NCAA Regional Recap

(Quincy Hall-South Carolina)

This past weekend teaches us again that we do not know everything. The NCAA Regional meets for all  their bad publicity, gave us quite the spectacle this past weekend. This was every Division 1 athlete’s last chance to qualify for the NCAA championship meet. We witnessed some incredible performances and great disappointments. This recap we will view the top five best performances since most races were truly used just to qualify not to compete.

5.) Jazmine Fray (Texas A&M)- Fray is already the indoor collegiate record holder and immensely talented runner who has no championship trophies. She has come up short at the past few championships and this past weekend proved that things maybe coming together for her. She claimed the number one ranking in the 800 with a time of 2:02.27. It does not pair up against the nearly 2:00 performance she had in the past but certainly a respectable number one time.

4.) Grant Holloway (Florida)- I do not think I can really go a post without mentioning Grant Holloway ever. The superstar talent from Florida is coming off a rough SEC Championship that saw him leave the meet with no championship trophies. Both his preliminary and quarterfinal races were quite impressive with the latter being clocked at 13.10. He proved that he is human, but his talent and speed cannot be denied expect for him to bring his “A” game against Daniel Roberts of Kentucky who defeated him at the SEC Meet.

3.) Allie Ostrander (Boise State)- Ostrander will always be mentioned amongst the elite in the NCAA distance events but there is no denying her success within her specialty the 3,000-meter steeplechase. As the defending champion in the event it should be no secret she used this weekend to strengthen her hold on the number one ranking with a time of 9:40.05.

2.) Anglerne Annelus (Southern California)- Annelus is another defending NCAA Champion who is living up to expectations. The sprint queen ran a domineering race at the Western Regional to qualify for the championship meet. Her winning time of 22.36 is the new NCAA leading mark. It is the first time this season she has held the number one ranking.

1.) Quincy Hall (South Carolina)- No one this weekend looked as dominant or as effortless in winning than Quincy Hall. He is amongst the top 400 runners in the country and decided to step up to his best event the 400 hurdles where he ran an impressive 48.54. A new personal best that he ran with ease. Bouncing around the track showing an impressive stride and great speed endurance. With a personal best in the mid 44’s we can only speculate as to what time he will run at the championship meet. His run of 48.54 looked easy.

IMPRESSIVE: What was also impressive is that BYU men will have six entrants in the men’s 10,000 meter run. No team has ever had that many entrants in the same event. Rory Linkletter, Connor McMillan, Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, Dallin Farnworth and Connor Weaver all will be competing for the Cougars.

Sha’Carri Richardson of LSU and Teahna Daniels of Texas both ran impressive 100-meter races. Both clocking in wind-legal times of 10.99. There are now four athletes in the women’s 100-meter field with a personal record under 11 seconds. This is clearly the deepest field in NCAA history.

MOST DISSAPOINTING: Perhaps the most disappointing result of the Regional meet was the Houston men’s 4x100 relay failing to qualify for the meet. With LSU and Florida both qualifying for the meet there was plenty of excitement for a match up of the top three programs in the country in that event. It was also a major blow to the team title hopes of Houston.

LSU men likewise took a blow to their team title hopes by failing to qualify in the men’s 4x400 relay. It has been a while since LSU was last not a factor in the 4x400 relay. They have historically performed well in the event and to not see them compete on the biggest state is a major disappointment.

*The next post will be preview of the championship meet. I will wait until the official declarations are posted before predicting and previewing each race.

Conference Championship Recap

13.07!

(Grant Holloway-Florida, Daniel Roberts-Kentucky)

A weekend of speed. That is what I will call it. Conference Championship weekend is always the start of the post season and it is clear we are headed for another great one. This weekend we saw a new collegiate record keeping up with the recent theme. This recap we will continue our theme this season of reviewing NCAA number one marks and the best performances of the weekend.

We will start our recap in a different position, the pole vault. True freshman Mondo Duplantis came in as the next big thing in pole vaulting and has certainly lived up to the hype all year long. HE shines at the biggest moments with consistently high performances. The super freshman again broke the collegiate record with his mark of 19 feet 8 ¼ inches surpassing Lawrence Johnson. He is currently the world number one and the early favorite to not only win an NCAA title but the world IAAF title as well.

Our next topic is not necessarily a big upset, but it is still an upset. All year Daniel Roberts has been chasing Florida star Grant Holloway. In the indoor season it was the 60 hurdles now outdoors it is the 110 hurdles. Their rivalry has been mostly one-sided with Holloway winning every competition, but their races have always been extremely close. Their race early in the season at the Florida Relays was the closest the two had all year, 13.28-13.30.

