NCAA Women--Weather or Not!

In that cruel twist of fate the Weather Gods sometimes play on Eugene (I lived there 11 years--I should know!!), heavy rains and cold temps smashed many of the best Women's events upside the head on Finals Day--Saturday!
But, as the title states, they managed to ignore what the weather gave up, and made this one of the best NCAA's in recent history!

The rain stopped for a few moments--and the best results emerged from the puddles left behind!
Lynna Irby dropped the hammer from the gun, taking the lead in the 400 before the 1st curve was over, and just continued to pound, ending with the Freshman Class Record of 49.80!!
This simply broke the record set earlier this year by someone named Sydney McLaughlin!!

She began her Double Dip quest (200 & 400) with a mind-blowing Semi of 50.11 for the full lap!
Everyone wondered WHY she would run that fast when all she needed was Top 2 to move on!!
Ever hear the term "sheer talent"??
That time moved her from 12th A-T Collegiate to 5th!!
She missed the US list by 0.05 seconds!!
Then she ran her 200 semi in 22.37, ending 0.01 behind Gabby Thomas's 22.36!
Thomas had a wind against her of 2.3, while Irby fought a breeze of 0.1.

Then came the finals!
Her 49.80 missed the CR by just 0.09 seconds!
She indeed got the Frosh Class, as well as the NCAA Meet Record!!
She moved from 5th A-T Collegiate to 2nd!
She is 15th A-T US!
Kendell Ellis was 2nd in 50.19, while Brionna Thomas's 50.78 missed the Collegiate DDD by 0.09 seconds!
Mackenzie Dunmore collapsed to the track about 40 meters from the line, but finished a minute later to get Oregon a point!

Coming back about 30 minutes later, Irby ended 3rd in the 200 to the shock win by USC's Angelou Annelius's 22.76!
Gabby Thomas was second in 22.86, with Irby running 22.92!

While Irby shone, I was THRILLED to watch that magnificent 10000, where the first SIX women all broke Sylvia Mosqueda's 1988 MR of 32:28.57!!
Plotted to be the first of two W's for Karissa Schweizer, it instead turned into a frontal attack on the Collegiate Record Book!!
In a fairly evenly paced race, a few women led at one point or another, with Schweizer among them, but she didn't lead for very long!
Alice Wright was the one responsible for the quick pace, as she led most of the first half!
Sharon Lokedi was always in the mix, but didn't take over until the last lap!
And that move was decisive!
Her 32:09.20 took nearly 20 seconds off Mosqueda's hallowed mark!
Besides the MR, she moves from 21st A-T Collegiate to 13th!
Dorcas Wasike surprised in 2nd with 32:11.81.
It's the Frosh Class Record (by about 29 seconds!!), and makes her 15th A-T Collegiate!
Schweizer took 3rd with her 32:14.94, as she just couldn't find that 5th gear!
Wright's 32:17.92 took 4th, with Charlotte Taylor right behind at 32:17.95.
Also under the old MR was Anna Rohrer, with her 6th place time of 32:26.24!!
FINALLY!!!

The Meet's first field event found a lulu battle for the Hammer Throw honors!
With Maggie Ewen absent, Janeah Stewart suddenly found about 15 feet to add to her PR, and landed the Hammer at 239-3!!
She moves from 19th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other, up to 4th!!
And it makes her 10th A-T US!
Brooke Andersen, who was favored in Ewen's absence, hit 239-1 in Round 3, but that 2 inch gap remained at the end!!
Stamatia Scarvelis also PR'ed, her 226-8 in 3rd moving her from 18th to 15th on the A-T Collegiate list!!
Alyssa Wilson got a PR also, her 219-9 landing her in 4th!

Ewen did take TWO events!
The 1st came in the SP, where her 62-10.75 dominated!
But Jessica Woodard produced a solid 61-3.50 PR, moving her from 13th A-T Collegiate to 9th!
It also made her 22nd A-T US!

In the rain, the DT's didn't go very far, but 198-5 was enough for Ewen to get her 2nd W!
She beat the 195-9 from Shadae Lawrence, and the 194-3 from Valerie Allman!

