NCAA Championship Review

(JARRION LAWSON-ARKANSAS)
(NCAA CHAMPION-100-200-LONG JUMP)

What a weekend. As usual the NCAA Championship provided us with many jaw dropping performances and a few head-scratchers. I have to openly admit that I am a fan of University of Florida so watching the men win it all on Friday night was not only surprising but exhilarating plus relieving. It has been a tough year for this group so for them to win it all is quite impressive. Also watching Arkansas dominate the women’s NCAA Championship was special too. Let’s recap not all of the meet, but the five best performances of the meet.

5. ARMAN HALL (FLORIDA)- Arman Hall has had to deal with injury concerns for the past two seasons. As a freshman Hall set the college a blaze by running under 45 seconds and qualifying for Team USA. The next two seasons along with this past indoor season saw him deal with injuries. His future was truly uncertain. During this post season we have seen Hall get consistently better. This past weekend was a culmination of a long awaited championships. Hall ran a smart race, he waited until the last 80 or so meters to use his devastating speed to surpass the field and win his first NCAA title as a season with a time of 44.82. Hall is currently the only 400 runner in the NCAA who has run under 45 seconds.

4. RAVEN SAUNDERS (OLE MISS)- This has been a year of ups and down for shot putter Saunders. She was a preseason favorite and expected to dominate the competition at the start of the indoor season. She was unable to perform to her capability at the NCAA Indoor Championship and missed out on winning the title. She came into the outdoor season with a few top tier performances but she was not consistent. She answered any questions anyone may have had about this season with a throw of 63-5. Her mark sets an NCAA meet and overall NCAA record. This also adds another NCAA Championship trophy to sophomore Saunders.

3. ARIANA WASHINGTON (Oregon)- To those of us who follow high school track and field we knew the talent that Ariana Washington possessed. Washington dominated the California high school scene winning the 100 and 200 three straight years in a row. Not even Allyson Felix was able to perform that feet. Washington missed last season due to a serious injury. She had a slow start this season and begin to show her true potential mid outdoor season. Her coach Robert Johnson trusted her enough to have her on the anchor leg of the women’s 4x100 relay. This past weekend she proved she was worth all the hype. As a freshman she blazed a 100 meter dash time of 10.96, slight wind-aided and a wind legal 22.21. She has become the first freshman in NCAA history to win both sprints at the NCAA Championships.

2.  DONOVAN BRAZIER (TEXAS A&M)- Brazier comes from my home state, Michigan. We are not surprised that he has made an impact as a freshman. He was quite special here breaking multiple state records and running times in the 800 that even some collegians weren’t running. What is still impressive to many of us here in Michigan and likely to you all as well is the times that he is able to perform and in the dominant fashion he is able to do it in. Brazier ran toe to toe with pre-meet favorite Brandon McBride of Mississippi State on the first lap. In the last 300 meters his kick proved to be far superior than that of McBride. The talented freshman set an NCAA record with a time of 1:43.55. Jim Ryun held the NCAA record for 50 years to the day. Brazier who didn’t think of the Olympic Trials as a priority now should truly be considering it.  

1. JARRION LAWSON (Arkansas)- Lawson entered the meet as a contender in the 100 and 200 meter dash and the meet favorite in the men’s long jump. What he did this past Friday has only been done by Jesse Owens. Lawson who was being counted on for heavy points for Arkansas met everyone’s expectation by winning the long jump. But he shocked the crowd win he won the 100 meter dash, running into a headwind. In the 200 meter dash the NCAA leading Nethanaeel Mitchell-Blake of LSU was a scratch because of a leg injury sustained earlier in the day. However Lawson was still not the favorite, he however found a way to win and celebrated before the finish with a time of 20.19. Lawson’s improbable triple was 30 huge team points for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Three championships in one weekend is quite an impressive feat.

HONORABLE MENTION: CLAYTON MURPHY (AKRON)- As an alumnus of a MAC school (Eastern Michigan) it is great to see the conference still churning stellar track and field athletes. Murphy maybe the best the conference has ever produced. Yes I know that is high praise since there have been Olympic Gold Medalist to come out of the conference but Murphy is young and has a bright future ahead of him. Murphy stepped into a highly talented 1,500 meter field and proved to be the best of a talented group. Murphy got out to a solid lead and decided that he had enough speed to hold up. Well he was right, he was able to play keep away to the time of 3:36.38. His performance and time was one of the best in the event in NCAA history. Murphy defeated pre-meet favorite Izaic Yorks of Washington by more than a second.