At the SEC Championship this past weekend, Holloway made noise in the preliminary race running a new NCAA number one mark of 13.07. Roberts was in the field and witnessed the performance finishing in second. In the finals however, Roberts proved to be the superior runner blasting out of the blocks first to attack the first hurdle and he never relinquished his lead. The junior tied Holloway’s leading mark of 13.07. We will see more of these two throughout the year but for now Roberts gets to enjoy a major conference title victory. Their shared mark of 13.07 now ties both for second all time only to the legendary Renaldo Nehemiah.

The sprinters certainly did not disappoint this weekend. In the men’s 100 alone there were three sub 10 performances and a fourth wind-aided mark. Senior Cravon Gillespie of Oregon took the top mark for the weekend at the Pac-12 championships with his time of 9.97. His mark is currently ranked second in the nation and makes him the top challenger to Divine Oduduru. He also had the top 200-meter mark of the weekend with a time of 20.17.

Oduduru of Texas Tech won the Big 12 title with his time of 9.99, his second time under 10 seconds this season further cementing his status as perhaps the best sprinter in the nation. Finally, there was Hakim Sami Brown of Florida who won the SEC title with a time of 9.99, the third athlete coached by Mike Holloway to run under 10 seconds. Mario Burke of Houston ran a time of 9.95, however it was wind-aided.

Quincy Hall of South Carolina has proven to be more of open 400-meter runner than a 400 hurdler. The talented junior ran the only sub 45 second 400 of the weekend winning the SEC title in a time of 44.60. Hall is still the number two 400 runner in the nation and is the best 400 meter threat the Gamecocks have had since the great Otis Harris.

Devin Dixon of Texas A&M returned to top form in the 800. After strong regular indoor season the junior fizzled out at the national meet and did not live up to the top billing he generated throughout a terrific regular season. His outdoor season started slow but the past weekend was a reminder to the entire nation of his talent. He defeated a sloid field at the SEC Championships to with a NCAA leading time of 1:44.76. He is currently the only athlete in the nation under 1:45 and he reasserted himself as the favorite. Indoor champion Bryce Hoppel of Kansas defeated the deepest conference field in the Big 12 to win with a time of 1:45.95. He too looks poised for a strong postseason.

Cooper Teare of Oregon took perhaps the most shocking performance of the weekend. Teare claimed the Pac-12 title in the 5,000-meter run over heavy favorite senior Grant Fisher of Stanford.  Fisher is a former NCAA Champion in the event and has yet to win the Pac-12 in his best event. Teare is among the next crop of young distance stars for Oregon and his win at the Pac-12 championship proved the hype around him was accurate. Teare is smart tactical runner proving it by defeating the former champion.

The 400 hurdles had a wild weekend with Cameron Samuel of USC taking the top mark. Samuel ran a dominant race at the Pac-12 championship clocking in at 49.09, the new national number one mark. The USC Trojans have now gone back to back in the event in conference and could potentially do the same at the national level. The race of the weekend however will go to Infinite Tucker of Texas A&M who gained social media stardom after his literal dive at the SEC Championships to defeat his teammate Robert Grant 49.38 to 49.47.

USC produced another number one NCAA leading mark in the high jump with sophomore Earnie Sears. The sophomore won the Pac-12 title with a mark of 7 feet 5 ¼ inches. His mark ties the number one mark held by Roberto Vilches of Missouri. The sophomore already now has two conference titles in his young career now having gone back to back.

Jordan Scott of Virginia is having quite the year in the triple jump. It has been a few years since we have had a season were a Florida gator is not the story going into the post season. Scott had a strong performance at the NCAA Indoor championships jumping 55 feet to win the Indoor title. He has followed that up with a 57-foot performance to win the ACC title. Although slightly wind-aided the mark is indication of the tremendous talent and performance that Scott is capable of.

Jamari Ward of Missouri had quite the weekend in the long jump. He leaped to a seasonal best of 26 feet 7 inches to win the SEC title over a deep and talented field. The mark is close to his personal best and ties him for the number two mark in the nation.

On the men’s side for the throwing events there was no new number one, however there were top great top three performances. Freshman Ethan Dabbs of Virginia claimed the ACC title in the javelin with his NCAA number three mark of 249 feet 6 inches. Winning the event by more than 16 feet. Senior Daniel Haugh of Kennesaw State also earned a NCAA number three mark in the Hammer throw at the Atlantic Sun Championship with a mark of 246 feet 2 inches. Haugh is the now the top performing athlete in the event from a small conference.

