5000: Joyce Kimeli (Auburn)
Auburn’s Joyce Kimeli had a scare at the start of the 5000, stumbling and apparently false-starting. Officials called the race back and gave her a do-over. Once the event truly got on its way, the contrast with the blistering pace of the men’s 5000 could not have been more stark. The women, keyed by Kimeli, opted for a slow, tactical race. The Kenyan junior grabbed the lead immediately and slowed it down so much it looked painful for the awkwardly bunched pack.
Kimeli said she hoped someone else would take the lead, as had happened at the SEC, where she was able to sit comfortably behind before outkicking national leader Katie Izzo of Arkansas on the final lap. Here, as various runners joined Kimeli at the front, none took over, so the pace languished (first 1600 5:18.70). Izzo eventually made her way to Kimeli’s side but resisted the urge to lead until after 3K (9:44.32), when she took over and injected a little speed. That surge lasted for 3 laps before Izzo moved outside and forced Kimeli to the front again. With 5 laps to go Rice soph Grace Forbes and Kimeli ran side-by-side, the first 9 athletes within a second of one another.
With 500 left, Kimeli started applying the pressure. Forbes kept pace with her and NC State’s Elly Henes moved up to challenge at the bell. However, the final lap was owned by Kimeli, who used a 31.73 to finish off a 15:48.92 victory. Fast-closing Bethany Hasz of Minnesota caught Henes on the final stretch to win runner-up honors, 15:49.62-15:49.86. Forbes, left behind in the kicking, faded to 6th, while collegiate leader Izzo finished 9th, a blow to Arkansas’s team tally.
“I was ready for anything on the last few laps because I knew that everyone else would have a kick,” said Kimeli, who is entered in Saturday’s 3000 but not the XC finals Monday. “It gives me confidence that I can do it tomorrow.” /Jeff Hollobaugh/
NCAA WOMEN’S 5000 RESULTS
March 12—
1. *Joyce Kimeli’ (Aub-Ken) 15:48.98 (34.67, 40.61 [1:15.28], 39.34 [1:54.62], 42.16 [2:36.78], 41.49 [3:18.27], 38.43 [3:56.70], 41.84 [4:38.54], 40.55 [5:19.09], 40.16 [5:59.25], 38.98 [6:38.23], 36.55 [7:14.78], 36.02 [7:50.80], 36.69 [8:27.49], 37.75 [9:05.24], 39.08 [9:44.32], 36.59 [10:20.91], 35.10 [10:56.01], 36.78 [11:32.79], 39.22 [12:12.01], 39.00 [12:51.01], 38.32 [13:29.33], 37.11 [14:06.44], 36.00 [14:42.44], 34.82 [15:17.26], 31.72)
(31.72, 66.54, 2:19.65);
2. Bethany Hasz (Mn) 15:49.62
(31.71, 66.17, 2:19.46);
3. Elly Henes (NCSt) 15:49.86
(32.58, 67.22, 2:20.34);
4. Mahala Norris (AF) 15:51.73 PR
(33.32, 68.66);
5. Abbey Wheeler (Prov) 15:51.87
(33.23, 68.44);
6. **Grace Forbes (Rice) 15:53.36
(35.76, 70.88);
7. *Jenna Magness (MiSt) 15:53.73;
8. Hannah Steelman (NCSt) 15:55.65;
9. Katie Izzo (Ar) 15:58.38;
10. Nicole Fegans (GaT) 16:07.75;
11. **Kelsey Chmiel (NCSt) 16:12.73;
12. ***Rebecca Clark (FlSt) 16:18.29;
13. *Ashley Tutt (NnIl) 16:19.42;
14. **Grace Fetherstonhaugh’ (OrSt-Can) 16:22.03;
15. **Ericka Vanderlende (Mi) 16:37.36;
… dnf—Hannah Reinhardt (Or).
Distance Medley Relay: BYU
A year ago, the BYU women were the top seed for the DMR, but like everyone else, went home without racing. This year, the Cougars would not be denied, capturing their first-ever national title in the event in 10:52.96, a yearly world leader that made the team the No. 6 college squad ever.