There were several other big performances this past weekend but the five mentioned above stood out. Hats off to Oregon again for hosting another great meet. I understand that many feel that they have a strong home field advantage but the visual effect of a full stadium does wonders for the sport of collegiate track and field. Oregon puts on quite a show every year and fans fill the stadium. I expect for many athletes to compete at their respective Olympic Trials. The five names mentioned above are sure to be a part of that group. It remains to be seen who comes back for next season, who will transfer and what will many of the incoming freshman do. This season was quite fantastic and next year should be even better. 

NCAA Championship Preview

STILL THE KING?

(Edward Cheserek)

Oregon

It is finally here, the best event on the track and field calendar. It is NCAA Outdoor Championship time. I look forward to the day were I attend this meet as a regular. A lot has happened since our last post. We had a broken Regional meet that helped determined who attends the national meet and we had injury updates. I consider the regional meet to be broken because the format makes the meet pointless. I absolutely love the indoor format and hope that Outdoors will adopt this same format one day. This weekend has plenty of things for us to discuss.

Perhaps the biggest story on the women’s side is who will be absent. Jasmine Todd of Oregon who has consistently battled injuries will be out in the women’s 100. It’s rad sad considering her level of talent. She will joined by Kyra Jefferson of Florida who will be out in the women’s 200. Her absence is a huge loss for Florida and their team title hopes. In the distance events defending champion Molly Seidel of Notre is out along with Erin Finn of Michigan.

On the men’s side it’s all about who is ready to shine. Many of the events do not have a returning champion and there will be plenty of new champions and stars developed since this is an Olympic year.

Predictions:

WOMEN

100- Morolake Akinosun (Texas) She finished runners-up here last year by one thousandth of a second. With a personal best of under 11 seconds look for her to claim the title against heavy competition.

200- Felicia Brown (Tennessee) She has been dominant all year long and has cemented herself as one of the greats in the event with her stunning performances.

400- Courtney Okolo (Texas) The most decorated 400 runner in NCAA history and the only in the field with a national title and personal best under 50 seconds.

800- Raevyn Rogers (Oregon) Rogers is the defending champion in this event and the only participant to have run under 2 minutes. Rogers has been up and down this season but she has been more up than she has been down. In front of a home crowd expect the same type of magic you saw last year from Rogers.

1,500- Marta Frietas (Mississippi State) Frietas has been number 1 in the NCAA since the end of April and is currently the only athlete in the field with a time under 4:10. Frietas will be challenged by a great field but expect her to win the crown.

3,000 Steeplechase- Courtney Frerichs (New Mexico) Currently she is ranked number 1 in the NCAA and against a deep field should prevail.

5,000/10,000- Dominique Scott (Arkansas) With Molly Seidel of Notre Dame and Erin Finn of Michigan both of these events took a major star hit. However Dominque Scott of Arkansas is still in the field and was on the early season contenders to win the crown for either of these events. She will be huge in terms of team points and should have no trouble winning the title convincingly.

100 Hurdles- Cindy Ofili (Michigan) Ofili has been the preseason favorite since the end of last season. With a personal best of 12.60 and a season’s best of 12.66. Ofili has been number 1 all season long and it should continue this weekend.

400 Hurdles- Shamier Little (Texas A&M) She started off slow to the season running a few pedestrian times. She did not claim the number 1 ranking until the SEC Championships. Her time of 54.72 still stands as the number 1 time. With Hailey of Arizona out of the picture expect for Little to win her third straight NCAA title.

4x100- LSU. Without major injuries the Tigers look to add to their illustrious history in this event. Kentucky and Texas A&M will still be a challenge.

4x400- Arkansas. Their win at the NCAA West Regional Meet against Texas with Okolo running a 49 split showed that they have come a long way. Consistently over the past few years Arkansas has been able to produce great 400 runners and a solid 4x400 relay.

Long Jump- Quaneesha Burks (Alabama) Undefeated is the reason. Burks has yet to lose this season and has been consistently ranked number 1 all year around and beaten her toughest competitors one on one.

Triple Jump- Keturah Orji (Georgia) Orji has had a spectacular career so far at Georgia. She is on the verge of possibly breaking a NCAA record as a sophomore. With a personal best of 47 feet, the best is yet to come.