On the women’s side there were five new number one marks. The first big performance from the weekend comes from senior Yanis David of Florida. David has taken over a the premier jumper in the country with the graduation of Keturah Orji. The super senior from Guadelepe leaped to the number two mark all time and a SEC meet record in the triple jump. Her mark of 47 feet 1 inches was apart of an impressive double she completed. The senior won the long jump with a mark of 21 feet 10 inches. Her long jump mark is currently number two, but she did defeat the long jump leader Aliyah Whisby one on one.

In the hurdles Janeek Brown of Arkansas by way of Jamaica has been the story since her breakout performance at the National Relay Championship. She again improved her NCAA leading mark in the 100 hurdles with a time of 12.55. Brown has the speed to be an elite level hurdler and the time that she ran to win the SEC title this weekend ranks her among the world’s best and the top hurdler from Jamaica.

Andrea Stapleton-Johnson of BYU had perhaps the best non-conference championship performance of the weekend. The Cougars are independent in the outdoor season and do not compete a conference championship. On the home field Johnson leaped to a new NCAA number mark of 6 feet 2 ¼ inches wo win the high jump. Her mark is ¼ inches higher than Nicole Greene of North Carolina won the ACC title with her mark of 6-2.

Shadae Lawrence of Colorado State formerly of Kansas State has continued her winning ways in the Discus. Lawrence became the newly crowned Moutnain West Champion this past weekend with her winning throw of 213 feet 5 inches. She has over a nine-foot lead of her closest competitor on the national list. Her national leading throw is also a personal best. Lawrence is the defending NCAA champion and in great position to defend her crown.

In the short sprints LSU true freshman Sha’Carri Richardson had an impressive double to win the SEC title. A rare accomplishment to be completed in such a tough conference. However, Richardson is no ordinary competitor. She ran a league leading time of 11.00 in the 100. Her time unfortunately was slightly wind-aided but still impressive. Her 200 time of 22.57 places her third in the country and was the first 200-meter win for LSU since Kimberlyn Duncan.

In the long sprints Kethlin Cambell of Arkansas ran a sensational race against an extremely challenging field to claim the number two time in the nation with 51.03. Her SEC victory cements her status as a competitor. Campbell had an impressive indoor season and it is carrying over to outdoors. Campbell also defeated number one ranked Sharika Barnett of Florida in the race and is one of the many favorites to win a title for a loaded Arkansas team.

Jessica Hull of Oregon won another Pac-12 title in the 1,500 her signature event. The senior and defending national champion have been having a great year and this past weekend proved her championship expertise. The senior ran the top 1,500 time over the weekend with a time of 4:16.42. She has still not run a personal record this season proving that there maybe more in the tank for a strong performance later in the postseason.

The remaining top performance from this weekend were by two relays. USC women’s 4x100 has been impressive all season long and improved upon their number one mark. A team of Mecca McGlaston, Angie Annelus, Lanae Tava Thomas and Twanisha Terry scorched the track for a time of 42.44. It is the fastest time in school history and the fastest time in Pac-12 history. USC is now the third fastest program in history in the 4x100 relay.

Texas A&M men have been incredibly consistent in 4x400 relay and again took the number one ranking this season with their mark of 3:01.77. The defeated LSU among others to claim the SEC title.

The team title picture is still unclear on the men’s side. LSU did win their first SEC title since 1990 however do they have enough to win a national title remains to be seen. Never count Florida out they have performed well at the national level the past few seasons. We should no more after the regional qualifying meet.

Weekend Recap

10.96!

(Kayla White-North Carolina A&T)

This past weekend was the first step towards the post season. The MEAC is the first noted conference to hold their conference championship. The conference consists of historically black colleges/universities which are making a resurgence in today’s African-American youth not only in enrollment but in athletics as well. With the major conferences conducting their conference championships this coming weekend it allowed for the smaller conferences to take center stage along with a few non-scored meets. 

Kayla White is perhaps the most well-known sprint queen out of the talent laden conference. The senior who is primarily a hurdler and 200-meter runner pulled off an impressive double winning the 100 in a time of 10.96 and the 200 in a time of 22.52. Both are NCAA number ones and perhaps more impressive is that 200 was in a strong head wind. White is now among the fastest in the world and the only woman under 11 seconds. With this being a world championship year that is quite an accomplishment albeit early in the season.

