NCAA Preview--Women

And here's the Ladies!

FRIDAY's FINALS
Pentathlon (4678)
It ain't gonna happen.
Right??
Akela Jones--despite her 5 PR's adding up to 5017 points-- will NOT break the WORLD Record!!
Heck, she may not even get the Collegiate Record--which also stands as the MR!
But she DOES have the tools!
And that's why CR holder Kendell Williams better have HER tools ready and fired up!
She'll need every hammer and nail to hold back Jones, who should be the favorite here!
As was the case last year, we have another LOADED field, with all the stars at 4200 points or higher!
Taliyah Brooks, Georgia Ellenwood, Xenia Rahn, Annie Kunz, Amelie Iuel, and Alex Gochenour provide the incentive for Williams and Jones to give it their all!!
This could be a Hair-raiser and a Trail-blazer!!

LJ (22-8)
Another good field, but Quenesha Burks is just enough better than her foes to bet safely to win!
If she falters, watch for Sha'Keela Saunders, Chanice Porter, TJ-star Keturah Orji, and HSR holding Frosh Kate Hall to vie for the win!
Remember, Hall's (OUTdoor) HSR is 22-5, which is the best mark in the field!

WT (83-10.25)
This MR is VERY safe!
Kelsey Card is closest-but she's more than TEN FEET away!
Marthaline Cooper could finish fairly close to Card!

5000 (15:14.18)
I'm repeating myself, but we have ANOTHER loaded field here!
But despite the depth, most "experts" consider this will be a two-woman race, with Frosh Phenom Allie Ostrander putting the test to Senior Molly Seidel.
Will one of them lay down the hammer, and try to steal the race early on?
Or will it be a MoBot affair, with both jogging the first 4K, waiting for the other to pounce?
The MR, and the slightly faster Collegiate Record (15:12.22) can both fall--IF!!
Watching this dance will be Seidel's teammate Anna Rohrer, Liv Westphal, Sarah Collins, Tessa Barrett, Ednah Kurgat, and Chelsea Blaase.
But watch for Michigan's Erin Finn to possibly take the bull by the horns, forcing the pace early on!

DMR (10:50.98)
This MR will stand!
As with the Men's DMR, a few teams got their best marks on OT's!
However, that shouldn't stop this from being a Georgetown vs Stanford duel!
The former should be favored, as they have a double dose in Sabrina Southerland and Katrina Coogan, while Stanford is without Aisling Cuffe and Elise Cranny, running other events.
Notre Dame does have Seidel, but she might be tired from her 5000.
Oregon has Raevyn Rogers, but that probably won't be enough!
Michigan will have Shannon Osika anchoring, while Oklahoma State has Kaela Edwards.

SATURDAY's FINALS
HJ (6-6)
Akela Jones has a 6-4, part of her Pentathlon arsenal, which should be enough to win!
But the MR will stand!
As in the Multi, Kendell Williams might be Jones's greatest challenger!
Also watch for Nicole Green.

PV (15-1)
Demi Payne has only OUTdoor eligibility, so she's in Portland for the USATF meet!
But the field is still another LOADED one!
(Gotta find a different word there!!  LOL)
MR holder Kaitlin Petrillose, isn't yet back to her 2014 form, so this field is wide open.
The Weeks twins, Lexi and Tori, even though Frosh, might be considered the favorites here.
However, I see this group as pretty evenly weighted.
Lexi, as well as Duke's Senior Megan Clark, both got over 15 feet this year!
Carolina Carmichael isn't close to her 14-9 PR, but watch for her to re-group.
Other challengers should be Annie Rhodes, Jessie Johnson, Alysha Newman, and Emily Grove!
The MR is definitely a target!

TJ (46-9)
Tis not to question IF Keturah Orji will win, but whether she will break the Meet, and Collegiate Record!
Another question should be--Will she top 47 feet?
All of the above are possible with America's latest attempt to join the Rest of the World in the 14.50 or further Metric World!
Orji HAS the tools!
I won't give any other names!
One is enough!

SP (63-0.75)
Same goes for this event, as for the TJ.
With CR holder Raven Saunders aiming to join the Legends of the Shot, the only real question is--How far?
Don't be shocked if she reaches 64--or even 65!!--feet!
She's blasted her way through FOOT barriers a few times already!!
One slight caveat.
Her last meet, she was WAY OFF--winning with her only fair Put, measuring under 57 feet!
For her, that is WAY OFF!!
(She followed that 1st round throw with 5 fouls!!)
But if she's ON...!!
Kelsey Card and Christina Hillman will be fighting for 2nd!

Mile (4:27.18)
This probably won't see a MR, but it could be interesting, and difficult to predict.
You have virtual unknown Elinor Purrier coming in with the only sub-4:30 in the field.
You have the new CR holder in the 1000--Angel Piccirillo.
Then add one of the best Steeplers--Erin Teschuk--plus Kaela Edwards, Shannon Osika, and Andrea Keklak, and this pie should be quite tasty!

60H (7.79)
While there's 3 women at sub-8.00--Sasha Wallace, Cindy Ofili, and Devynne Charlton--none are faster than 7.95!
So this MR will be the same in 2017!

400 (50.46)
Courtney Okolo has a slightly faster OT mark , but her best LEGAL time in 2016 is 51.16.
Yet she should be considered the clear favorite going in!
But I doubt she'll need to break the MR to win!
Her challengers are Shamier Little, Taylor Ellis-Watson, and 200 specialist Kyra Jefferson!
(The last is interesting!  With an OUTdoor 200 PR of 22.24, she might hold the most potential in this field!)

60 (7.09)
The NCAA meet sometimes (Should say OFTEN!!) brings out the fast times from among the 7.15 to 7.25 types.
And that's pretty much what we have here.
Fastest here is Shayla Sanders's 7.17.
Will she breakthrough to a MR?
Maybe--maybe not.
Watch for new Oregon Duck Hannah Cunliffe as a possible shocker!
She's had a strong season so far, even beating faster teammate Jasmine Todd!
Also keep your eyes on Teahna Daniels, Morolake Akinosun, and Makiah Brisco.

800 (2:01.64)
Raevyn Rogers came within 0.15 of the Collegiate Record in the Millrose meet!
But she had Ajee Wilson, among other Profeshes, to pull her to such a time!
Can she run that by herself?
She might have to, as the closest in time to her are over 2 seconds slower!
Anima Banks and Sabrina Southerland might come closest, but also watch for Brooke Feldmeier,  Hanna Green, Annie LeBlanc, and Olivia Baker.

200 (22.40)
The MR is the CR, and both could fall here, as 2016's leader is the 22.45 of Felicia Brown.
As in the 60, watch for Hannah Cunliffe as a possible odds-bender!
But, as noted above, Kyra Jefferson has run 22.24 OUTdoors!
Morolake Akinosun could also surprise.

3000 (8:42.03)
After what could be a FAST 5000, Molly Seidel, Anna Rohrer, and Allie Ostrander--among others--might be too wasted to chase Jenny (Barringer) Simpson's MR!
Is Aisling Cuffe ready to regain her 2013 form?
Erin Finn is better at longer distances, but she's dangerous, nonetheless.
Also watch for Katrina Coogan, Erin Teschuk, and Erika Kemp!

4X400 Relay (3:27.40)
Texas has Akinosun and Okolo, and should win.
The MR is tough, however, so give it just 40-60 odds of falling.
Florida has Jefferson and Claudia Francis.
Arkansas has Ellis-Watson, while Oregon counters with 800 stud Rogers!

Be back soon with the USATF Previews!