Shot Put/Discus- Kelsey Card (Wisconsin) Card has been more consistent with being a top level performer this outdoor season. Defending Champion Raven Saunders of Ole Miss is in the field but has not had the type of Outdoor Season that I believe she would have liked. I think Card will be looking to prove herself and outduel Sanders for the crown. She has also been the favorite all season long for the discus and that should not change this weekend.

High Jump- Erica Bougard (Mississippi State) With no Akela Jones in the field, Bougard has the number 2 mark in the NCAA. This could be an easy victory for Bougard.

Pole Vault- Alexis Weeks (Arkansas) One of the few freshman this NCAA season that are favorites to win the NCAA title. Weeks looks to continue the legacy of great pole vaulters at Arkansas and add another 10 points for the team title hopes.

Hammer Throw- DeAnna Price (Southern Illinois) She has consistently been the best at this event all year long and it should carry over to a national title.

Javelin Throw- Hannah Carson (Texas Tech) Carson comes in ranked number 1 based on season’s best. She has a very competitive field to compete against including the Malone Sisters of Texas A&M but should still claim the crown.

Heptathlon- Akela Jones (Kansas State) In perhaps one of the most competitive competitions this event has seen in years Jones is the favorite to be a phenomenal field. It is quite possible that the top 3 of this event will be in Rio for the countries competing at the Olympic Games. Jones is ranked high in a multitude of events and had it not been for a misstep at the Indoor Championships she would have likely won the event with a record performance.

TEAM: ARKANSAS- This might not even be close. The lady Hogs are absolutely loaded and show they have the ability to score in practically every area on the track. The future is also bright for them as well with such a talented group of young women.

MEN

100- Ronnie Baker (TCU) The two time Indoor NCAA Champion at 60 meters was unable to compete last outdoor season due to injury. He enters this outdoor season with only one goal in mind. Baker will have heavy competition from Cameron Burrell of Houston and Tevin Hester of Clemson but just like indoors expect the star to rise to the occasion when the competition is heaviest.

200- Nethaneel Blake- Mitchell (LSU) After having secured one of the fast wind legal times in NCAA history with a time of 19.95. Mitchell will look to continue his successful outdoor campaign and earn his first NCAA title.

400- Arman Hall (Florida) Hall started his career with plenty of notoriety. He was an outstanding freshman who made team USA and at a young age ran under 45 seconds. Add to that he also ran a 43 split later in his career. However majority of his career he has been plagued by injuries and has yet to claim the NCAA title that many expected him to earn. I believe now is the best time for Hall to truly showcase his talent.

800- Brandon McBride (Mississippi State) McBride has returned back to the top of the 800 podium. After a disappointing 2015 season that saw him unable to defend his NCAA title he began this outdoor season with a bang including a personal best of 1:44.63 that placed in the all-time records list. Look for McBride to reclaim his title against a great field.

1,500- Izaic Yorks (Washington) His season speaks for itself. He has had some record breaking performances and all time bests. The only appropriate conclusion to his season is the NCAA title.

3,000 Steeplechase Mason Ferlic (Michigan) He has been at the top majority of this season and the only athlete in the field with a personal best under 8:30. After falling in the water, literally, at last year’s NCAA Championship Ferlic is looking to rebound in a big way.

5,000/10,000 Edward Cheserek (Oregon) I openly admit to taking the easy road here. Cheserek this outdoor season has not been his usual self. He has been outkicked against some pretty big competition, and at home no less. I don’t expect for that continue and neither should you. Cheserek is one of the most decorated athletes in NCAA history and should use this weekend to add to his Championship trophy case.

4x100 & 4x400 (LSU) What program has ever been this consistent in both relays heading into the National Championship? As much as I love the Florida Gators I cannot recall this level of consistency. LSU is in great position to break the NCAA record in both events. I truly believe this is their best assembled team. LSU wins big in both events.

High Jump- Avion Jones (East Carolina) Jones is having quite the outdoor season and used the American Conference Championship as a signal to the rest of the nation. He claimed the number 1 ranking with a mark of 7-7. His mark is 2 inches more than his closest competitor.  Jones wins convincingly.

Pole Vault- Devin King (SE Louisiana) King has been number 1 since late March with his win at the Texas Relays. Without Shawn Barber in the field who left for the pro’s this is perhaps the perfect opportunity for the talented sophomore to be the next great star in the event. His first assignment is living up to the expectation.

Long Jump- Jarrion Lawson (Arkansas) Although he is not currently ranked number 1 in the NCAA we most certainly know what he is capable of. Lawson has been the bridesmaid at the championships quite often. He got his first NCAA title this past indoor season and will look to continue this outdoor season. Arkansas athletes have a habit of showing up big at Championship meets.