White’s teammate Trevor Stewart has turned into quite the long sprinter. He dominated the MEAC Championships by winning the 400 with a full second lead. His winning time of 44.38 is number one in the NCAA and currently number three in the world. The talented junior is another sprint talent coming out of North Carolina A&T that is expected to make big noise later in the post season.

Rodney Rowe of North Carolina A&T also had quite the weekend pulling off an impressive sprint double winning the 100 in a time of 10.05 and the 200 in 20.12. His 200-meter time is currently ranked number two in the NCAA and the 100 is currently ranked number four. Rowe now a senior has a been a fixture among the top tier of the NCAA for quite some time but this season he is rounding into form at the perfect time.

All the great distance races were clearly at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, California. On the men’s side there were two number one performances, Tyler Day of Northern Arizona in the 5,000 and Connor McMillan of BYU in the 10,000.

The Payton Jordan Invitational has become a mainstay on the distance running calendar and always seems to produce quality performances year end and year out. Day stepped into the race competing against several professional athletes all of whom hope to be competing at the World Championships later this summer. Day finished 13^th in a loaded field with his time of 13:25.06. Conner Mantz of BYU also competed finishing 16^th overall with a time of 13:29.73 good enough for third in the NCAA.

Connor McMillan of BYU competed in an equally loaded 10,000 that included Lawi Lalang. McMillan still ran a heroic race finishing ninth overall with his NCAA leading time of 28:11.30. The 10,000 is not a race were athletes run it a lot so a time of this quality at this point in the season is a good sign for McMillan moving forward.

Senior Jessica Hull of Oregon is the defending champion in the 1,500 and made her season debut at the Payton Jordan Invitational. Like the men Hull stepped into a loaded field full of professionals. Hull however, came out the victor winning with an impressive time of 4:12.08 defeating Nike professional Karissa Schweizer. Her gutsy race and strong performance is reminiscent of the great talent she has consistently displayed and proof why she is still the one to beat in the 1,500.

There were no new number one performances in the field events but there were a few performances of note. In the women’s discus Obiageri Ameachi of Princenton won the Ivy League Championships with a throw of 190 feet 1 inch. Her mark is good enough for her to sit tied for sixth nationally.

From West Point sophomore August Cook won the Patriot League Title in the Javelin with a mark of 238 feet 8 inches. He is currently tied for eighth in the nation. He is the highest ranked military athlete in the nation.

We are now in the post season and it is officially conference championship weekend with the Power 5 conferences all conducting their championships this week. The team title picture should become clearer after this weekend. With weather cooperating and our recent track record, we should have at least one NCAA record broken from this weekend.

Weekend Recap, the end of April

12.57!

(Janeek Brown-Arkansas)

The regular season is winding down. We are heading towards May and the post season is almost here. We were treated this past weekend to some truly great performances. The world’s largest Relay Carnival and most attended event on American soil the Penn Relays gave us some noteworthy performances. Let us recap not only our new number one performances but the big headlines from this weekend.

Grant Holloway retakes the number one ranking in the 110 hurdles on his home track. The talented junior looked smooth in victory clocking in a time of 13.25 at the Tom Jones memorial. The race was wind legal and solidified him as the world number one as well. His rival and fellow SEC counterpart Daniel Roberts of Kentucky perhaps had the more not worth performance. Although his time of 13.28 was wind assisted he did beat defending Olympic Gold Medalist Omar McLeod at the Drake Relays in cold, rainy weather. Their battle at the SEC Championships along with Isaiah Moore of South Carolina will be great.

Janeek Brown of Arkansas by way of Jamaica also had a impressive weekend over the hurdles. She clocked the world leading time of 12.57 in the 100 hurdles en route to victory at the National Relay Championship and followed that up with the number two ranked time in the 200 with 22.67. The only athlete that claim that impressive sprint hurdle double in history is Jackie Joyner-Kersee, impressive company to be with.

No relay of the week but let us give credit to what the Houston men did this past weekend at the Penn Relays. The men swept the sprint relays winning the 4x1, 4x2 and the 4x4 in a NCAA leading time of 3:02.61. Senior Mario Burke was a part of all three and add his fourth gold medal by winning the 100 quite the impressive weekend for him and the Cougars. This is only the sixth time it has ever happened.

