THE STRAIGHTAWAY HURDLES was one of the most anticipated head-to-head matchups of the meet: two talented sophs, both Conference champions, the leading two marks in a powerhouse field. And the team title in play.
USC’s Chanel Brissett, a Pennsylvania native, had won the indoor 60H by a whisker over Kayla White of North Carolina A&T, but White was focusing on the flat sprints here. Brissett won the Pac-12 in a PR 12.70 by 0.22. Her rival, Janeek Brown, a Jamaican at Arkansas, was only 5th at the NCAA Indoor, but won the tough SEC in a world-leading 12.55. By luck of the draw, they met at Regionals, Brissett prevailing by 0.02, thus becoming, by the smallest of margins, the premeet favorite.
Teamwise, no other event brought together so many competitors for the two contending schools, as SC also had Anna Cockrell and the Razorbacks countered with Payton Chadwick, a national champion in her own right from winning the Indoor in ’18. The semis brought immediate fireworks with lifetime bests for heat winners Brown (12.53 to improve her yearly list lead), Tonea Marshall (12.67) of LSU and Cockrell (12.69). Brissett matched her best of 12.70 behind Cockrell. With Chadwick advancing as well, half the field were Trojans or Sooie Hogs.
Marshall’s 12.67 was historic, as she set an LSU school record by leapfrogging a remarkable quartet of Tiger hurdlers: Tananjalyn Stanley (12.70), Jasmin Stowers (12.71), Kim Carson (12.72) & Lolo Jones (12.77).
The stage was set for one of the greatest college hurdle fields ever assembled, with the team title also at stake. “I was a little nervous coming in,” Brown said, “because, you know, much was expected from me.” The outcome was decisive. By the second hurdle, Brown had put distance on the rest of the field, and she ran away with it, defeating Brissett by 0.12 and Marshall by 0.26. All three PRed again. Brown’s Jamaican Record 12.40 missed Brianna Rollins’ 6-year-old CR by just 0.01, while Brissett improved by 0.18 to 12.52 for No. 6 on the all-time collegiate list and Marshall snipped 0.01 from her best.
Teamwise, it was a tossup. SC took places 2 & 5 for 12 points, Arkansas 1/8 for 11. That competition would have to wait until the final two races of the day.
NCAA WOMEN’S 110 HURDLES RESULTS
FINAL
(June 08; wind +0.6)
1. **Janeek Brown’ (Ar) 12.40 PR (WL, CL) (=15, x W; =2, =2 C, NCAA);
2. **Chanel Brissett (USC) 12.52 PR (AmCL) (6, 7 C; 4, 5 AmC, NCAA);
3. *Tonea Marshall (LSU) 12.66 PR (8, x AmC);
4. Jeanine Williams’ (GaT) 12.74;
5. *Anna Cockrell (USC) 12.80;
6. *Cortney Jones (FlSt) 12.81;
7. **Tiara McMinn (Mia) 12.97;
8. Payton Chadwick (Ar) 13.05.
(best-ever mark-for-NCAA-place: 2, =6)
SEMIS
(June 06)
I(2.0)–1. Cockrell 12.69 PR (AmCL) (=9, x AmC);
2. Brissett 12.70 =PR; 3. McMinn 12.74 PR; 4. Tawnie Moore (Web) 13.03 PR; 5. *Brittley Humphrey (LSU) 13.05; 6. Chanel Freeman (Nb) 13.08 PR; 7. *Domonique Turner (Tn) 13.27; 8. Sydney Mosley (CSN) 13.40.
II(1.1)–1. Brown’ 12.53 PR (CL) (5, 6 C; 3, 4 NCAA);
2. Williams’ 12.88; 3. Alaysha Johnson (TxT) 12.92; 4. *Jasmyne Graham (UNLV) 13.13; 5. **Naomi Taylor (Hous) 13.14; 6. ***Keira Christie-Galloway’ (IaSt) 13.15; 7. *Summer Thorpe (NDm) 13.51;… fs—*Faith Ross (Ky).
III(0.8)–1. Marshall 12.67 PR (AmCL) (7, x AmC);
2. Jones 12.76; 3. Chadwick 12.84; 4. **Alexis Duncan (Tn) 12.91; 5. *Madeleine Akobundu (NCAT) 13.20; 6. **Destinee Rocker (CoSt) 13.37; 7. ***Morgan Lewis (OhSt) 13.46; 8. **Milan Young (LSU) 14.25. ◻︎