Triple Jump- Clive Pullen (Arkansas) Pullen is currently ranked number 2 right now behind Matthew O’Neal of South Florida. If we have learned anything and I have already said Arkansas athletes show up at Championship meets. Pullen earned the Indoor title and like his teammate should win the outdoor title. It will be a challenge though, O’Neal has proven to be a real talent.

Shot Put- Nicholas Scarvellis (UCLA) It’s been a while since we have heard of championship contender in the shot put for UCLA. A school that has produced some greats in the field events has a new contender. Scarvellis now a senior has been perhaps the best in the event all season long and is the obvious favorite to win the event.

Discus- Sam Mattis (Penn) He’s the defending champion and has been ranked number 1 all season long. Expect for that to continue with Mattis adding another championship crown to his trophy case.

Hammer Throw- Rudy Winkler (Cornell) It is clear that the Ivy League has learned how to play with the big boys. Winkler like his Ivy League brother Mattis has been the top ranked hammer thrower all season long and in is the best position for him to claim his first NCAA title.

Javelin Throw- Ioannis Kyriazis (Texas A&M) Kyriazis is being counted on heavily to live up to the top ranking. With Texas A&M in the middle of an intense team battle 10 points are a must for the sophomore. His undefeated record this outdoor season proves that he is more than ready to win his first NCAA title.

Decathlon- Victor Lindon (Texas A&M) Lindon proved his worth by defeating a talented field at the SEC Championship and not allowing Georgia to continue their dominance in the event. Lindon is also an athlete being relied upon to win the NCAA title to help add 10 big points to his the team battle. Lindon will have heavy competition but has proven he can win against the best already.

Team- LSU- They are extremely top heavy and expect a lot out of their competitors. However if everything falls into place they could potentially walk away with 4 titles which in itself is 40 points and puts them in great position to win the team battle.

Challenger- Arkansas- They always show up to this meet and have capable champions in a myriad of different events. They have the ability to score all over the track. Beware of the Hogs and their championships pedigree.  

LESSONS LEARNED

19.95!!!

(Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake)

What have we learned?

I ask myself that question after reviewing the many results from two weekends ago. Conference Championship Weekend has come and gone. We have learned a lot about who is a contender and who is a pretender. This weekend also made the team title hunt picture even clearer. Perhaps the biggest lesson we learned is that the SEC is king...and queen. 

LESSON 1: LSU Men Rules the Relays

LSU had quite a successful SEC Outdoor Championships. Their sprinters as usual had a solid weekend that included many new number 1 marks. Perhaps one of the most notable of their marks was their relay performances against top level competition. The 4x100 relay ran a time of 38.33 with a freshman (Jaron Flournoy from Michigan) as their first leg. Their time is one of the fastest 4x100 relays time in NCAA history. Their 4x400 relay ran time of 3:00.38 to win the SEC title with a 3 second lead. If challenged they have broken their own NCAA record. This group has the potential of setting NCAA records in both events. Let’s hope that the Tigers can continue their positive momentum in the post season.

LESSON 2: NETHANEEL MITCHELL-BLAKE is up NEXT

Blake maybe the spark that ignites the sprint engine at LSU. He has been at the top of the ranks all season long and in both the 100 and 200 meter dash. Blake pulled off an impressive double at the SEC Outdoor Championships winning the 100 meter dash in 10.16 and the 200 meter dash in 19.95. His 200 time is the fastest wind legal time since Walter Dix set the NCAA record in 2007. Also keep in mind that Blake is a junior. There is plenty of talent in this young man and we may see even more at Nationals.

LESSON 3: KETURAH OJRI can really JUMP

Orji is nothing new to anyone who reads this blog. This talented sophomore jumper from Orji has been mentioned multiple times, most notably for her amazing triple jump efforts. At the SEC Championships she again proved she is the queen of the event. She leaped to a mark of 47-11. Unfortunately for us and her it wasn’t quite wind legal. However her mark served notice that she has the potential to set the NCAA record and be considered as the greatest female American triple jumper of all time. A young woman who has yet to reach her prime still has plenty of time to astonish us all.