The University of Pennsylvania experienced their first Penn wheel in the Distance Medley Championship of America race. The prestigious Ivy League university held off Notre Dame traditional distance power Villanova to win the title on their home field. Their winning time was 10:59.44 and was the only sub 11 minute performance in the entire field. 

The USC women’s 4xx100 relay of Dior Hall, Angie Annelus, Lanae Tava Thomas and Twanisha Terry improved their national leading time with a win over rival UCLA in their annual dual. Their time of 42.77 further cements them as the favorites to win the NCAA title as they are still the only team under 43 seconds.

Mondo Duplantis of LSU reclaimed his number one ranking in the Pole Vault. The superstar dominated the field on his track winning with a mark of 19 feet 5 ¾ inches. That is the second-best mark in NCAA history and world number one. Duplantis is truly having one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA history.

Aliyah Whisby of Georgia had tied the NCAA lead in the long jump last week. This past weekend she became the sole number one leader in the long jump by leaping to 22’2 ¼ at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial on her home track. The talented sophomore is now currently the only athlete over 22 feet in the women’s long jump and looks to continue that great jumping tradition at Georgia.

Portious Warren of Alabama has now put her name in the shot put as a national contender. The senior became the first woman over 60 feet this season with her winning throw of 61’0 ¾ in the shot put. She has nearly a five foot lead over the SEC conference giving her plenty of time to continue her win streak.

Bryce Hoppel of Kansas continues to have an impressive year. The junior clocked in at 1:45.87 to win the open 800 at the National Relay Championships at the University of Arkansas. He is currently ranked number two in the NCAA but with a indoor NCAA title and his ability to perform at the highest level he seems to be in great position to add to his trophy case.

Daniel Michalski of Indiana gave us another reason to celebrate all that is the Penn Relays. The senior ran a dominating race in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in less the ideal weather conditions. He clocked a NCAA leading of 8:34.26 over a quality field. His lead was more than 16 seconds ahead. If there were any doubts about Indiana’s ability to develop great distance runners, they have been answering the bell all season long.

A THOUGHT…

With the creation of the National Relay Championships and the withdrawal of many premier colleges from the Penn Relays the meet has lost some of it’s luster. It cannot be ignored and what is truly sad is that this meet is the United States premier annual meet on its home soil. The Jamaicans have come and conquered this meet not only in the high school division but in the professional division as well. The absence of many elite programs adds to that sting. It is as if the colleges take the meet for granted since national exposure is no longer needed because of web streaming and social media.

As a fan of the meet who attended in 2017 and 2018 the atmosphere is hard to bead. The constant energy that flows and the excitement does not happen anywhere else. It is truly disappointing that premier universities are so into themselves and desire to be spoiled or given special treatment decided to withdraw. The sport needs to continue to grow and college track and field can truly help. M hope is that the university coaches get over themselves and return to this great meet. This is not to step them from attending the Drake Relays but the fan fare that comes with the Penn Relays cannot be ignored or replaced.

Weekend Recap

9.94! 19.76!

A weekend to remember. We are drawing closer and closer to the post season, but many collegiate athletes used this past weekend to make some serious noise. There are several new number one performances and all-time marks.

Divine Oduduru has been blazing the track since last season. The talented sprinter from Nigeria gave us a performance for the ages this past weekend. He won the 100-meter dash at the Michael Johnson Invitational and clocked in at 9.94. A new number one in the event and the first time a Nigerian has ran under 10 seconds since 2006. He followed that up with a jaw dropping 19.76 in the 200 becoming the second fastest 200-meter sprinter in NCAA history a new Nigerian record. Please keep in mind this was all done the same day. His performance not only signals his status at the favorite to double at the NCAA Championship, but he will be a serious threat later this year at the World Championships.

Oliver Hoare of Wisconsin is one of the many distance stars on their top tier program. The junior has been one of the milers in not only the Big Ten Conference but also in the NCAA and is coming off an All-American indoor season. At the Bryan Clay Invitational last Wednesday, he claimed the 1,500-meter title in a NCAA leading time of 3:37.20. The race was rather spectacular and literally came down to the line with him edging out a stumbling Carlos Villarreal of Arizona who finished in 3:37.22, the number two ranked mark. His time is impressive for it to be mid-season and it remains to be seen what he will bring during the postseason.

