JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA & COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, May 28-31 — Twice Mykolas Alekna has come to the NCAA Championships and twice he has lost. Since his 3rd in ’23, the Cal junior has captured a World bronze, an Olympic silver and a World Record. He showed in the West Regional that he is more dangerous than ever, with his giant final toss of 236-7 (72.12), the third-farthest in collegiate history and eighth-farthest in world non-Ramona history. The big heave came at the end of a 3-throw series that started with a 225-5 (68.71) and a 223-8 (68.18).
Another who might be ready for the top of the podium is Ja’Kobe Tharp. Favored to win last year, he got nipped by 0.01. At this East Regional the Auburn soph blasted a PR 13.14 to move to No. 7 on the collegiate all-time list. He will have company, as the West Regional had Kendrick Smallwood of Texas at 13.13, Ja’Qualon Scott of Texas A&M at 13.16w and Jamar Marshall of Houston at 13.19.
Arkansas’s Jordan Anthony blasted a 9.75 in the 100 that would have been the CR but for a little wind — the gauge read 2.1. Credit for the collegiate leader went to East leader Abdul-Rasheed Saminu of South Florida, who hit 9.86 to tie for No. 2 on the ATL. Saminu also anchored a 38.05 in the 4×1, moving South Florida to =No. 5 all-time.
The 200 was also hot. USC’s Garrett Kaalund led the West with his legal (1.1) furlong of 19.85. In the East, it was Auburn’s Makanakaishe Charamba with a windy 19.79 (2.4) and T’Mars McCallum of Tennessee with his world-leading 19.83 (1.4 wind).
On the women’s side, Collegiate Record holder Doris Lemngole of Alabama ran the No. 2 collegiate steeple ever with a 9:13.12, winning her East race by more than 40 seconds. In the West, it was BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry who led at 9:23.03.
LSU’s Tima Godbless dashed 10.91 in the first round in the East, then ran 11.11w for 3rd in her quarterfinal, as JaMeesia Ford of South Carolina led in 11.00w. Ford also clicked off a 22.27 in the 200. In the West, it was Dajaz Defrand of USC at 11.00 and teammate Madison Whyte at 22.16.
Good matchups are brewing in the middle distances. LSU’s Michaela Rose ran 1:58.91 to lead the East 800. The West was dominated by BYU’s Meghan Hunter, moving to No. 3 all-time at 1:58.95. A fast East 1500 saw Providence’s Shannon Flockhart rise to No. 4 all-time collegian at 4:04.97, with Eastern Kentucky’s Bahiya El Arfaoui at 4:04.20 (No. 5) and Silvia Jelelgo of Clemson at 4:05.68 (No. 8). In the West, Northern Arizona’s Maggi Congdon ran 4:05.73 (No. 9).
In the East 10,000, Grace Hartman of NC State won in 32:32.80, while back in 6th New Hampshire’s Ruth White ran 32:50.17 to break the American Junior Record of 32:51.20 set by Harvard’s Lindsey Scherf in ’05.
MEN’S REGIONALS WINNERS
(best marks achieved by quarterfinal/Q round section top finishers; *** = frosh; ** = soph; * = junior; all others are seniors; ‘ = ineligible for U.S. national teams)
East Men
100: Abdul-Rasheed Saminu’ (SFl-Gha) 9.86 (CL) (=2, =2 C); 200: Makanakaishe Charamba’ (Aub-Zim) 19.79w (ac WL, CL) (a-c: 9, x C); 400: **Samuel Ogazi’ (Al-Ngr) 44.43; 800: *Christian Jackson (VaT) 1:45.31; 1500: Abel Teffra (Gtn) 3:38.65; Steeple: ***Collins Kiprop Kipngok’ (Ky-Ken) 8:24.91; 5000: **Rocky Hansen (WF) 13:36.54; 10,000: Dylan Schubert (Furm) 29:00.47; 110H: **Ja’Kobe Tharp (Aub) 13.14 (7, x C); 400H: **Xzaviah Taylor (NCAT) 49.18; 4×1: South Florida 38.05 (CL) (=5 C) (Pettigrew, Croal’, Monfries’, Saminu’); 4×4: South Florida 3:01.52 (Metelus 47.01, Monfries’ 44.35, Moronta’ 45.10, Ottey’ 45.06);
HJ: 7 cleared 7-1¾ (2.18); PV: 6 cleared 17-9¾ (5.43); LJ: Louis Gordon (Albany) 25-8¼ (7.83); TJ: *Theophilus Mudzengerere (SC) 53-9 (16.38); SP: *Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan (Ms) 68-5 (20.85); DT: *Seth Allen (Aub) 199-11 (60.95); HT: Robinson-O’Hagan 244-5 (74.51); JT: Moustafa Alsherif’ (Ga-Egy) 246-1 (75.02).
