With the indoor track season continuing to heat up, expect to see some nice track headlines this weekend. And the roadies should generate some news in Houston.
A Busy Weekend For Grant Holloway
Will this be another season of Florida’s Grant Holloway being the meet headline king? At the Clemson Invitational he’s expected to open his season with the hurdles on Friday against Kentucky’s Daniel Roberts. On Saturday, we’ll see him in the 200 against Dwight St. Hilaire of Kentucky and frosh Elija Godwin of Georgia. He’ll finish the weekend with the 4×4, Florida vs. Texas and Georgia. Georgia’s Denzel Comenentia will contest both throws.
The women’s side will feature a potentially fast 600 between Chrishuna Williams and Jamaican Natoya Goule.
In the 200, SEC 400 champ Sharika Barnett of Florida will be in one section, Georgia’s Lynna Irby in another. Keturah Orji, now a pro, will be opening up her season in the triple jump.
Gamecocks Unveil New Track
South Carolina understandably wants to show off its snazzy new indoor track—a banked, 6-lane Mondo affair in the remodeled Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex. The Gamecock Inaugural will be the first indoor meet the school has hosted since ’16. Says Gamecock coach Curtis Frye, “This was a dream of mine when I first got here… and now it’s come to fruition.”
More than 30 teams are expected, including North Carolina, South Florida and South Carolina State. Jamaican Omar McLeod, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 110 highs, will be opening his season, as will 400 star Steven Gardiner from the Bahamas. Justin Gatlin is scheduled as well.
Pole Vault Summit
The headliner at this year’s Pole Vault Summit will be LSU frosh Mondo Duplantis in his first competition in a Tiger uniform. UCLA frosh Sondre Guttormsen will also jump. The women’s side features pros Katerína Stefanídi and Katie Nageotte.
Trojans Head To Altitude
USC will be among the teams competing in Albuquerque, with TeeTee Terry, Anna Cockrell, Angie Annelus, Dior Hall, Zach Shinnick and Eric Allen among those entered in the MLK Invitational. A UCLA squad will also be in attendance.
Donovan Brazier Returns
The keynote race at the Texas A&M Tri may be the Olympic Development 600, which will feature comebacking Donavan Brazier, as well as Bralon Taplin, Deon Lendore, and new Aggie Carlton Orange. The 400 race between Devin Dixon of A&M and UTEP’s JC transfer Sean Bailey of Jamaica (45.24 PR) could be sweet. “I’m really looking forward to this,” says Dixon. The rest of the meet, a team battle among A&M, TCU and UTEP, should prove compelling as well. “It’s a good field and we’ll have some great events,” says Aggie head Pat Henry.
Big 10 Schools Clash
A mini-preview of the Big 10 Championships that will be coming in a month on the Michigan track, the Simmons-Harvey Big 10 Invitational will pit the hosts against Nebraska, Maryland, Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan State.
Red Raider Open
Some good sprint match-ups are likely in Lubbock, with LSU and Houston both lining up some of their best.
Hokie Invitational
Florida’s jumpers will open here, with top NCAA returnee Yanis David planning to long jump. Other top teams will include Tennessee, NC State, Duke, East Carolina and Pitt.
Good Marathon Fields In Texas
Sunday’s Chevron Houston Marathon will bring in 7 sub-2:10 runners, led by Ethiopians Abayneh Ayele (2:06:45) and Yitayal Atnafu (2:07:00). In the women’s race, Kara Goucher will be tackling her first 26-miler since the ’16 Olympic Trials. She faces Ethiopians Biruktayit Eshetu Degefa (2:23:51) and Muluhabt Tsega (2:25:48) along with five others who have broken 2:30.
The half-marathon fields are also loaded. On the women’s side top Americans Sally Kipyego and Emily Sisson will be facing nine others who have been under 1:10, led by Kenyans Fancy Chemutai (1:04:52), Edith Chelimo (1:05:52) and Gladys Cherono (1:06:07). The men’s race will see Diego Estrada, Luke Puskedra and others challenge a loaded foreign field in which 6 runners have bettered an hour, led by Ethiopian Jemal Yimer at 58:33. □
