulter over 18 feet and he sits comfortably ranked at number 4.

Long Jump- In the men's long jump Jarrion Lawson of Arksansas continued his championship season campaign by winning the SEC title and earning the number 1 mark of the weekend. Lawson's mark of 26'7.25 has only been bested by Johnathan Addison with whom he shares his number 1 ranking with.

Triple Jump- Clive Pullen of Arkansas helped the Razorbacks pull of the double horizontal double by winning against a class field with a mark of 54'3.75. Pullen now ranks number 4 overall.

Shot Put- Ryan Crouser of Texas proved again why he is the preseason favorite in the men's shot put. The former NCAA Champion became the only thrower of 70 feet at that Big 12 Championships when he reached a mark of 71'3.5, His mark is a personal best and further solidifies his number 1 ranking.

Weight Throw- Chukuebua Enekwechi of Purdue has been the top thrower all season long. His mark of 77'11.5 at the Big 10 Indoor Championships to win it all has only been bested by himself. He currently holds the number 1 and 2 marks for the entire season and has remained the favorite to win the Indoor National title.

Heptathlon- Georgia seems to own this event. It's clear Georgia values the field events from a weekend of great performances in the multi event competition and their field athletes in general. Garrett Scantling has been having a great season and is currently the only athlete over 6000 points. Scantling solidified his number 1 ranking with another 6,000 point performance at the SEC Indoor Championships scoring a total of 6,003 points. With his teammate Maicel Uibo out of the competition it's clear that Scantling has a clear path to the title.

Weekly Recap

This past weekend was the final major regular season weekend of the season. Although there is one more week of the regular season do not expect to see many of the top tier athletes competing so that they can be fresh and prepared for Championship Weekend. There were some notable performances last weekend that caught many eyes. Let's take a look at our Top 5, which this week will have both sexes combined.

5. ERIC SLOAN (USC)- Sloan now a junior at USC after spending time at the junior college level has taken over the triple jump. Sloan has been dominant all season long for the Trojans and this weekend he put an exclamation point on his season. Against top tier All-American competition Sloan leaped to the number ranked mark of 55-10.50. His performance puts him a foot ahead of his closes competitor. Sloan is in great position to take Florida off it's jumping dominance.

4. ELINOR PURRIER (NEW HAMPSHIRE)- Purrier is not at one of the more notable distance programs. However with her performance this past weekend she shows that she is doing fine all by herself. Purrier ran the number 1 ranked time in the women's mile this past weekend with a time of 4:29.71.  Her time leaves her as the only athlete under 4:30 and a contender in the title hunt.

3. BRENDON RODNEY (LIU-BROOKLYN)- Rodney is another athlete that is not at Power 5 top tier program. However Rodney has been consistent and produced a quality body of work over the years. He has been on top of his game this season and this past weekend at the Valentine Invitational he made his claim for the 200 meter indoor title. Rodney sped around the track in the nations number 1 time, 20.52. He ran that time without competing against any SEC or ACC athletes. What could he do against them remains to be seen.

2. ALLIE OSTRANDER (BOISE ST)- Ostrander was highly sought after high school student. She had a successful career that brought her many accolades and notoriety. She has certainly lived up to the hype this season as a true freshman.  Ostrander at the Husky Invite this past weekend claimed her second number 1 ranking in a long distance event. She dominated the field with a time of 8:54.27 in the women's 3,000. Ostrander has long been the number 1 in the 5,000 and now can add the 3,000 to her trophy case. It is quite possible that she will be competing in both events as the favorite come National Championship time.

1. RAVEN SAUNDERS (OLE MISS)- Saunders continues her young storied career this season and began with a bang. She has been the preseason favorite the moment the season started and was the only thrower to surpass 60 feet in the shot put during the season. She bested herself this past weekend by breaking the NCAA Record for the Shot Put with a mark of 63'1.25" at he Iowa Classic. Saunders continues to impress and looks to be a lock to win the NCAA Indoor title.


Our next post will be previews for Championship Weekend of the 5 major conferences. There also may be a weekend recap depending on if there are any quality performances.

Superbowl Weekend Recap

Outside of it being Superbowl weekend it was the first major weekend in the month of February. The Superbowl festivities did not prove to be a distraction for some. We are coming closer and closer to championship season and many top tier athletes showcased their talents this weekend replacing several number 1 ranked marks. Let’s review the Top of this weekend.

(Cindy Ofili- Michigan)

(Molly Seidel- Notre Dame)

WOMEN

5. SABRINA SOUTHERLAND (GEORGETOWN)- Georgetown seems to have a top performing athlete in a distance event every year. This year will be no different. Sabrina Southerland became the latest star from the talent rich university to claim a number 1 ranking. At the Villanova Invitational Southerland clocked in at 2:03.10 for the win in the women’s 800. She knocks Kaela Edwards of Oklahoma State out of the top spot and places herself in the driver’s seat.

4. MEGAN CLARK (DUKE)- Senior Megan Clark became this season’s first female pole vaulter to surpass the 15 foot mark. After the craziness of last season with the NCAA record under threat everyday it’s been a quiet year. However Clark steps into the center court after reaching a height of 15’1 at the Armory Invitational. Her mark places at the top of the rankings and the current favorite to win it all.