Only the No. 7 seed this time around, BYU wasn’t in the conversation half as much as Arkansas, the national leader at 10:53.77. On the first leg, it was Lauren Gregory of the Razorbacks who dominated, producing a 3:20.01 to change runners in the clear. BYU’s Olivia Hoj (3:21.92) handed off in 3rd behind Florida’s Gabrielle Wilkinson (3:21.60).
On the 400, Arkansas’s Kethlin Campbell (52.69) maintained the lead, but BYU’s Alena Ellsworth (52.41) drew closer. Third at the handoff was Michigan, with Florida just behind. Ellsworth’s sister Lauren ran a 2:05.74 to bring the Cougars to a slim lead at the end of the 800 leg, as Quinn Owen hit 2:07.43 for Arkansas.
If any moment was pivotal, it was this. Rather than charging into the lead on the first turn, BYU’s nation-leading miler, Courtney Wayment, running in her first NCAA final, checked herself and let Arkansas’s Krissy Gear take the front. Gear had run the mile heats not long before and allowed Wayment a couple of laps to assess her strength and prepare for a big move.
That decisive surge came with 1200 left. Said Wayment, “I knew my best shot was that I had to go, just go to the hurt locker and put that gap in there. I knew that if I could take it out and not leave it to a kicker’s race that would be my best shot.”
The senior left Gear behind, locking up the win long before she hit the line with a 30-meter margin. Her split was an impressive 4:32.89. Gear brought the Razorbacks home in 10:57.19 with her 4:37.06 anchor. Florida State (10:59.16) and Alabama (10:59.41) crossed next, but the Tide found itself DQed after one of its team walked in front of an outgoing Oregon runner at the second exchange and caused a collision. That gave 4th to Oklahoma State (10:59.75). /Jeff Hollobaugh/
NCAA WOMEN’S DISTANCE MEDLEY RESULTS
(March 12)
1. BYU 10:52.96 (WL, AL, CL) (6 A; 8 C; #6 school) (in/out: 10 A; #8 school)
(Olivia Hoj 3:21.92, Alena Ellsworth 52.41, Lauren Ellsworth 2:05.74, Courtney Wayment 4:32.89);
2. Arkansas 10:57.19
(Lauren Gregory 3:20.01, Kethlin Campbell 52.69, Quinn Owen 2:07.43, Krissy Gear 4:37.06);
3. Florida State 10:59.16
(Alyson Churchill 3:23.52, Edidiong Odiong’ 54.49, Yasmine Abbes’ 2:07.18, Maudie Skyring’ 4:33.97);
4. Oklahoma State 10:59.75
(Auerbach’ 3:25.68, Ollison 54.44, Moss 2:06.01, Roe’ 4:33.62);
5. Michigan 11:04.65
(Hill 3:22.78, Holman 53.05, Petee 2:11.08, Hart 4:37.74);
6. Florida 11:05.36
(Wilkinson 3:21.60, Ghee 54.26, Harrelson 2:09.58, Barrett’ 4:39.92);
7. NC State 11:06.14
(Tuohy 3:24.22, Postell 56.39, Vess 2:07.09, Shaw 4:38.44);
8. Mississippi 11:07.18
(Winn 3:24.26, Glatz 55.38, Vissa’ 2:05.37, King 4:42.17);
9. Virginia Tech 11:20.32
(Boone 3:23.56, Stone 56.69, Grubb 2:10.32, Ballowe 4:49.75);
10. Oregon 11:22.74
(Moerck 3:28.33, Bolton 54.76, Kleefeld 2:12.11, Zarbo 4:47.54);
… dq[obstruction]—[4]Alabama [10:59.41]
(Reed 3:25.76, Mosley 53.58, Turner 2:08.97, Tyynismaa 4:31.10);
…dq[obstruction]—[9]Washington [11:09.46]
(Makin 3:24.71, Ribera 55.92, Preigh 2:06.05, Heisterman 4:42.78).
