GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, May 09–11 — Fiercely competitive and insanely fast — that could describe the SEC Championships almost any year. However, the 88th edition, held at Florida’s Percy Beard track, delivered so many astounding times that few jaws didn’t drop.
Georgia’s Christopher Morales Williams played his part, assuring his fans that no, he is definitely not just an indoor star. The Canadian soph, who bettered the World Indoor Record in the 400 with his 44.49 at the SEC Indoor, here delivered a world-leading 44.05 in the final after a 44.88 heat. It’s the No. 6 all-time collegiate performance (and performer). He did it by going out faster than anyone else in the race, earning a clear lead by 200 that kept growing until the finish. Alabama’s Samuel Ogazi came home 2nd in 44.58 with teammate Khaleb McRae next in 44.68.
Said Morales Williams, “Going into this race I really just wanted to get out as fast as I could get out. That’s what we’ve been focusing on in practice, the first 100 is kind of the leadup to my race… Coming through the backstretch and I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got to catch lane 9.’ And that’s just what I did. From then on I just had so much momentum and by 300 I’m like, ‘I’m not even tired, I’ll just keep running and running.’ And towards like the last 2m, I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m dead. I’m so tired.’ But luckily the race was done.”
Alabama’s Tarsis Orogot delivered another big time, a 19.75 that moved him to No. 3 all-time along collegians over a half-lap. The junior, who ran a 19.60 last year with the help of a 2.9 wind, came here the owner of a legal 19.90, the Ugandan Record, run on the same track a month ago. Starting from lane 7, Orogot did not get out well. Arkansas’s Lance Lang, in 9, easily outsprinted him on the turn and it wasn’t until the straightaway that Orogot could build enough momentum to catch him. He continued to streak to the finish, his 19.75 taking the measure of Florida’s Wanya McCoy (19.93) and Auburn’s Makanakaishe Charamba (20.00) as Lang faded to 4th in 20.04.
Auburn frosh hurdler Ja’Kobe Tharp wrote some history of his own. Only a 13.72/13.32w prep hurdler last year in Rockvale, Tennessee, he came to Gainesville with a PR of 13.46. He destroyed that in the heats with a 13.24 that made him No. 3 among World Juniors all-time and No. 2 among Americans, behind only Renaldo Nehemiah.
In the final he knocked down Skeets’s record, despite a less-than-pretty start. By halfway he had caught back up to the field and he widened the margin so much that he had time to celebrate before the line in blasting a 13.18 to cut 0.05 off the mark that Nehemiah had set as a Maryland frosh in ’78. The wind was just 0.4. Behind him Ja’Qualon Scott of Texas A&M crossed in 13.40. Now Tharp is No. 2 among the international U20 set, behind only the 13.12 that China’s Xiang Liu ran in ’02.
Arkansas secured the SEC triple crown by capturing the outdoor title to go with cross country and indoors — it’s the 18th such honor in school history. A decathlon 1-2 (Jack Turner 7935, Yariel Soto Torrado 7803) and three scorers in the 10,000 helped the Razorback charge gain momentum. Romaine Beckford won the high jump at 7-3¼ (2.22) and Wayne Pinnock defended his long jump crown with his 26-6½ (8.09), the better of the two jumps he took, though either would have won.
On the final day, the Razorback scoring came mainly on the track, and a win wasn’t assured until the final inches of the 4×4. In the 5000, Patrick Kiprop made a break before 3000 and maintained that margin to the finish, winning in 13:32.94 as two teammates also scored.
Chris Bucknam’s squad would need a win in the relay to capture a fourth straight team title. TJ Tomlyanovich led off in 45.5, followed by Lance Lang’s 44.3. As impressive as those numbers were, the Razorbacks handed off 2nd at the halfway exchange, 0.28 behind Alabama. On the third leg Steven McElroy’s 44.77 brought Arkansas to the front. James Benson anchored in 44.18, needing every bit of it to stay ahead of Alabama anchor Khaleb McRae’s 43.73, the Razorbacks winning in a world-leading 2:59.03 to Alabama’s 2:59.06. Florida also broke 3:00, with Jenoah McKiver finishing in 43.96 for a 2:59.48.
