“I JUST PUT MYSELF into position coming into the homestretch, and it was the kick at the end, which is something I’ve been doing well all season.” That’s a portion of what Rhasidat Adeleke said after storming to a meet record 49.20 win.
The Texas junior, a ’22 World Champs semifinalist, had indeed positioned herself well for a rush at the end past Collegiate Record holder and indoor titlist Britton Wilson of Arkansas, who followed in 2nd at 49.64 with soph teammates Nickisha Pryce (50.23) and Rosey Effiong (50.77) next and ’22 winner Talitha Diggs of Florida 5th at 50.93.
The storyline coming in was a potential, and daring, 400/400H double from Wilson, whose ironwoman SEC performances had made that scenario look quite possible. Big 12 winner Adeleke, however, had served notice in the semis blasting 49.86, her first sub-50 and the fastest NCAA prelim lap ever.
Wilson, ever competitive, topped that with 49.36 to win her semi — merely the No. 2 all-time collegiate time and a meet record. Fast was in the air, as behind Adeleke in that first semi Pryce and Texas A&M’s Tierra Robinson-Jones were clocked in 50.31, PRs for both. Diggs took semi 3 in 50.35 from the 50.40 PR of Michigan’s Ziyah Holman.
For the final a southerly breeze blew into the quartermilers’ faces as they hit the backstretch. Adeleke in lane 7 reached 200 in 24.1 with Pryce in lane 8 a few inches ahead. Racing in lane 6, Wilson — perhaps conserving energy with her double top of mind —was next at 24.2.
Around the bend, Wilson surged to pass 300m inches in front of Adeleke. Now, though, the long, tall Irishwoman’s strides began gobbling up ground. Twenty meters further along they carried her clearly ahead of her Razorback rival and over the final 50 opened an advantage of 3-plus-meters.
Among the rest — in a field so fast NCAA best-ever marks-for-place were put up by everybody — the order with 100 left was Pryce, Robinson-Jones, Effiong, Jermaisha Arnold (Texas A&M), Diggs, Jan’Taijah Jones (USC), Holman. Diggs reeled in the Aggie duo on the straight as Holman came up for 6th in 51.04, 0.01 ahead of Arnold.
“It was kind of a blur,” said new MR owner Adeleke. “I just went out trusting myself. Not really sure what I went through the 200 or anything.”
Adeleke had come into the final pumped up after her leg 3 run on the victorious Longhorn 4×1 unit, and Julien Alfred had triumphed in the 100 just prior to the 400. “When my teammate won, it made me more excited for my own race,” she said.
WOMEN’S 400 RESULTS
FINAL (June 10)
1. *Rhasidat Adeleke’ (Tx-Ire) 49.20 NR (2, 2 C; 1, 1 NCAA) (MR) (24.1/25.1);
2. *Britton Wilson (Ar) 49.64 (x, 9 C; 3, 3 NCAA) (24.2/25.5);
3. **Nickisha Pryce’ (Ar-Jam) 50.23 PR;
4. **Rosey Effiong (Ar) 50.77;
5. *Talitha Diggs (Fl) 50.93;
6. *Ziyah Holman (Mi) 51.04;
7. **Jermaisha Arnold (TxAM) 51.05;
8. Tierra Robinson-Jones (TxAM) 51.12;
9. *Jan’Taijah Jones (USC) 51.15.
(best-ever mark-for-NCAA place: 1–9)
SEMIS (June 08)
I–1. Adeleke’ 49.86 (3, 3 NCAA) (fastest prelim ever);
2. Pryce’ 50.31 PR; 3. Jones 50.31 PR; 4. ***Yemi John’ (USC-GB) 51.42; 5. ***Aaliyah Butler (Ga) 51.66; 6. Jada Griffin (NCAT) 51.69 PR; 7. Alyssa Marsh’ (OhSt-Can) 51.85; 8. *Kiah Williams (UCF) 52.34.
II–1. Wilson 49.36 (x, 2 C; 1, 1 NCAA) (MR) (fastest prelim ever);
2. Effiong 50.69; 3. Bailey Lear (USC) 51.55; 4. *Jaydan Wood (OhSt) 51.62 PR; 5. Taiya Shelby (Vand) 51.63; 6. Paris Peoples (Ar) 51.87; 7. ***Sanaria Butler (NWnLa) 52.54; 8. *Bryannia Murphy (OhSt) 52.94.
III–1. Diggs 50.35; 2. Holman 50.40 PR; 3. Arnold 50.80; 4. Robinson-Jones 51.20; 5. Kennedy Simon (Tx) 51.25; 6. **Megan McGinnis (Duke) 51.30 PR; 7. **Joanne Reid’ (Ar-Jam) 51.84;… dnf—***Javonya Valcourt (Tn).