High Jump: Tyra Gittens (Texas A&M)
Multi-talented Tyra Gittens won her second event of the meet with a 6-2¾ (1.90) clearance, which was all she needed before heading off to the long jump where she was looking for more team points. The Trinidadian junior entered the high jump as the top seed and after having improved her PR to 6-4 (1.93) in her pentathlon CR, she seemed a cinch winner. She was one of three jumpers to pass the opening height of 5-7¼ (1.71), but then missed her first attempt at 1.76 (5-9¼), hardly an auspicious beginning.
“After yesterday,” Gittens she, “I was on such a high I honestly did not know how I was going to regather myself and come back with the same focus and mentality. I missed my first bar and it was because of nerves.” After that slip however, the Texas A&M star was on a roll. Her first-jump clearance at 5-11¼ (1.81) moved her from =10th at the end of her first height to 4th after her second. After another first-jump clearance at 6-½ (1.84) she trailed LSU’s Abigail O’Donoghue, the only jumper with a clean slate.
O’Donoghue went out when the bar was set at 6-1½ (1.87) and Gittens was suddenly in the lead for good after another first attempt clearance. South Carolina’s Rachel Glenn and Georgia’s Anna Hall were the only other jumpers to clear the height, Glenn on first jump but with more earlier misses than Gittens, and Hall on second jump.
Only Gittens cleared 6-2¾ (1.90) and that was all that was needed for the win. She attempted a PR 6-4¼ (1.94), but retired after one miss. Commenting again on her shaky beginning to the day, she smiled and said. “I was proud I was able to pull out a win today.” /Dave Johnson/
NCAA WOMEN’S HIGH JUMP RESULTS
(March 12)
1. *Tyra Gittens’ (TxAM-Tri) 6-2¾ (1.90);
2. ***Rachel Glenn (SC) 6-1½ (1.87) PR;
3. **Anna Hall (Ga) 6-1½ (1.87);
4. Abigail O’Donoghue (LSU) 6-½ (1.84);
5. **Nissi Kabongo (SFA) 6-½ (1.84);
6. **Nyagoa Bayak (LSU) 6-½ (1.84) PR;
7. *Lillian Lowe (Az) 5-11¼ (1.81);
8. ***Morgan Smalls (USC) 5-11¼ (1.81);
9. **Lamara Distin’ (TxAM-Jam) 5-11¼ (1.81);
=10. *Rylee Anderson (Ks) 5-9¼ (1.76);
=10. **Sanaa Barnes (Vill) 5-9¼ (1.76);
=10. Kameesha Smith (IlSt) (1.76);
=13. **Taylor Beard (Cinc) 5-9¼ (1.76);
=13. **Shelby Tyler (Ga) 5-9¼ (1.76);
15. *Alexis Zatta (Pur) 5-9¼ (1.76);
16. *Katherine Stuckly (TxSt) 5-7¼ (1.71).
| 5-7¼ | 5-9¼ | 5-11¼ | 6-½ | 6-1½ | 6-2¾ | 6-4¼ | |
| Barnes | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Stuckly | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Beard | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Glenn | o | o | xo | xxo | o | xxx | — |
| Smalls | o | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Gittens | — | xo | o | o | o | xo | xpp |
| Anderson | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Hall | — | o | o | xxo | xo | xxx | — |
| O’Donoghue | — | o | o | o | xxx | — | — |
| Zatta | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Lowe | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Distin | xo | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Tyler | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Kabongo | o | o | xxo | o | xxx | — | — |
| Smith | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Bayak | o | xo | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — |
| 1.71 | 1.76m | 1.81 | 1.84 | 1.87 | 1.90 | 1.94 |
Pole Vault: Lisa Gunnarsson (LSU)
She may have been the top seed in the pole vault, but Lisa Gunnarsson admitted to having plenty of doubts after dealing with ankle pain over the last month and finishing only 3rd in the SEC. Perhaps that showed at the first height. With the bar at 13-7¾ (4.16), LSU’s Swedish senior, jumping No. 12 in the 16-woman order, watched as 6 others cleared that on their first attempts. However, she missed her first, clearing it on her second to find herself in a tie for 8th.