The final score featured four teams over 100, with Arkansas’s 110 topping Alabama (104), Texas A&M (103.5) and Florida (100).
Not all the crucial events were part of the Arkansas narrative. In the 4×1, LSU blistered a collegiate-leading 38.19 to defend its title. Some 80 minutes later anchor Godson Oghenebrume again won the 100 in 9.99 in light wind.
Texas A&M’s Sam Whitmarsh took the 800 in wire-to-wire fashion, clocking a 1:45.27 to stay well clear of South Carolina’s Anass Essayi (1:46.06). Alabama’s Chris Robinson handily won the 400 hurdles in 48.43.
On the field, Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Mississippi threw a collegiate-leading 68-5 (20.85) in the shot after earlier winning the hammer at 230-2 (70.17). LSU’s Claudio Romero won the discus at 206-9 (63.02).
SEC MEN’S RESULTS
Teams: 1. Arkansas 110; 2. Alabama 104; 3. Texas A&M 103½ ; 4. Florida 100; 5. LSU 66½; 6. Tennessee 56; 7. Mississippi 51; 8. Georgia 50; 9. Auburn 47; 10. South Carolina 41; 11. Kentucky 35; 12. Missouri 33; 13. Mississippi State 22.
100(0.6): 1. *Godson Oghenebrume’ (LSU-Ngr) 9.99; 2. *Wanya McCoy’ (Fl-Bah) 10.02; 3. **T’Mars McCallum (Tn) 10.03; 4. **Myles Thomas (LSU) 10.04; 5. *Tarsis Orogot’ (Al-Uga) 10.06; 6. ***Jehlani Gordon’ (Ga-Jam) 10.08;
7. ***Kanyinsola Ajayi’ (Aub-Ngr) 10.09.
200(1.0): 1. Orogot’ 19.75 (3, 3 C);
2. McCoy’ 19.93; 3. *Makanakaishe Charamba’ (Aub-Zim) 20.00; 4. Lance Lang (Ar) 20.04; 5. ***Jordan Ware (MsSt) 20.27; 6. McCallum 20.34; 7. Da’Marcus Fleming (LSU) 20.46; 8. ***Nyck Harbor (SC) 20.55.
400: 1. **Christopher Morales Williams’ (Ga-Can) 44.05 (6, 6 C);
2. ***Samuel Ogazi’ (Al-Ngr) 44.58; 3. Khaleb McRae (Al) 44.68; 4. James Benson (Ar) 44.85; 5. *Auhmad Robinson (TxAM) 45.05.
800: 1. *Sam Whitmarsh (TxAM) 1:45.27; 2. *Anass Essayi’ (SC-Mor) 1:46.06; 3. ***Parvej Khan’ (Fl-Ind) 1:46.80;
4. *Caden Norris (TxAM) 1:47.13.
1500: 1. ***Parvej Khan’ (Fl-Ind) 3:42.73; 2. ***Max Hardin (Aub) 3:43.39; 3. Dalton Hengst (Tn) 3:43.51; 4. *Cooper Cawthra (TxAM) 3:43.65.
St: 1. *Victor Kibiego’ (TxAM-Ken) 8:57.15; 2. *Carson Burian (Al) 8:59.72; 3. *Jackson Watts (Ky) 9:00.03; 4. *Hudson Hurst (Al) 9:00.10.
5000: 1. Patrick Kiprop’ (Ar-Ken) 13:32.94; 2. *Anass Essayi’ (SC-Mor) 13:34.92; 3. *Victor Kiprop’ (Al-Ken) 13:36.03; 4. **Ben Shearer (Ar) 13:39.52.
10,000: 1. V. Kiprop’ 29:36.95; 2. P. Kiprop’ 29:41.29; 3. *Yaseen Abdalla’ (Tn-Sud) 29:58.93; 4. Kirami Yego’ (Ar-Ken) 30:06.49; 5. ***Dennis Kipruto’ (Al-Ken) 30:19.08.