The Steeplechase and 1500 also were quality events, with some depth!
That cute ragamuffin from Boise State via Alaska--Allie Ostrander--took over the reins of the SC, and never let go!
Her amazing hurdling form--considering her lack of height--took her over all of the hurdles and water jumps perfectly, even letting her gain a step on landing!
Her 9:39.28 didn't miss her PR by much, and it made for a 6 second gap back to Charlotte Prouse's 9:45.45 in 2nd!
Prouse becomes 23rd A-T Collegiate!
Paige Stoner came 3rd in a 9:46.98 PR, with Claire Borchers also PR'ing with her 9:48.33 in 4th!
Between 4th and 8th was just 1 second of time!
The first 8 ran 9:49.33 or faster!!
Ostrander had run her heat in 9:45.97, with Grayson Murphy 2nd in 9:48.57, and Prouse 3rd in 9:49.75!

The 1500 Semi's were quick!!
Elinor Purrier, New Hampshire's most famous dairy farmer, took it in 4:10.08, making her 22nd A-T Collegiate!
Jessica Hull of UO was right behind in 4:10.09!
Hull actually moved DOWN my A-T Collegiate list to 25th (with Purrier's entrance!), but then moved back on, and became 23rd A-T!!
Rachel Pocratsky was 3rd in 4:10.80, followed by THE story of the meet---that of Janelle Roe, a charming runner who entered 2018 with a 4:29 PR just 2 years after getting severely burned, and ran 4:10.83 here to move on to the final--to everyone's pure delight!!
Grace Barnett was 5th in 4:11.07!
And that was just the SEMI's!!

Knocked OFF the Collegiate list was a famous family name--Centrowitz!
Lauren--Centro's sister--is GONE, and her 4:10.42 from 2009!

The Saturday Final was a blazer!!
Purrier led here also, but just didn't go fast enough to dull the kicks of the rest of the field, as she ended 7th with 4:11.56---a good time for 7th place!!
When it came to that end sprint, it was left to UO's (and Australia's) own Jessica Hull to touch the tape first!
Her 4:08.75 moves her all the way from 23rd A-T Collegiate to 9th!
Nikki Hiltz, the punk'ish head-banded spirit (formerly with UO, but now of Arkansas), ended 2nd with 4:09.14, making her 11th A-T Collegiate!
Then came Elise Cranny with her 4:09.49, which moves her from 16th A-T Collegiate to 14th!
Cranny's teammate at Stanford--Christina Aragon--was 4th in 4:09.59, making her 18th A-T Collegiate!
Pocratsky was 5th in the decent time of 4:10.84!!

Knocked OFF my Collegiate list was the venerable Jordan Hasay, her 4:10.28 dating from 2011.
Also GONE was a much more recent one--Elinor Purrier's 4:10.08 from THIS MEET!!

The PV was reduced to a pair by the changing weather patterns!
Surviving were Lexi Jacobus and Olivia Gruver--who wasn't having the greatest OUTdoor season after hitting 15-3 and change INdoors!
But she found her mojo here, and skipped over the bar set at 14-11 for the W!
This moves her from 15th A-T Collegiate, tied with 4 others, to 12th, tied with 2 others!
Jacobus cleared 14-9 in 2nd, with Lisa Gunnarsson 3rd with 14-5-25!

Mackenzie may have Little as her last name, but her JT distance didn't match it!
She threw it 198-0 for the Junior Class Record!!
She moves from 13th A-T Collegiate to 5th!
Jenna Gray took 2nd with her 187-11.
She becomes 21st A-T Collegiate, and 20th A-T US!!

Georgia's Keturah Orji racked up a pair of W's, first taking the LJ with 21-10.75, from Round 4.
Danielle McQueen was 2nd with 21-8.25.
Tara Davis finished 5th with 21-3.25, while Kate Hall never got unwound, and ended just 16th with 20-1.75!
In her specialty, she needed just 46-0.75 to win!
It was lousy weather for the TJ, so her distances were surely affected!
Yanis David came fairly close with her 45-9.25 in 2nd.
That one was windy, but she had a legal jump of 45-1.50!

The 100 and the 100H were both run through torrents of rain--Jasmine Camacho-Quinn even saying she could barely see the track ahead of her!!
JCQ took her race in 12.70, with Dewynne Charlton 2nd in 12.77.
They were the only athletes to go under 13 seconds!
Wind was 0.9.
No different for Aleia Hobbs, as her 11.01 won by 0.23 seconds!!
Wind was just 0.7, but the rain came down in buckets!!
The 100H Semi's were taken by JCQ in 12.54 (weather a lot nicer!), using the max wind of 2.0.
Alaysha Johnson of UO was 2nd in 12.70, with Roshelle Burton next in 12.77.
Anna Cockrell ran 12.88, but didn't make the final!
Hobbs had good weather for her 100 Semi!
Thus her time of 10.91, with ZERO wind!
Shania Collins ran 10.98 in 2nd (1.5), which moves her from 11th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others, to 9th, tied with 2 others!