The next height, 13-11¾ (4.26), she cleared immediately, moving up to 5th in the standings. Ahead of her, all with clean slates, were Virginia Tech’s Rachel Baxter, Arkansas’s Nastassja Campbell, Georgia’s Kayla Smith and High Point frosh Sydney Horn.
At 14-3½ (4.36), Gunnarsson needed 2, while Baxter and Horn remained clean. Eight competitors cleared in all. The next, 14-5½ (4.41), was a height that only three collegians had managed this season, and only three would this day. Smith flew over on her first, taking the lead with a PR. Then the surprising Horn needed 2 tries; it was her second PR of the day. Five jumps later, Gunnarsson cleared as well.
The top spots would be decided by 14-7½ (4.46), a height only the Swede had cleared before. She soared over cleanly on her first. After the others had taken their misses, the winner had the bar raised to 14-11½ (4.56). It would add a centimeter to the indoor PR she had set in ’17 as a 17-year-old.
The bar jiggled but when it stayed up, the 21-year-old senior did a somersault of jubilation. She later posted, “After a rough month due to some pains in my ankle I’m glad I was able to finish this indoor season strong.” /Jeff Hollobaugh/
NCAA WOMEN’S POLE VAULT RESULTS
(March 12)
1. Lisa Gunnarsson’ (LSU-Swe) 14-11½ (4.56) PR (CL) (=8, x C);
2. Kayla Smith (Ga) 14-5½ (4.41) PR;
3. ***Sydney Horn (HPt) 14-5½ (4.41) PR (=7, =9 AJ);
4. Rachel Baxter (VaT) 14-3½ (4.36);
5. **Ariádni Adamopoúlou’ (OkSt-Gre) 14-3½ (4.36);
6. Tuesdi Tidwell (Bay) 14-3½ (4.36);
7. *Samantha Van Hoecke (Ks) 14-3½ (4.36) PR;
8. *Bailee McCorkle (Ar) 14-3½ (4.36);
9. **Nastassja Campbell (Ar) 13-11¾ (4.26);
10. **Gennifer Hirata (SD) 13-11¾ (4.26);
=11. **Julia Fixsen (Ga) 13-7¾ (4.16);
=11. *Haley Rayburn (AzSt) 13-7¾ (4.16);
13. *Aliyah Welter (Louis) 13-7¾ (4.16);
14. *Olivia Moore (GaT) 13-7¾ (4.16);
… nh—Hannah Jefcoat (Tn), ***Leah Pasqualetti (Kent).
| 13-7¾ | 13-11¾ | 14-3½ | 14-5½ | 14-7½ | 14-11½ | 15-5 | |
| Baxter | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Campbell | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Smith | o | o | xo | o | xxx | — | — |
| Horn | o | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — |
| Van Hoecke | xo | xxo | xo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Hirata | xo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Fixsen | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Adamopoulou | o | xxo | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Tidwell | xo | xo | xo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Mccorkle | xo | xxo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Pasqualetti | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gunnarsson | xo | o | xo | xo | o | o | xxx |
| Welter | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Moore | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rayburn | o | xxp | x | — | — | — | — |
| Jefcoat | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4.16 | 4.26 | 4.36 | 4.41 | 4.46 | 4.56 | 4.70 |
Long Jump: Tara Davis (Texas)
Tara Davis, competing in her first NCAA for Texas after transferring from Georgia, pummeled the opposition with a Collegiate Record 22-9 (6.93) in the third round. Behind her was what became the deepest field in collegiate indoor history as all 8 scorers jumped 21-feet (6.40) or better. Davis erased the 22-8 (6.91) CR co-held by Auburn’s Elva Goulbourne and TCU’s Whitney Gipson.
Jumping second, Davis opened her day with a 21-6¾ (6.57) effort that gave her a temporary lead. Top-seeded Ruth Usoro of Texas Tech briefly claimed the lead with a 21-8¾ (6.62) mark, but quickly gave up that lead to LSU’s Aliyah Whisby, who jumped 21-10 (6.65). The round ended with the trio holding the top three spots.