West Men
100: **Jordan Anthony (Ar) 9.75w (a-c WL, CL) (a-c: 9, x W; =3, =5 A; 3, 3 C); 200: *Garrett Kaalund (USC) 19.85 (CL) (=8, x C); 400: *William Jones (USC) 45.32; 800: *Tyrice Taylor’ (Ar-Jam) 1:46.64; 1500: **Simeon Birnbaum (Or) 3:39.79; Steeple: ***Mathew Kosgei’ (NM-Ken) 8:25.41; 5000: Matt Strangio (Port) 13:25.98; 10,000: ***Ishmael Kipkurui’ (NM-Ken) 28:09.32; 110H: *Kendrick Smallwood (Tx) 13.13 (=CL, =PR) (=5, x C); *Kody Blackwood (Tx) 48.83; 4×1: Texas 38.57 (Smallwood, Rutledge, Small’, Butler); 4×4: Arkansas 3:02.13 (Battle 46.93, McElroy 45.14, Vigil 45.30, Smith’ 44.76);
HJ: 12 tied at 7-1½ (2.17); PV: 10 tied at 17-9¼ (5.42); LJ: **Charles Godfred’ (Mn-Ngr) 26-7 (8.10); TJ: *Brandon Green (Ok) 55-7 (16.94); SP: Zach Landa (Az) 65-9¾ (20.06); DT: *Mykolas Alekna’ (Cal-Lit) 236-7 (72.12) (x, 3 C); HT: **Angelos Mantzouranis’ (Mn-Gre) 249-8 (76.10); JT: *Keyshawn Strachan’ (Nb-Bah) 252-6 (76.97).
REGIONAL WOMEN’S WINNERS
(best marks achieved by quarterfinal/Q round section top finishers; *** = frosh; ** = soph; * = junior; all others are seniors; ‘ = ineligible for U.S. national teams)
East Women
100: *Shenese Walker’ (FlSt-Jam) 10.98 [heats: **Tima Godbless’ (LSU-Ngr) 10.91 (CL) (=10, x C)]; 200: **JaMeesia Ford (SC) 22.27; 400: *Aaliyah Butler (Ga) 50.68; 800: Michaela Rose (LSU) 1:58.91 (x, 6 C); 1500: Shannon Flockhart’ (Prov-GB) 4:04.97 (4, 4 C) [2. **Bahiya El Arfaoui’ (EnKy-Mor) 4:05.20 (5, 5 C); 3. **Silvia Jelelgo’ (Clem-Ken) 4:05.68 (8, 9 C)]; Steeple: **Doris Lemngole’ (Al-Ken) 9:13.12 (x, 2 C); 5000: *Grace Hartman (NCSt) 15:23.52; 10,000: Hartman 32:32.80 [6. ***Ruth White (NH) 32:50.17 AJR (old AJR 32:51.20 Lindsey Scherf [Harv] ’05]; 100H: ***Habiba Harris’ (Fl-Jam) 12.80; 400H: Savannah Sutherland’ (Mi-Can) 54.39; 4×1: Florida State 42.72 (Sleeman’, Walker’, Tyson, Lloyd’); 4×4: Georgia 3:25.80 (Smith’ 52.11, Oakley’ 50.46, Harris 52.11, Butler 52.12;
HJ: 7 tied at 5-11½ (1.82); 11 tied at 13-5 (4.09); LJ: Synclair Savage (Louis) 21-9½ (6.64); TJ: *Shantae Foreman’ (Clem-Jam) 45-11¾; SP: **Gracelyn Leiseth (Fl) 60-1 (18.31); DT: Jayden Ulrich (Louis) 212-7 (64.81); HT: Guðrún Hallgrímsdóttir’ (VaC-Ice) 228-1 (69.53); JT: **Evelyn Bliss (Buck) 187-2 (57.06).
West Women
100: *Dajaz Defrand (USC) 11.00; 200: *Madison Whyte (USC) 22.16 (=10, x AmC); 400: **Kaylyn Brown (Ar) 50.58; 800: Meghan Hunter (BYU) 1:58.95 (3, 7 C); 1500: Maggi Congdon (NnAz) 4:05.73 (9, 10 C); Steeple: Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU) 9:23.03 (x, 10 C); 5000: **Paityn Noe (Ar) 15:43.45; 10,000: ***Pamela Kosgei’ (NM-Ken) 33:37.04;100H: *Aaliyah McCormick (Or) 12.74; 400H: **Akala Garrett (Tx) 54.72; 4×1: USC 42.36 (Moody, Defrand, Whyte, Carter); 4×4: Arkansas 3:25.48 (Brown 51.27, Davis 51.64, Sharpe 51.42, Effiong 51.15);
HJ: 8 tied at 6-½ (1.84); PV: 11 tied at 14-6 (4.42); LJ: Alexis Brown (Bay) 22-9¼ (6.94); TJ: *Winny Bii’ (TxAM-Ken) 45-11¼w (14.00); SP: Mya Lesnar (CoSt) 60-8½ (18.50); DT: Cierra Jackson (Fres) 201-0 (61.27); HT: ***Valentina Savva’ (Cal-Cyp) 222-3 (67.75); JT: **Irene Jepkemboi’ (TCU-Ken) 191-6 (58.36).