3. MOLLY SEIDEL (NOTRE DAME)- Although her performance did not garner her the number 1 ranking it was still quite an impressive performance against a great group of competitors. Seidel blazed the women’s, 3,000 meters with a time of 8:57.13. She is currently number 2 and one of only two athletes with a season’s best under 9 minutes. She bested long distance stud Erin Finn of Michigan this past weekend at the Meyo Invitational.

2. COURTNEY OKOLO (TEXAS)- After an injury plagued outdoor season Okolo is back to remind everyone of who she is. Okolo blazed the track at the Husker Invitational to the time of 51.16 for 400 meters. Her time leaves her more than a second ahead the rest of the entire field. Keep in mind this is still a sprinting event, Okolo has proven she is at a level that others just simply are not. Her time certainly indicates that Okolo has the talent to threaten the NCAA and American Indoor record.

1. CINDY OFILI (MICHIGAN)- Ofili debuted two weeks ago as the preseason favorite to win the 60 meter hurdles after a stellar outdoor season. She lived up to the hype vaulting to number 1 and setting a personal best. She followed that performance up with an even better performance by running another personal best time of 7.97. She currently ranks as the only sub 8 second performer in the hurdles and won the race at the Meyo Invitational against quality professional and collegiate competition.

MEN

(Jordan Moore-LSU)

5. JAKE BLAKENSHIP (TENNESSEE)- Last year was the year of the pole vault, both men and women had amazing seasons. This year the Pole Vault has been quiet. This past weekend the event gained a new heartbeat. Jake Blakenship of Tennessee has stepped up as the leader of the event. This past weekend he leaped to 18-9.25 at the Doc Hale Invite. Blakenship is currently one of three athletes to jump over 18 feet. He beat one of the top vaulters to add to his impressive win this past weekend in Torben Laidig of Virginia Tech.

4. CLAYTON MURPHY (AKRON) Murphy is quietly putting together quite an indoor season. Already known for his prowess as a 800 runner he proved this past weekend he is equally adept to the mile. At the Akron Invitational Murphy clocked in at 3:57.11 to win the men’s mile over a class field. Murphy is not ranked in the top 3 in the men’s mile. He may need to make the mile his permanent event after such a race and garnering a top 3 ranking.

3. JOHN ADDISON (NC STATE)- Addison has had to sit behind the big names such as Jarrion  Lawson, Corey Crawford and KeAndre Bates in the men’s long jump. This past weekend he caught the attention of everyone with his leap of 26’9.75. His mark ties Lawson for the number 1 ranking in the country. If you didn’t know about him then you certainly do now. A performance at this level at this point in the season should show how serious Addison is about winning the title.

2. CHRISTIAN COLEMAN (TENNESSEE)- Christian Coleman is another Tennessee Volunteer that has garnered a number 1 ranking. Coleman is one of a few short sprinters pegged to replace the talent of Andre DeGrasse and Trayvon Bromell who both left for the professional ranks early. Coleman blazed the 60 meter dash at the Doc Hale Invitational to the time of 6.54. His time ties him with John Teeters for the number 1 mark in the country. This has proven to be a pretty formidable group of 60 meter sprinters with so many having run under 6.6 this early. The winner this year may dip under 6.5, it could be Coleman.

1. JORDAN MOORE (LSU)- Jordan Moore has been itching to get on my top 5 list for a few weeks now. He has been this season’s best hurdler and continues to prove that. This past weekend he clocked in at 7.68 in the 60 meter hurdles at the New Mexico Classic. The mark will likely be converted to meet his already NCAA leading time of 7.69 since the meet was at Altitude. Moore is leading a pretty solid of hurdlers and is still the clear favorite to win the title at the end of the season. 

Weekend Recap

This past weekend we saw a lot of quality competition throughout the country. There were plenty of new number 1 marks and some disappointments. This past weekend was the final weekend of January and February is now here. This is where things start to get interesting, we start separating the pretenders and the contenders. Let’s take a look back at the biggest stories from this past weekend.

(Garrett Scantling-Georgia)

(SHAYLA SANDERS-FLORIDA)

WOMEN

Due to the sheer volume of performances I decided to have the best 5 stories from each sex to show a little more balance and acknowledge a lot of quality performances.

5. Claudia Garcia Jou (Akron)- Garcia Jou is one the many talented jumpers at Akron and is the latest star to step into the spotlight. She garnered the top mark in the NCAA with a high jump mark of 6-2. Garcia takes the mid-season lead with plenty of opportunities to improve upon her number 1 mark.

4. Raven Saunders (Ole Miss)- Saunders continues to impress with her marks in the women’s shot put. This past weekend she continued to be the only thrower over 60 feet winning the Vanderbilt Invitational with a throw of 62’3.25. Saunders is in good position to win the NCAA title and carry some positive momentum into the outdoor season.