LESSON 4: LINDON VICTOR is the new favorite in the DECATHLON

Victor a multi-talented junior at Texas A&M had perhaps the stiffest competition this weekend in the decathlon. He went up against the talented two headed monster from Georgia. The Georgia dogs seem to dominate this event at a conference level and at a national level. It took Victor a personal best of 8,446 points to win the men’s decathlon over favorite Maicel Uibo and talented teammate Devon Williams. Both Bulldogs also went over 8,000 points proving the challenging level of competition. Victor is now currently ranked number 1 in the nation.

LESSON 5:  The women’s 10k is wide OPEN

Molly Seidel of Notre Dame announced via her twitter a few days that she will not be competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this season. Seidel is dealing with a sacral stress fracture. Without the defending champion we now know a new champion will be crowned. However there are plenty of big names out of the meet including Erin Finn of Michigan who is redshirting, teammate of Seidel Anna Rohrer and Allie Ostrander a true freshman standout from Boise State. This leaves us void many big names. Dominique Scott of Arkansas could potentially be the favorite to win it since she is the top ranked 10,000 meter runner in the NCAA at this time. Scott is currently attempting the double by winning the 5,000 and 10,000. Her contributions are very important to Arkansas if they want the team title.

PRIVATE LESSON: I really tried to not make this all about the SEC but the conference had an outstanding weekend with a few new number 1 marks. This coming weekend is the preliminary or regional round. I admit that I am not a fan of this regional process and hope that this is the last year of a wasteful weekend. The indoor process works best for me, the top 16 in each event selected. I think for an outdoor meet you can select the top 24 or go back to a provisional and automatic qualifying style format. Regionals is a waste of travel money and time. The next time we chat we will hopefully be previewing the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Here’s to hoping that all the favorites make out of this weekend healthy.

May 9th Weekly Recap

10.07/20.39!!

(Christopher Belcher-left-)

North Carolina A&T

This past weekend for majority of the nation was a lay off in preparation for Conference Championship Weekend. However there were some conferences who started the championship early and some schools who decided to use this past weekend as an opportunity to improve their ranking before the regional meet. This recap will focus solely on the performance of this past weekend.

WOMEN

BRONZE: LAURA ROSE  DONEGAN (NEW HAMPSHIRE)- Donegan joins our list after a solid indoor season where she won the 5,000 at the Amerian East Indoor Championships. She joined the top 10 list in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase with a mark of 9:49.16 to win the America East Conference Title adding to her championship hardware. Her mark solidified her as number 4 in the nation and as a legitimate contender for the NCAA title.

SILVER: KELSEY CARD (WISCONSIN)- Card has truly stepped into the spotlight as the nation’s best thrower. She is ranked in the top 3 in two events both the Shot Put and Discus. This past weekend she joined defending champion Raven Saunders as one of only two athletes with marks over 60 feet. She launched the shot to a mark of 60’10.75 to win the Wisconsin Twilight and move her to the number 2 ranking in the NCAA.

BRONZE: AMALIE IUEL (USC)- The Pac-12 does things a little differently in regards to their conference championships. They have the multi-event athletes compete in their own conference championships a week before the rest of the athletes compete at the Conference Championship. This allows for the multi-event athletes to compete in consecutive weekends in multiple events outside of the heptathlon or decathlon.

Iuel proved this weekend that she will be able to compete and score in a myriad of events at the general conference championship. Iuel joined Akela Jones as the only other athlete to score over 6,000 points this season. Iuel scored a total of 6,011 points at the Pac 12 Combined Events Conference Championships. She is ranked in several individual events in the conference and similar to Jones has become high level multi-event athlete. Do not be surprised to see if Iuel walks away with another individual title at the general Pac 12 Championships this weekend.

MEN

BRONZE: AARON FLETCHER (BYU)- During the outdoor season BYU is without a conference to compete in. The school is independent in most sports. During the indoor season BYU competes as a member of the MPSF which consists of West Coast schools competing during the Indoor Season. That makes weekends like this past one just as important as all of the other regular season weekends. It becomes an opportunity to improve upon your rankings. Aaron Fletcher took the opportunity and literally ran with it. Competing at the Oxy Invite Fletcher earned the number 6 mark in the nation with a time of 8:39.10 in the men’s steeplechase. Without the challenge of a conference championship Fletcher will be able to compete in the post season with a little more rest than his competitors.

SILVER: RUDY WINKLER (CORNELL)- The Ivy League held their conference championship this past weekend. Winkler had the big mark from the weekend with a throw of 246-5 in the men’s hammer throw. His mark places his in the number 1 position for the outdoor season so far. With conference championship weekend taking place this weekend it remains to be seen if he is able to hold up his ranking. Nonetheless his performance is quite special and gives the Ivy League 2 number 1 rankings in throwing events.