The 400-meter hurdles number one ranking changed twice this past weekend. Cameron Samuel of USC held the number one ranking after winning the event at the Mt Sac Relays on Thursday. On Friday at the Michael Johnson Invitational Norman Grimes of Texas Tech and Infinite Tucker ran a tight race to finish 1-2. Grimes now holds the NCAA lead with his time of 49.75, Tucker is second with 49.78 and Samuel is now third with 49.79. Grimes is coming into his own and defeating a strong Texas A&M group is a great sign of his potential.

Chris Nilsen of South Dakota continues has taken the reigns as the top vaulter in the NCAA. He currently has the only mark over 19 feet this outdoor season with his Beach Invitational winning mark of 19 feet 1 inch. He competed against some of the top competition in the NCAA and came away the victor. Duplantis debuted this weekend but his mark places him seventh. For now, all eyes are on Nilsen.

Jordan Scott of Virginia claimed the indoor NCAA title in the triple jump and debuted his outdoor season with a personal best mark of 56 feet even. He has nearly a foot and a half on his closest competitor and with no current triple jump threat from Florida it is clear who the obvious favorite in this event is. Scott has been so consistent this season it is not likely he will lose at all this season.

Denzel Comenentia of Georgia is the defending NCAA Champion in the Hammer Throw. The senior this weekend took on Nike sponsored pro in Marcel Lomnicky who has competed at the Olympic Games. Their battle was close with Lomnicky winning by a foot however Comenentia’s mark of 252 feet is the new lead in the NCAA. He is currently over 6 feet ahead of his closest competitors.  

Our last men’s number one mark comes from a very talented freshman at USC, Ayden Owens. Owens is one of only two athletes that have now surpassed the 8,000-point total this season. The talented freshman had quite the performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational that saw him win four the ten events in the competition. He defeated a quality field that included a previous All-American. His mark is impressive, but it remains to be seen if he be consistent in the post season.

On the women’s side there was a grand total of eight individual number ones and a new number one mark in the 4x100 relay. The hurdles are where we start with Tonea Marshall of LSU rounding into great form this season. The talented junior was one of the fastest hurdlers in high school history and in past years had yet to make a dent on the national level in college. She has been solid this season routinely going under 13 seconds. On her home track at the LSU Alumni Gold invitational she claimed the number one mark in the nation with a time of 12.81. This is Marshall’s second time this season being ranked number one and is testament to the great start she has had this outdoor season.

The 400 hurdles has had a slow start on the women’s side. We have yet to see an athlete dip under 56 seconds and until this weekend no one has gone under 57 seconds. At the Michael Johnson Invitational senior Ranae McKenzie of Kansas State ran a dominant race that saw her clock a winning time of 56.11. McKenzie is an All-American and the defending Big 12 Champion. She is undefeated this season and is great position for a strong post-season run.

The 800 is starting to heat up with many top tier athletes jockeying for position and ranking. Avi’Tal Wilson-Perteete of UNLV is only a sophomore but has been a top ranked athlete since her freshman year. She just missed out on the final qualifying spot at last years National Championship and is clearly motivated by the missed opportunity. She has been solid this outdoor season competing in events as low as the 400 and high as the 1,500. At the Bryan Clay Invitational she challenged professional Nikki Hiltz and a quality collegiate field. At the end of the race Perteete was the top collegian with a time of 2:02.41 and finished second overall losing only to Hiltz.

The 1,500 is a wide-open event this outdoor season and each time a new athlete takes the number one ranking they are legitimately a contender. Jessica Harris a senior from Notre Dame is the latest this season with her time of 4:13.04 ran at the Virginia Challenge. She defeated a few professionals and All-Americans in the process making her time and performance even more legitimate. Expect more from Harris this season.

New Mexico continues to be the gold standard for long distance running. Weini Kelati continued her strong 2019 season with her win at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Kelati and ran against a strong field including her teammate Adva Cohen. Kelati dominant time of 15:23.46 is more than seven seconds ahead of second place and leaves her as one of the favorites to win the event on the national level outdoors.

The Long jump now has a three-way tie for first place. Aliyah Whisby of Georgia tied the top mark of 21 feet 8 inches at the Mt Sac Relays. Whisby is the latest jump star out of Georgia. Only a sophomore she must be considered a contender with the strong history that Georgia has.

We also now have a tie in the women’s shot put for the number one ranking. Alyssa Wilson of UCLA and Laulauga Tausaga of Iowa both had a throw of 59 feet 1 ½ inches. The irony is they competed at the exact same meet the Beach Invitational. Noenning of Arizona State is still the favorite to win the event, but we will now how competitive Wilson is when she faces Noenning at the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships in a few weeks.