110H(0.4): 1. ***Ja’Kobe Tharp (Aub) 13.18 AJR (old AJR 13.23 Renaldo Nehemiah [Md] ’78) (2, 2 WJ; 8, x C);
2. *Ja’Qualon Scott (TxAM) 13.40; 3. Connor Schulman (TxAM) 13.49; 4. Ahmad Young (Ms) 13.50;
5. **Jahiem Stern’ (LSU-Jam) 13.54.
Heats: II(1.2)–1. Tharp 13.24 (3, 3 WJ; 2, 2 AJ).
400H: 1. Chris Robinson (Al) 48.43; 2. Rasheeme Griffith’ (Tn-Bar) 49.24; 3. Jakwan Hale (Tn) 49.54; 4. *Bryce McCray (TxAM) 49.76; 5. *William Spencer (Ar) 49.77;… dq[hooking]—[1]Clement Ducos’ (Tn-Fra) [47.69].
4 x 100: 1. LSU 38.19 (8 C) (Thomas, Fleming, Reid, Oghenebrume’);
2. Auburn 38.55; 3. Florida 38.73; 4. Kentucky 38.77.
4 x 400: 1. Arkansas 2:59.03 (9C; #6 school) (Tomlyanovich, Lang, McElroy 44.77, Benson 44.18);
2. Alabama 2:59.06 (Orogot’ 45.53, McRae 43.73); 3. Florida 2:59.48 (Schwartzmann 45.22, McKiver 43.96); 4. Texas A&M 3:00.38 (Farquharson’ 44.96, Robinson 44.73); 5. LSU 3:01.28 (McKay’ 44.65, Bedell 44.29).
Field Events
HJ: 1. Romaine Beckford’ (Ar-Jam) 7-3¼ (2.22); 2. *Kuda Chadenga’ (LSU-Zim) 7-2¼ (2.19); 3. **Arvesta Troupe (Ms) 7-¼ (2.14).
PV: 1. Keaton Daniel (Ky) 18-½ (5.50); 2. *Nikolai van Huyssteen’ (Ga-SA) 17-8½ (5.40); 3. **Jack Mann (TxAM) 17-8½; 4. *Louis Martinez’ (Al-PR) 17-6½ (5.35).
LJ: 1. *Wayne Pinnock’ (Ar-Jam) 26-6½ (8.09); 2. ***Micah Larry (Ga) 25-7¼ (7.80); 3. Caleb Foster (Fl) 25-7¼ (7.80); 4. *Malcolm Clemons (Fl) 25-6 (7.77);.
TJ: 1. ***Luke Brown’ (Ky-Jam) 53-9¾ (16.40); 2. Dixon-Bodie 53-5¾ (16.30); 3. *Apalos Edwards’ (Ar-Jam) 52-11½ (16.14);4. **Theo Mudzengerere’ (SC-Zim) 52-4 (15.95).
SP: 1. **Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan (Ms) 68-5 (20.85; 2. *Christopher Licata (SC) 66-11½ (20.41); 3. *Dylan Targgart (SC) 65-9 (20.04); 4. Alexander Kolesnikoff’ (Ga-Aus) 64-10½ (19.77).
DT: 1. Claudio Romero’ (LSU-Chi) 2069 (63.02); 2. Kai Chang’ (Fl-Jam) 199-10 (60.91); 3. Mitchell Weber (Mo) 196-4 (59.85); 4. ***Aron Alvarez Aranda’ (Tn-SA) 192-6 (58.68).
HT: 1. **Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan (Ms) 230-2 (70.17); 2. Jake Dalton (Ms) 224-6 (68.43); 3. William Gross (Fl) 213-6 (65.07).
JT: 1. Marc Minichello (Ga) 255-8 (77.92); 2. Abraham Sargent (Fl) 246-5 (75.12); 3. *Will Lawrence (LSU) 244-8 (74.58); 4. Joshua Mather’ (TxAM-Can) 243-3 (74.14).
Dec: 1. Jack Turner’ (Ar-GB) 7935; 2. Yariel Soto Torrado’ (Ar-PR) 7803; 3. **Micheal May (Aub) 7559; 4. **Landon Helms (TxAM) 7309.