GOLD: CHRISTOPHER BELCHER (NORTH CAROLINA A&T)- Christopher Belcher is having himself quite the season, especially outdoors. His name should garner more attention after the weekend he had at the MEAC Outdoor Championships. Belcher dashed out to quick 100 meter time of 10.07, wind legal. He followed that up with a time of 20.39 to win the 200. His time in the 100 moved him into the number 3 spot in the nation and the fastest wind legal time of the season. Belcher just like Winkler will have to wait and see where he ranks after the dust settles following Conference Championship Weekend but his time definitely proves he is able to compete with the best. 

As you've noticed throughout this article. This coming weekend is one of the biggest weekends on the collegiate calendar for track athletes. It is conference championship weekend. The Pac 12-, Big 12. Big 10, SEC, ACC, American Athletic, Mid-American, Conference USA and a host of others will be holding their outdoor conference championships this weekend. The post season is here and we start to separate the contenders from the pretenders. Expect a preview post this Wednesday. 

Weekly Weekend Recap

1:44.63!!!

Brandon McBride (right)

Mississippi State

April is officially gone and we are heading into the final week of the regular season. For many of the top tier teams the regular season has ended and for many others it is a final opportunity to improve upon their performances prior to the Championship season. This past weekend the Penn Relays were conducted and as usual grabbed the attention of most of the track and field world. There were also several other meets this past weekend that produced some noteworthy performances.

WOMEN

BRONZE: DeANNA PRICE (SOUTHERN ILLINOIS)- Price has proven to be quite the thrower. She does not get the attention that her former teammate Raven Saunders does but has proven to be quite the talent. Price is the defending champion in the women’s hammer throw and is great position to defend her title. This past weekend cemented her number 1 status with a throw of 238’5 in a dual meet against SIU Edwardsville. Her mark keeps at least 14 feet ahead of the competition.

SILVER: TAYLOR ELLIS-WATSON (ARKANSAS)- Watson is having quite the outdoor season. She has ran a personal best in the 200 meter dash running sub 23 and she can now add a personal best in the 400. Her time of 50.78 has placed her in the number 2 spot in the NCAA and garnered her the win at the LSU Invitational. Her time is quite impressive and proves she may be the only one capable of potentially challenging Courtney Okolo. Watson heads into the SEC Championship season as one of the best 400 meter runners in the conference since Natasha Hastings of South Carolina back in 2007.

GOLD: DOMINQUE SCOTT (ARKSANSAS)- Yes another Arkansas Razorback, this would explain why at one point in the season they were ranked number 1 in the country. Scott has certainly been one of the leaders of this great team. Scott has been a fixture of the Arkansas distance program for quite a while. This past weekend she became the NCAA leader at 10,000 meters with a time of 31:56.84 at the Payton-Jordan Invitational. She is currently the only athlete under 32 minutes in the NCAA. Scott attempted the 5k, 10k double last season and finished 2^nd in both events. This season she may do the same but she is in better position to pull it off.

MEN

BRONZE: IZAIC YORKS (WASHINGTON)- Yorks is having quite the season. After a record run indoors at the mile his 1,500 performance outdoors this past weekend at the Payton Jordan Invitational was equally impressive. His time of 3:37.74 moved him front of the rankings in the 1,500 ahead of Henry Wynne of Virginia. During the indoor season he did not compete in the mile at the National Championship instead opting for the 3,000 and finished 4^th. With the time he put up before Championship season one can only hope that he decides to focus on the 1,500 and wow us again.

SILVER: FUTSUM ZIENASELLASSIE (NORTHERN ARIZONA)- As they do every year Northern Arizona has another solid long distance athlete. Zienasellassie is the next great runner from a program that has produced some great champions. His time of 27:52.70 ran at the Payton Jordan Invitational was enough for him to finish 3^rd in the race but vaulted him to the number 1 spot in the NCAA rankings. Perhaps what is even more impressive about his performance is the time. It is a sub 28 minute race and he has over 40 seconds on the closest competitor.

GOLD: BRANDON MCBRIDE (MISSISSIPPI STATE)- Keeping with our distance theme for this week we saw Brandon McBride make history. McBride has not since fallen out the minds of many who follow the sport as a contender for the 800 title since the Canadian last won it as a sophomore at the Outdoor Championships. This past weekend in front a home crowd at Mississippi State he climbed into the all-time rankings with a winning time of 1:44.63, it is the 3^rd best time in NCAA history.  To those who though he had fallen off it is clear that he hasn’t. Let’s call it the magic of an Olympic year. Along with Shaquille Walker of BYU we now have two athletes with season and personal bests under 1:45. 

