With the THE NCAA Championships right around the corner, let’s check out what else has been happening in the collegiate world.
Lotsa Q’s On DMR Weekend
If you want to qualify a team for the distance medley at the NCAA Championships these days, chances are you’ll end up running at the Wilson Invitational in the semi-dead week before most conference championships crank up. Teams love running on Notre Dame’s spacious oversized 352y unbanked oval.
This year, the 3 fastest men’s times of the year (and 5 of 6) were recorded at Wilson, topped by Stanford’s 9:26.91, which moved the Cardinal to No. 6 on the all-time, all-conditions collegiate list.
Four other schools cracked 9:30 in the deep race: Oregon 9:27.17, Wisconsin 9:27.72, Indiana 9:28.62, Notre Dame 9:28.79.
The same weekend also produced the No. 4 time at the Roanoke Tuneup and Nos. 7–10 at the UCS Invitational. On the women’s side, the year’s 2 fastest marks came on earlier weekends (Stanford heading that list too, at 10:58.93, but DMR Weekend generated Nos. 3–4 & 7–11 (Wilson) and 6 (Roanoke).
Turner Super-Frosh High Jumper
Last year’s top prep high jumper, Vernon Turner, got off to a spectacular start in his career as an Oklahoma yearling.
Turner jumped a listleading HS mark of 7-6 (2.285) last year, moving to =No. 2 on the all-time prep list.
That PR disappeared in his second meet this year when he cleared 7-6½ (2.30) for 3rd at the Texas Tech Classic.
He upped that again at the Tyson Invitational and did it in bold style. After needing three tries to clear a winning 7-3¼ (2.22), he moved directly to 7-7¾ (2.33).
And promptly cleared on first try to move to =No. 4 on the all-time Collegiate indoor list. He also claimed a share of the yearly collegiate lead, with Texas Tech senior Trey Culver.
Said Sooner coach Jim Van Hootegem, “That puts him into the elite company of collegians who have jumped 2.33. An examination of that list would tell you just how special that is.”
The list:
2.37 | 7-9¼ ……. Hollis Conway (La–Lafayette) ’89
2.35 | 7-8½ ……. Derek Drouin (Indiana) ’13
2.34 | 7-8………. Brian Brown (NWn Louisiana) ’90
2.33 | 7-7¾ ……. Mark Boswell (Texas) ’00
……………………. Andra Manson (Texas) ’07
……………………. Donald Thomas (Auburn) ’07
……………………. Eric Kynard (Kansas State) ’11
……………………. Trey Culver (Texas Tech) ’18
……………………. Vernon Turner (Oklahoma) ’18
A 19-year-old who turns 20 in August, Turner then missed three times at 7-8½ (2.35).
WJR 400 For Syd The Kid: 50.52
It was a safe bet Sydney McLaughlin would make waves in her frosh season at Kentucky. That she did, in the SEC 400 and with yearling company from Georgia’s Lynna Irby.
McLaughlin withstood a late charge from former Indiana prep Irby as the pair crossed the line in 50.52 and 50.62. McLaughlin’s time crushed Sanya Richards’ World Junior Record of 50.82 set in ’04. (Irby, although still a teenager, misses being a Junior by about 3 weeks.)
McLaughlin also snipped 0.02 off Francena McCorory’s low-altitude Collegiate Record and missed Phyllis Francis’s overall mark of 50.46(A) by just 0.06.
Lined up next to each other—lane 5 for McLaughlin, 6 for Irby—when they broke for the pole the Wildcat got it, by a step at 200 (23.75). Applying pressure on the second backstretch, McLaughlin led by close to 5m entering the last turn, but Irby tore back into her lead in the final 50 as McLaughlin looked to stumble as she leaned for the win.
“I think I got out well,” said McLaughlin of the 1.09 decimation of her PR. “I think my last few meters just need some work but other than that I’m happy.”
Irby, whose 200 win in 22.66 grabbed the world lead, jumped to No. 4 on the U.S. 400 ATL.