In the second round, Davis took the lead with a big jump, 22-1¼ (6.71), her best since her frosh year of ’18 and an Olympic Trials qualifying mark. Among the eventual top 6 scorers, only Texas Tech’s Monae’ Nichols and Florida’s Claire Bryant improved, both with their first legal jumps, but neither far enough to change the first three places.
Davis hit her big jump in round 3. It was an eye-opener for the field, but not so much for Davis. As she mentioned afterwards, “I finally got the jump I’ve been wishing for. I didn’t do my approach correctly on the 6.71 and I said, ‘If I do my approach correctly I’ll be near 23-feet.’” Earlier in the week she had a practice jump of 22-5 off an abbreviated 12-step approach.
Behind Davis, the rest of the story was unfolding, even though the leader was done for the day, passing her last three attempts.
Tyra Gittens had guaranteed herself another three jumps when she stretched out to 21-1¼ (6.43). Gittens had won the high jump earlier in the day (and the pentathlon the day before), leading many to wonder if she could replicate JuVaughn Harrison’s earlier men’s HJ/LJ double. Gittens, slowly getting unraveled, was the only jumper to improve in round 4, reaching 21-5½ (6.54), and then moved into 2nd in stanza 5 with a PR 21-11 (6.68) jump.
The ultimate round brought out the final fireworks as Bryant extended to a 2nd-place 21-11¾ (6.70) PR, leaving Gittens 3rd and Whisby 4th, despite the latter’s final-round improvement to 21-10¼ (6.66). /Dave Johnson/
NCAA WOMEN’S LONG JUMP RESULTS
(March 12)
1. *Tara Davis (Tx) 22-9 (6.93) CR (old CR 22-8/6.91 Elva Goulbourne’ [Aub] ’02 & Whitney Gipson [TCU] ’12) (6, x A) (in/out: =4, =4 C) (WL, AL, CL)
(21-6¾, 22-¼ PR [10, x AmC], 22-9, p, p, p) (6.57, 6.71, 6.93, p, p, p);
2. ***Claire Bryant (Fl) 21-11¾ (6.70) PR
(f, 20-9¼, 21-5½, f, 21-9½, 21-11¾) (f, 6.33, 6.54, f, 6.64, 6.70);
3. *Tyra Gittens’ (TxAM-Tri) 21-11 (6.68) PR
(19-8¾, 19-9¾, 21-1¼, 21-5½, 21-11, 21-5¼) (6.01, 6.04, 6.43, 6.54, 6.68, 6.53);
4. Aliyah Whisby (LSU) 21-10¼ (6.66)
(21-10, 20-4½, f, 21-1¼, 21-1½, 21-10¼) (6.65, 6.21, f, 6.43, 6.44, 6.66);
5. Ruth Usoro’ (TxT-Ngr) 21-8¾ (6.62)
(21-8¾, f, 18-3¼, 20-7¼, 21-3¼, f) (6.62, f, 5.57, 6.28, 6.48, f);
6. Monae’ Nichols (TxT) 21-3½ (6.49)
(f, 20-10¾, f, 18-6½, f, 21-3½) (f, 6.37, f, 5.65, f, 6.49);
7. Taishia Pryce’ (KsSt-Jam) 21-3¼ (6.48)
(f, 20-11¾, 21-3¼, 20-11¼, f, f) (f, 6.39, 6.48, 6.38, f, f);
8. **Jasmine Moore (Ga) 21-0 (6.40)
(20-4¼, 20-10¾, 20-6½, 20-7¾, 21-0, 20-8½) (6.20, 6.37, 6.26, 6.29, 6.40, 6.31);
9. *G’Auna Edwards (Ar) 20-10½ (6.36);
10. Anna Keefer (NC) 20-10 (6.35);
11. Deborah Acquah’ (TxAM-Gha) 20-10 (6.35);
12. **Jada Seaman (Va) 20-9¼ (6.33);
13. *Titiana Marsh (Ga) 20-6¼ (6.25);
14. ***Morgan Smalls (USC) 20-5 (6.22);
15. *Chantoba Bright’ (KsSt-Guy) 20-3¾ (6.19);
16. ***Lishanna Ilves’ (Nb-Est) 20-1¾ (6.14).