On a side note there isn't any relay gold. However I will say that I hope to be a regular visitor to the Penn Relays in the near future. This is the last year of my 20's and I was still unable to attend, I hope to get the opportunity in the near future. 

Weekend Recap

49.71!!!

(Courtney Okolo-Texas)

We are heading towards our regular season finale. As we draw closer to the close of the regular season many top athletes who have not ran yet this outdoor season competed for the first time this past weekend. Some results had athletes meet expectations and some realized there is plenty of work to be done before championship season begins. Let us recap what was another weekend of solid performances with this weekend’s best.

WOMEN

BRONZE: Alexis Weeks (Arkansas)- Weeks is the latest pole vaulting star to come out of the University of Arkansas. Arkansas remains the A standard in this event and Weeks used this past weekend to confirm her status as a championship contender. Weeks vaulted to the top mark in the country this past weekend with a leap of 15-2 ¾. She joins a list of three athletes who have surpassed the 15 foot mark this season. Weeks is the only freshman of that group and will look to improve and provide more sparks this championship season.

SILVER: Nnenya Hailey (Arizona)- This past weekend Hailey continued incredible season by proving she is a real threat to claim the NCAA title in the women’s 400 meter hurdles. Hailey has been Arizona’s best high hurdler all season. At one point she led the entire NCAA. She has now climbed to the top of the women’s 400 hurdles bettering her teammate’s number 1 mark with a time of 54.98. Her time is the first sub 55 second 400 hurdle time of the year.  Hailey now leads a 1-2 punch for Arizona and is clearly in the driver’s seat while defending champion from Texas A&M Shamier Little has yet to go under 56 seconds.

GOLD:  Courtney Okolo (Texas)- What a great year Okolo is having. She was incredible recruit coming out of high school and is proving to be quite the talent while in college at the University of 400 meters, uh I mean Texas. Having set many school and NCAA records one could wonder was there anything left for her to do. This weekend she proved that the answer was yes. Okolo blasted a new NCAA record time in the women’s 400 with a mark of 49.71. Her time is now number 1 all time in the NCAA and is the first athlete to run sub 50 during the regular season. Her time also puts her number 2 in the world behind Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas.

MEN

BRONZE: NICHOLAS SCARVELIS (UCLA)- Scarvelis continued his great outdoor season this past weekend by claiming the number 1 mark in the NCAA in the men’s shot put at the Triton Invitational. His mark of 67-7 ½ was enough to defeat all the top collegiate athletes falling just shy of winning against a professional. Scarvelis is in great position to make a name for himself this coming championship season.

SILVER: BRYON ROBINSON (TEXAS)- Robinson leaped to the top time in the NCAA in the men’s 400 hurdles while competing at LSU for the LSU Alumni Gold Meet. His time of 49.10 surpasses the number 1 mark held by Eric Futch of Florida who previously beat him in their only match up of the season. Robinson who has not faced Futch since their early season match up has clearly sent a message not only to Futch but to rest of the NCAA that he is a serious contender for championship hardware.

GOLD: HENRY WYNNE (VIRGINIA)- The newest number 1 in the men’s 1,500 has quite the impressive time. Henry Wynne of Virginia scorched the track for a blazing time of 3:38.05 that placed him firmly in the NCAA’s number 1 spot. His time and performance was likely to the delight of the home crowd that he ran in front of at the Virginia Challenge. Perhaps the most important fact to take away from such a great performance is perhaps the fact that he beat fellow conference stud Justyn Knight of Syracuse. The ACC currently now has 3 athletes in the top 10 alone. 

RELAY GOLD: This week’s Relay Gold honor goes to the Men of LSU. LSU historically has always had an amazing relays. Even if they have no one in the finals of the 100 or 400 they seem to always be a threat in the relays. This past weekend in front of a home crowd the notched 2 number performances. The 4x100 relay clocked in at 38.94 and the 4x400 relay clocked in at 3:00.38. Their 4x400 relay time is quite impressive and puts further distance between them, Texas A&M and Florida. 

Weekend Recap

10.99/42.68

(Hannah Cunliffe-Oregon)

(left)

The West Coast again had the biggest meets this past weekend. Meets such as the Texas Invitational, Mt. Sac Relays and the Oregon Relays produced many of this past weekend best performances. We are now only a month away from Championship season and each new number 1 performance garners more significance. Let us recap what was another fun weekend with the best performers of the weekend.  