Ewen A Rising Shot Force
Maggie Ewen has been on fire this season with a string of shot performances that have put her among the best in the world.
The fireworks started with the Arizona State senior’s opener in Flagstaff, where her world-leading 60-6 (18.44) topped her PR and moved her to No. 9 on the collegiate all-time list.
A week later at a Texas A&M quad she improved that best to 61-3 (18.67), another world leader, becoming the No. 5 collegian ever.
Then at the Kirby Elite in Albuquerque she tossed the ball 63-0 (19.20) to retake the world lead and move to No. 3 all-time among collegians, and No. 7 among Americans.
Her weight throwing—remember, she did set the Collegiate Record in the hammer outdoors last year—hasn’t suffered at all, with a PR of 73-½ (22.26) at the same meet.
“I try not to chase records too much,” she told Athletic Experience. “I try to keep throwing farther and eventually you’ll hit the record or you won’t.”
With an indoor best now nearly 5ft (1.48) farther than her outdoor mark, she explains, “I love the indoor shot because it’s a little bit bigger than the outdoor shot and the rubber that an indoor shot is made of is just a little bit stickier than the stainless steel of an outdoor shot.
“I’ve had a lot of issues with the outdoor shot just slipping out of my hand or hyperextending my fingers… so I really just kind of like the safety and reassurance of that little bit grippier surface and little bit bigger surface to push against.”
WR In The Men’s 4 x 800
The BU Last-Chance meet was supposed to aid in collegiate qualifying, and it did, but it also concluded with the greatest 4×8 ever seen indoors, the first three teams surpassing the World Record of 7:13.11:
- Hoka New Jersey/New York TC 7:11.30 (Joe McAsey 1:49.03, Kyle Merber 1:47.11, Chris Giesting 1:47.43, Jesse Garn 1:47.73);
- Atlanta TC 7:11.84 (Brandon Hazouri 1:49.84, Patrick Peterson 1:48.73, Edward Kemboi’ 1:45.55, Brandon Lasater 1:47.72);
- District TC 7:12.25 (Blair Henderson 1:49.16, Strymar Livingston 1:47.19, Edose Ibadin’ 1:46.92, Matthew Centrowitz 1:48.98).
Jesse Garn had to come from behind on the anchor to win it.
| Conference Team Champions | |
|---|---|
| This is a Division I-only compilation. | |
| MEN | WOMEN |
| ACC: Florida State America East: Mass-Lowell American: Houston Atlantic Sun: Kennesaw State Atlantic 10: Rhode Island Big 10: Ohio State Big 12: Texas Tech Big East: Villanova Big Sky: Northern Arizona Big South: Liberty Conf USA: Charlotte Heps: Princeton Horizon: Youngstown State Mid-American: En Michigan MEAC: North Carolina A&T Metro Atlantic: Monmouth Missouri Valley: Illinois State Mountain Pacific: USC Mountain West: Air Force New Englands: Northeastern Northeast: Cent. Connecticut Ohio Valley: Eastern Kentucky Patriot: Navy SEC: Alabama Southern: Western Carolina Southland: Sam Houston Summit: North Dakota State Sun Belt: Arkansas State SWAC: Alabama State WAC: Grand Canyon |
ACC: Florida State America East: Albany American: Cincinnati Atlantic Sun: Jacksonville Atlantic 10: VCU Big 10: Minnesota Big 12: Texas Big East: Villanova Big Sky: Northern Arizona Big South: Liberty Conf USA: Middle Tennessee Heps: Penn Horizon: Youngstown State MEAC: North Carolina A&T Metro Atlantic: Monmouth Mid-American: En Michigan Missouri Valley: Illinois State Mountain Pacific: USC Mountain West: UNLV New England: Northeastern Northeast: LIU Brooklyn Ohio Valley: Tennessee Tech Patriot: Bucknell SEC: Arkansas Southern: Samford Southland: Sam Houston Summit: North Dakota State Sun Belt: Texas State SWAC: Alabama State WAC: Grand Canyon |
