AFTER A come-from-behind win in PR time to claim a national title, the first words out of Quincy Hall’s mouth weren’t what one might expect. “It was a bad race,” the South Carolina junior said. Actually, anyone who watched the 400H final can understand why he felt sour. The favorite, he looked ragged and came into the stretch only 3rd, behind Texas Tech’s Norman Grimes and Michigan’s Taylor McLaughlin. The former appeared ready to pad the point total for what would eventually be a Red Raider team title. But Hall possess 44.53 flat speed and used it coming off the final hurdle, clocking 48.48 to Grimes’ PR 48.71. Lifetime bests also went to the next two placers, Amere Lattin of Houston (48.72) and McLaughlin (48.85).
So if a PR national championship is what happens with poor form, what happens when he refines his technique? “The sky’s the limit, then,” Hall said. “We’re looking at 47… 47-low. I got out pretty alright, but down the backstretch I was running up on the hurdles. I need to learn to hurdle with my other leg because I can 12-step, but I just wanted to just stick with the pattern I’ve stayed with all year. I had to jump the hurdles pretty high, so there was pretty much no technique in my hurdling form today. But we’re going to get better at it over the summer so we can go to USAs.”
That speed makes for a nice security blanket, but Hall said he won’t take it for granted. “I knew if I kept them within striking distance I could use my speed coming home, but those are really good runners, so you really couldn’t tell what you had until you actually do it. I just have to learn to get my other leg down and I’m going to go 12, and then 13 the rest of the way.”
Hall said a possible repeat next year is up in the air, explaining, “I really don’t know yet. I really do want to come back to school and finish my degree, but if I can get a contract I guess, you know, it is what it is.”
For the immediate future, he plans on doing the hurdles in Des Moines but the flat quarter at the Pan-Am Games.
NCAA MEN’S 400 HURDLES RESULTS
FINAL
(June 07)
1. *Quincy Hall (SC) 48.48 PR (CL);
2. **Norman Grimes (TxT) 48.71 PR;
3. Amere Lattin (Hous) 48.72 PR;
4. Taylor McLaughlin (Mi) 48.85 PR;
5. ***James Smith (Az) 49.72;
6. **Cameron Samuel (USC) 49.83;
7. Martice Moore (Louis) 50.14;
…dq[trail leg]—[4]Robert Grant (TxAM) [48.82 “PR”].
SEMIS
(June 05)
I–1. Lattin 49.95; 2. Moore 50.59; 3. *Robert Dunning (Al) 50.71; 4. ***Miles Green (VaT) 50.80; 5. **Cory Poole (Fl) 50.83; 6. *Eric Fogltanz (IaSt) 52.09; 7. *Roland Amarteifio (Mi) 52.95; 8. Chris Douglas (Ia) 53.15.
II–1. McLaughlin 49.28; 2. Grant 49.39; 3. Samuel 49.61; 4. ***Akeem Lindo (NCAT) 50.38 PR; 5. *Nick Hilson (Ar) 50.42 PR; 6. *Jaelen Williams (Hamp) 50.50; 7. *Denzel Villaman’ (Fl) 51.26; 8. Rasheed Tatham (MsSt) 51.28; 9. *Collin Harden (Young) 52.30.
III–1. Hall 49.01; 2. Grimes 49.39; 3. Smith 49.67 PR; 4. *Travean Caldwell (Ar) 49.75 PR; 5. **Quivell Jordan (Hous) 50.37; 6. *Infinite Tucker (TxAM) 50.54; 7. *Jonathan Harvey (Or) 51.23; 8. *Paramveer Chohan (Cal) 52.36.◻︎