WOMEN

BRONZE (AKELA JONES-KANSAS STATE)- Not a weekend goes by were we aren’t thinking about what Akela Jones is doing now. Jones a rare athlete gifted with speed, strength and stamina has captured the headlines majority of this season in a number of different events. Jones is capable of winning multiple events at the NCAA level which is why she is such an amazing talent. The heptathlete reminded us again this past weekend why she is the favorite to defend her NCAA title. Jones scored a total of 6,307 points to win the Heptathlon Challenge at the Mt Sac Relays. Included in that performance would be her jump of 6-4 in the women’s high jump. That mark would also move her atop of the high jump rankings as well. It is still plenty of season left and Jones’ name should be heard a lot.

SILVER (CINDY OFILI-MICHIGAN)- Ofili began this outdoor season as the preseason favorite to win the women’s 100 meter hurdles. She is the top returnee from last season with a time of 12.60. She backed up the hype during the indoor season winning the NCAA title with a time of 7.89, one of the fastest times in NCAA history. Ofili got off to a bit of slow start this outdoor season. Although she had one race it was expected that she at least would dip under 13 seconds. It was likely her level of competition that didn’t allow her to push as hard as she could. This past weekend at the Mt Sac Relays she was pushed and produced an NCAA leading time of 12.66 nearly beating her school record. Ofili has plenty of time left in the season to improve upon her time and break her own record.

GOLD (HANNAH CUNLIFFE-OREGON)- Former youth star Hannah Cunliffe had a rough freshman year competing for Oklahoma. Things did not turn out as expected. Cunliffe transferred to the University of Oregon which has recently become the new 100 meter university for women. With recent sprinting greats English Gardner and Jenna Prandini along with Jasmine Todd it was clear that Oregon would be a better option. She nearly won the 60 meter dash indoors with a school record time of 7.12. Cunliffe like Ofili used the high level of competition to garner the first sub 11 second time of the season with a mark of 10.99. Although she finished 2^nd in her race to Prandini who is now a professional her time catapults her to the number 1 spot in the NCAA.

MEN

BRONZE (NICHOLAS SCARVELIS-UCLA)- UCLA had a bit of tough weekend in their dual meet with Texas A&M. UCLA is noticeably in the rebuilding stages but still could produce a decent team. In the men’s shot put Nicholas Scarvelis was proof that the program is still of quality. Scarvelis claimed the shot put title with a throw of 67’0. His mark moves him to the number one spot in the nation and in the driver’s seat to challenge for the NCAA title.

SILVER (NETHANEEL MITCHELL-BLAKE-LSU)- Blake has clearly stepped into the leadership role this season as LSU’s top overall male sprinter. Blake spent majority of his indoor season atop the rankings in the men’s 200 meter dash before finishing 2^nd overall. Blake has gotten things off to a good start this outdoor season by winning the 100 meter dash at the Texas Invitational. In less than ideal conditions Blake bolted to a winning time of 10.09. Blake’s time is currently the top legal 100 meter dash in the country and a time that should catch everyone’s attention. Blake is currently the front runner to claim the SEC men’s 100 title.

GOLD (PATRICK CORONA- AIR FORCE)- It’s always good to see athletes at military academies competing at such a high level. Military schools put such a challenging demand on their athletes to not only represent themselves as quality students and athletes but also as military personnel. Corona lined up against heavy competition at the Mt Sac Relays this past weekend in the men’s 5,000. In that very race was All-American Mason Ferlic who was stepping in distance from usual race the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Corona claimed the victory outkicking the entire field to the finish with a time of 13:37.24 the nation’s new number 1 time.

RELAY GOLD:

The 4x100 relay was hot for two programs this past weekend. LSU men became the first group to record a sub 39 second performance winning in a time of 38.95 at the Texas Invitational. The Oregon women became the 3^rd best program all time with a time of 42.68. Both performances are currently ranked number 1 in the entire NCAA.

Next weekend is also another opportunity for great performances with plenty of quality regular season meets. The Michael Johnson Classic (Baylor), Kansas Relays (Kansas), the Tom Jones Memorial Classic (Florida), Houston Invitational (Houston), LSU Alumni Gold (LSU) and the Jesse Owens Track Classic (Ohio State). The outdoor season is in full swing as we draw closer to the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.