At the Mt Sac Relays senior Shadae Lawrence returned to top form. The senior by way of Jamaica threw for a solid mark in the discus with 209 feet 7 inches. Lawrence was second overall in the competition losing only to Brazilian professional Fernanda Martins.  She has five feet over the closest competitor in the NCAA and is proving to be in great position to defend her NCAA title.

RELAY OF THE WEEK

USC women became the first 42 second 4x100 relay of the season. USC had a quartet of Dior Hall, Angie Annelus, Lanae-Tava Thomas and Twinisha Terry blazed the track at the Mt. Sac Relays to win with a time of 42.93.

We are getting closer and closer to the post season. The recent rankings indicate we are in for a real treat this post season. Expect more post in the future, running into a few personal challenges that are delaying things, but still expect more to come. 

Historic Weekend Recap

20.20!

(Nick Gray-Ohio State)

We have now made it to the middle of the regular season. There were quite a few impressive times that were posted this weekend that clear up the national picture. The team race is still unclear since there are high level athletes coming back from injury or have yet to run their primary race. No national records this weekend but one impressive school record was broken.

On that school record note let us tip our hats to Nick Gray of Ohio State. This past weekend at the University of South Carolina the talented senior broke two school records including one held by the legendary Jesse Owens. In the 100 he broke the school record held by Jones clocking in a runner-up finish 10.17. He then later won the 200-meter dash with a new school record a national leading mark of 20.20. Owens held the school record for 80 years making the feat more impressive.

The sprinter that defeated Gray in the 100 garnered the top time in the NCAA, 10.03. It was senior Demek Kemp from South Carolina State. He is another star sprinter from a university that it is having a great year. Kemp won the USATF Indoor Championship this year in the 60 meter dash skipping the NCAA Championship. With a USATF title under his belt and a national leading time of 10.03 it is clear a contender for the post season.

Quincy Hall of South Carolina was at the same meet on his home track and he too decided to set the track a blaze. The junior transfer ran a world leading time of 44.53 to win the 400. Hall transferred from junior college to South Carolina to compete for legendary hurdles coach Curtis Frye in the 400 hurdles. Hall may be better suited for the open 400 with a time that impressive.

Another impressive time at South Carolina was senior Isaiah Moore. His wind legal time of 13.39 in the preliminaries was truly just a warm up. In the finals he clocked a national leading wind-aided time of 13.25. His wind-aided time is still legal per NCAA rules but not under IAAF regulations. The senior has now put his hat in the ring to be considered a contender. Grant Holloway will have his hands full with two conference foes.

South Carolina clearly held the meet of the weekend. Alabama State junior Charminique Hackney had herself a weekend. Hackney garnered the top marks in the 100 and 200 with times of 11.20 and 22.95. Alabama State is another HBCU that on the rise developing high level sprinters. Hackney’s times prove that she will be a threat to score at the national meet.

In the women’s 400 Wadeline Jonathas of South Carolina had quite the meet on her home track. She finished second in the 400 but tops among collegians with her time of 51.56. Jonathas also ran a 49 split anchor leg in the 4x400 relay proving the resurgence of women’s sprinting for South Carolina is happening this year. The South Carolina women have three athletes currently ranked in the top eight in the country.

Nia Akins of Penn ran impressive race this past indoor season at the NCAA Indoor Championship by nearly almost winning the title. She opened her outdoor season this past weekend at the Tennessee Relays against a strong field. The junior came out on top with a time of 2:03.76 and had the top time of the weekend. Her mark now ranks her fourth in the NCAA.

We were treated to two new number one marks in the long jump on both the men’s and women’s side. LSU sophomore JuVaughn Harrison is the schools star high jumper and he also is proving his worth in the long jump. His mark of 26 feet 9 ¾ is an impressive number one mark at this point in the season. LSU has been quiet in the jumps in the past few years and this season there clearly is a resurgence. Sarea Alexander likewise had an impressive mark in the women’s long jump. The senior from Incarnate Word leaped to mark of 21 feet 8 inches to tie the number one mark in the nation but her mark is the national leading mark without wind assistance.

The shot put also went through a change this weekend. Samantha Noenning continues to be a bright star for Arizona State. The school that has been bringing the heat in the throws event has another talent in this young lady. The sophomore launched the shot put to 58-5 ¼ at UC San Diego. She beat a quality field including a few professionals to win the competition. Jordan Geist of Arizona surpassed the 70-foot mark at the same meet. The talented sophomore overtook Payton Otterdahl with the only 70-foot mark of the season winning in 70-10. He too beat a few professionals and a quality collegiate field on his way to victory.