The 800 went to Frosh Sammy Watson, who had the best kick in a slow race!
Her 2:04.21 prevailed over Abike Egbeniji's 2:04.33.
She's a Junior at Middle Tennessee State!
Favored Sabrina Southerland just didn't have it, and ended 7th in 2:06.99!!
The Semi's went to Jazmine Fray's 2:02.55, with Watson 2nd in 2:02.65, and Olivia Baker 3rd in 2:02.76, with Southerland 4th in 2:02.99!

The 5000--the penultimate ending event--was slow also, but NOT because of the weather!!
But it provided the classic Cinderella story, as Karissa Schweizer rose up from her 3rd in the 10K, winning here in 15:41.58.
Certainly tired, she found what she needed, and won with her standard kick!
Second went to Allie Bucharsky's 15:42.77, with Lili Burdon 3rd in 15:43.22.
Back in 8th was Ms Ostrander--running her 2nd Final in an hour or so!!--time of 15:46.50!
Sharon Lokedi, the 10000 Winner, ended 12th in 15:51.29!
Still, not bad doubles for both!!

The Heptathlon was a goodie!
At the end of Day One, Georgia Ellenwood had an 84 point lead over Louisa Grauvogel, 3752 to 3668!
Tyra Gittens stood 3rd with 3548, while Kennesaw State Junior Aliyah Whisby was 4th with 3522.
Nina Schultz stood just 7th with 3452 points, and was doubtful for Day 2, according to some observers!
Oh, BTW, Ayesha Champagne was in 13th with 3409 points, her "best" event--the LJ--yet to come!!
LOL
It came down to the 800--but not really--as Ellenwood had a 3 second PR advantage coming in!
And it remained that way, as she pulled out the win with 6146 points!
Grauvogel's 6074 makes her 18th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!
Schultz did continue, but was never really ON, as she ended 7th with 5778 points!
As for the esteemed Ms Champagne, she had the leading Javelin Throw, which saved her from her average LJ of 18-7---and I DO mean her AVERAGE!!

Knocked OFF my Collegiate list was one Hyleas Fountain, her 6033 dating from 2004!

The 4X100 Relay's Semi's went to LSU's 42.09, which SMASHED the NCAA Meet Record by 0.27 seconds!!
And it completely dominated, as UO took 2nd in 42.95.
USC and Kentucky followed close behind with respective times of 42.97 and 42.99!
LSU also took the Final--time of 42.25.
UO again took 2nd, time of 43.06, with USC next in 43.11.

The 4X400 closer was a THRILLER--not for the times, but because it decided the meet's team winner!
The Trojans stood 3rd with 43 points--behind Georgia's 52 and Stanford's 51.
They needed to win to---Win!!
And win they did--by the skin of Kendell Ellis's chinny-chin-chin!!
She BLASTED the final 50 meters, coming from 10 meters back to JUST nip Purdue, 3:27.06 to 3:27.13!
Ellis's leg took 50.05, but I'd LOVE to know her time for the final 60!!
UO was 3rd in 3:28.36, with Kentucky 4th in 3:30.52, despite an anchor by their star, timed in 50.03.

That "star" was someone you've probably been wondering if I'd EVER get around to mentioning!!
But when a Woman who has run 52.75 in the 400H for a massive Collegiate Record and a World Leading time (by over a full second!!) JOGS her race in 53.96, yet still wins by well over a second---well, you just have to simmer your enthusiasm just a tad!!

But seriously, she appeared to be doing just that--jogging!
And STILL ran 53.96---on a track filled with puddles--even though the Rain Gods took a siesta during her race!
Anna Cockrell was 2nd (in 55.71) in McLaughlin's FINAL Collegiate race!!
McL had run her Semi in 54.15!!

She's turning Pro!!
As if we didn't know!!
(Also turning Pro is Michael Norman!!)
In other off-track news, the charges against Tyrese Cooper were dropped!!

And that is that!!
Be back with my THIRD post of the weekend--probably early Monday--with results from the 2 DL's of the past few days--Oslo and Stockholm--as well as the PTF and other meets!

See you soon!