Women’s Shot: Adelaide Aquilla (Ohio State)
In an upset, No. 6 seed Adelaide Aquilla PRed at 59-5½ (18.12) for the win. But the excitement wasn’t just over the Ohio State junior’s winning throw in round 4, it also came a round earlier, as she had been in danger of fouling out before a 56-6¾ (17.24) effort qualified her for the final three throws.
Aquilla, the third thrower in the starting order, fouled her first attempt. Four throwers later, favorite Samantha Noennig, the ’19 NCAA champion both indoors and out, reached 57-11¾ (17.67) to take the early lead. Jorinde Van Klinken, a first-year Arizona junior from the Netherlands, hit 57-7½ (17.56) to move to 2nd. That throw would remain her best for the day.
In round 2, Virginia Tech junior Essence Henderson got her best of the day, a 56-11½ (17.36) effort that moved her into 3rd. The eventual top three fouled their second attempts. In round 3, Aquilla entered the circle with two fouls and needing a fair throw of at least 54-2½ (16.52) to have any hope of advancing. She nailed a 56-6¾ (17.24) to move to 4th and give herself a chance.
Aquilla, now throwing ahead of the leading three throwers, unleashed her winning 59-5½ (18.12) in round 4, with former leader Noennig responding with a 57-8 ¼ (17.58), her poorest fair throw of a consistent series.
Over the remaining two rounds only Noennig improved among the leaders, as she reached 58-½ (17.69) in round 5 before fouling her final attempt. Any one of Noennig’s four legal throws would have sufficed for the win had it not been for Aquilla’s stunner. Without that one throw, Aquilla would have placed 3rd.
Aquilla’s development now shows an improvement of 5ft since ’19. She attributes that to “big jumps in the weight room and technically. Coming in today, I was just focused on confidence. My mindset was making the most out of what I’ve learned to do over these past two years.” /Dave Johnson/
NCAA WOMEN’S SHOT RESULTS
(March 12)
1. *Adelaide Aquilla (OhSt) 59-5½ (18.12) PR
(f, f, 56-6¾, 59-5½, 53-10¼, 57-4¼) (f, f, 17.24, 18.12, 16.41, 17.48);
2. *Samantha Noennig (Az) 58-½ (17.69)
(57-11¾, f, 57-9½, 57-8¼, 58-½, f) (17.67, f, 17.61, 17.58, 17.69, f);
3. *Jorinde Van Klinken’ (AzSt-Neth) 57-7½ (17.56)
(57-7½, f, 42-8, f, 54-8¾, 54-6½) (17.56, f, 13.00, f, 16.68, 16.62);
4. *Essence Henderson (VaT) 56-11½ (17.36) PR (f, 56-11½, 48-11¾, 52-6¾, 54-8¾, f) (f, 17.36, 14.93, 16.02, 16.68, f);
5. *Akealy Moton (NDSt) 56-9½ (17.31)
(52-4, 56-5¾, 55-7½, f, 56-9½, 53-2¾) (15.95, 17.21, 16.95, f, 17.31, 16.22);
6. *Gabrielle Bailey’ (Kent-Jam) 56-1¾ (17.11) PR;
7. Madison Pollard (In) 55-9 (16.99);
8. Kayli Johnson (TxT) 55-8½ (16.98) PR;
9. *Josie Schaefer (Wi) 55-4¾ (16.88);
10. Grace Tennant’ (Kent-Can) 54-2 (16.51);
11. *Erna Gunnarsdottir’ (Rice-Ice) 53-11¼ (16.44);
12. Latavia Maines (Tn) 53-5 (16.28);
13. Cherisse Murray’ (Al-Tri) 52-10¾ (16.12);
14. A’Veun Moore-Jones (SnIl) 52-5½ (15.99);
15. Alexandra Emilianov’ (Ks-Mol) 52-0 (15.85);
… 3f—Angel Nkwonta (Md). □