RELAY OF THE WEEK

LSU men’s 4x400 relay ran an impressive race at the Hurricane Invitational. Their time of 3:02.88 is the new number one time in the NCAA. LSU has had an impressive past few weeks and have justified their ranking as a contender for the team title.

Outdoor Season Recap 2

(Jordan Geist-Arizona)

The outdoor season is moving along quickly. We are heading to mid-April and this past weekend gave us quite a few big performances. Although there is still a month left in the regular season it will go by quickly. Let us recap the most notable performances from the weekend.

On the men’s side Tyrell Richard of South Carolina State won the indoor 400 title in a huge upset. This past weekend he ran the number one time in the world outdoors with a time of 44.81. He is the first man in the world this year under 45 seconds. Richard has now cemented as top 400 runner and is the driver’s seat to win the outdoor title.

A tie rarely happens in track and field these days because the quality of timing systems that are available. Iowa State gave us two phenomenal 800 performances by teammates who clocked the exact same time to share the win at the Sun Angel Classic. Festus Lagat and Roshon Roomes clocked 1:47.14 to lead the NCAA in the 800. It is only April but have two athletes running 1:47 is impressive.

Joe Klecker of Colorado continued this weekend’s trend of great middle-distance performances. The junior won the 1,500 on his home track in a time of 3:45.11. His time converts up to 3:39.75 because of the altitude he ran at. He won his race by almost three seconds claiming the top time in the NCAA this season. Expect more from Klecker this season in his specialty the 5,000 and event he earned All-American honors last season.

Jordan Geist of Arizona took the top spot in the nation in the shot put. The talented sophomore is returning to his 2018 form that made him a sensation as a freshman. On his home field he threw for 69 feet 9 ¾ inches. This mark surpasses super senior Payton Otterdahl. Geist was always mentioned as a threat but Otterdahl has been so dominant he became a mere after thought. With a mark of this quality he is clearly a threat to Otterdahl’s reign.

Johannes Erm of Georgia made his season debut in the decathlon on his home track. The talented sophomore is the latest multi-event star to compete at Georgia. He scored a total of 7,913 points to claim the highest point total in the nation but finished second to Karl Saluri of Estonia. Erm felt short of expectations this past indoor season and will look to rebound this outdoor season and win the national title. The mark he scored this early is a great sign.

It seems as if all the great performances were out west this past weekend. On the women’s side there were a number of top performances. In the 800 Lauren Ellsworth of BYU claimed the victory at the Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State and the top time in the nation with 2:02.49. She beat a quality field that included the NCAA number two. BYU has developed quite the distance program and it is likely to continue.

Erica Birk of BYU is another quality competing at the Mormon school. The junior ran a time of 4:13.57 to win the 1,500 at the Sun Angel Classic. The field included three professionals and she bested them all. BYU now has three athletes ranked in the top 10.

Chanel Brissett of USC continued her winning streak. The indoor champion claimed the 100-hurdle title at the Jim Click Shootout at the University of Arizona. Her winning time of 12.87 is the top time in the nation and amongst the fastest in the world this year. Each top Brissett has stepped on the track this outdoor season she has gotten better. After winning the indoor title she will carry a target on her back all season.

Samantha Noenning of Arizona State is latest protege coming out of their program. Arizona State can easily claim that they are the best throwing school in the nation with their string of NCAA Champions over the past few years. Noenning in front of the home crowd launched a NCAA leading throw of 57-7 1/2 in the shot put, finished second at the Sun Angel Classic. The only woman to beat her was a professional. She claimed the event title indoors and is continuing that success outdoors.

Laulauga Tausaga of Iowa was another highlight from out west competing at the Sun Angel Classic. The junior claimed the top collegiate mark and overall mark to win the discus. Her mark of 202’7 moved her into the number one spot and she is one of only two athletes who have gone over 200 feet this season.

Senior Mackenzie Little of Stanford also competed out west, just not in Arizona. The senior won crucial points for the Stanford Cardinal in the annual dual meet against rival California. The winning of 195’1 in the Javelin allowed for Little to claim the number one ranking in the NCAA and continue her reign as the best javelin thrower in the west.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Later this week I will be completing the season’s first podcast. I will be discussing the regular outdoor season versus the indoor season regarding marketability and excitement. Our next post will be about NCAA development.