3. Kaela Edwards (Oklahoma State)- Edwards is already the top ranked 800 runner in the country. This past weekend she proved her middle distance dominance by winning the mile at the Razorback Invitational against a quality field. Her winning time of 4:32.14 moves her into the number 1 position in the country. With number 1 rankings in both events this late in the game it is quite possible that Edwards may attempt the middle distance double.

2. Kendall Williams (Georgia)- Williams is the defending indoor champion in the women’s pentathlon. She has had to watch Akela Jones still the spotlight and almost break her NCAA record and claim number 1 marks in almost 3 events. Williams used the Razorback Invitational as an excellent opportunity to test her skill. Williams didn’t disappoint. She was close to breaking her own record but fell short in the women’s 800. Her point total was 4,558, which is still over 100 points less than her NCAA record and NCAA leader Akela Jones. Both athletes have certainly lived up to the hype so far this season and will make for great competition at the Indoor Championships.

1. Kyra Jefferson and Shayla Sanders (Florida)- Head Coach Mike Holloway has done an excellent job of developing the female sprinters of the University of Florida. Florida always possessed a decent group of sprinters but none at the level of this group. Both Jefferson and Sanders garnered number 1 times this past weekend against solid competition. Jefferson the defending Indoor Champion at 200 meters blasted off with a time of 22.72 in her first 200 of the year. Her indoor personal best which was set last season was a time of 22.63. She is making a case for the chance to possibly improve upon her time from last season.

Sanders did not win the NCAA title last indoor season and had a shaky outdoor season. It is clear that Sanders has put in the work to be better. She lined up against the NCAA number 1 and pre-season favorite to win the NCAA title in Jasmine Todd of Oregon. Sanders defeated Todd running a NCAA leading time of 7.17 which also happens to be a school record. Florida is really flexing their muscle and showing the prowess as a sprint program having both the top ranked sprinters in the 60 and 200 on their squad.

(Justyn Knight-Syracuse)

MEN

5. Jarrion Lawson (Arkansas)- Lawson now a senior has had to watch Florida superstar Marquis Dendy dominate the headlines and the event in the men’s long jump since he arrived. Lawson a talented jumper in his own right has been itching at the opportunity to be the big man on campus. Go against Florida’s latest jumping prodigy in Keandre Bates and plenty of high level competition, Lawson used the Razorback Invitational to remind everyone why he is the preseason favorite. Lawson reached a mark of 26’9.75. Lawson nearly hit 27 feet early in the indoor season. His mark cemented his number 1 status and is a great performance during the middle of season.

4. Michael Cherry (LSU)- Cherry is a transfer from Florida State and has been waiting in the wings for an opportunity to be the top guy in the men’s 400. With Arman Hall and Najee Glass of Florida dominating the headlines Cherry decided to remind everyone of who he was. Cherry hit the nation’s number mark with a time of 45.78 and is the only 400 runner under 46 seconds. Cherry also ran a leg on LSU’S top ranked 4x400 relay. Cherry has made some early noise and has quite a distance between him and number 2.

3. John Teeters (Oklahoma State)- Teeters again is proving to be a high level sprinter. Teeter had a solid start against a quality field to win the 60 meter dash at the Razorback Invite with a NCAA leading time of 6.54. The time is great but still not his best. Teeters has been undefeated so far this indoor season and has already proven to be the man to beat. Teeters will have great competition come championship time with Houston’s Cameron Burrell and defending Champion Ronnie Baker of  TCU.

2. Garrett Scantling (Georgia)- Georgia is a field event powerhouse. They continue to churn out not just champions in their field events but world class champions. The men’s decathlon and it’s indoor brother the heptathlon have been events were Georgia has not only dominated but in bulk with multiple athletes. Scantling has been a fixture of the program since 2013 earning SEC Indoor Titles and All-American honors. Being on a team with three to four All-America athletes in your event has got to make for a pretty competitive practice. However now is Scantling’s time and he proved that this weekend with his score of 6,020 points in the men’s heptathlon. His teammate Maicel Uibo who won the decathlon last outdoor season was his main competition but did not have enough to defeat his teammate. The mark proves that Scantling is the man to beat and Uibo has some catching up to do.

1. Justyn Knight (Syracuse)- It is rare the a freshman steals the headlines or scores a mark that is number 1 in the country. However again for the second time this season a freshman stole the headlines. Knight a talented freshman at Syracuse ran a great race at the John Thomas Terrier Invitational in Boston. His time of 3:56.87 ranks him number 1 in the country. What’s even more impressive is that this was supposed to be the weekend of Edward Cheserek. Although Cheserek ran a great race he still did not garner the top time. Knight a Canadian track star is making a statement that he will be hard to defeat in the men’s mile come championship time.

TEAM NOTE: I must say that I am a bit shocked at the performance this past weekend by Florida. Although they are ranked number 1 in the country there is clearly some leadership missing. Florida is loaded with talent and unfortunately not all of it has shown up. To have so many guys get disqualified in the 200 meter dash and under perform in the 400 meter dash is alarming. Next weekend is the Virginia Tech Invite and if things aren’t at least headed in the right direction I would say it would be cause for concern at the number 1 ranked Gators. If there is anyone who can motivate his team and move them in the right direction it’s Coach Holloway. I expect for the Gators to improve next weekend.