Monday, March 11, 2019

NCAA---Sparks of Glory

The fans and cameras might have come for Mondo, but eyes were turned around by The Grant Holloway Show!

Sure, Mondo Duplantis won the PV, but it seemed Holloway won everything else!
And none of his four events was more spectacular than the 60H!

When he broke the Meet Record in his heats--a 7.44--we could see better things ahead!
But never did we see an American Record!
Despite hitting a hurdle hard, Holloway recovered and ran a perfect race to the tape, the clock stopping at 7.35!
Even though Daniel Roberts also ran faster than the Collegiate  Record, Holloway had some space to breathe!
Besides the AR, he also got the NCAA Meet Record, the Collegiate Record, and the Junior Class Record!
He moved from 10th A-T US to 1st, and from 18th A-T World, tied with 1 other, to 3rd!!

Roberts's 7.41 continued his amazing improvement this season!
He moved fom 4th A-T Collegiate to 2nd!
From 20th A-T US, tied with 2 others, to 10th, tied with 1 other!
And he becomes 14th A-T World, tied with 5 others!!

As for Mondo, he fell short of the Collegiate Record, but his 19-1.50 easily prevailed over a quality field!
Chris Nilsen and Jake Wooten finished 2nd and 3rd, both clearing 18-9.50!
Wooten moves from 14th A-T Collegiate to 13th, tied with 1 other!

Payton Otterdahl PR'ed slightly in the WT, hitting 79-1.25 for the win!
He remains 4th A-T Collegiate. and 13th A-T US
But he moves from 15th A-T World to 14th!
Adam Kelly threw the ball and chain 76-8.25, becoming 22nd A-T Collegiate!

Otterdahl misses the MR in the SP by a bit more than an inch, but his 71-2.25 prevailed over a big PR by Adrian (Tripp) Piperi!
He reached 68-10, making him 21st A-T Collegiate!

The Men's 400 was both a blazer up front, and had some depth!
But the winner's name was a bit of a shock!
Tyrell Richard upset the pre-meet favorites, blasting the 2 laps in 44.82!
He moves from 23rd A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others, to 4th!
He becomes 4th A-T US, and 5th A-T World!

Kahmari Montgomery took 2nd in 45.03, which was an 0.01 seconds improvement!
He moves from 10th A-T Collegiate to 8th, tied with 2 others!
He moves from 9th A-T US to 8th, tied with 1 other!
And moves from 13th A-T World to 11th, tied with 2 others!
Wil London ran 45.18 for 3rd, making him 12th A-T Collegiate!
He moves from 13th A-T US to 10th, tied with 1 other!
And from 21st A-T World to 20th, tied with 1 other!
Quincy Hall's 45.25 in 4th makes him 14th A-T Collegiate, and 16th A-T US!!

The distances were frustrating!
While a few marks changed my lists, the main theme of the races from 800 to 5000 was strategize, strategize, and strategize!!

The best race was the Women's 5000!
Alicia Monson kicked to victory in 15:31.26!
She moves from 24th A-T Collegiate to 19th!
Weini Kelati took 2nd in 15:32.96, with Fiona O'Keefe in 3rd, timed in 15:37.81.

Morgan McDonald didn't set the track on fire, timewise, but he won the 3000 and 5000 with a deceptively easy looking kick!
Times were about 7:52 and 13:41.

The Distance Medley Relays were good also, but the times showed the way teams had it easier qualifying on various Oversize Tracks, than they had it in Alabama!

The Women's race went to Oregon, with Jessica Hull bringing the Ducks to the line in 10:53.43!
BYU was a bit of a surprise in 2nd, their time being 10:54.14!
They move from 11th A-T School to 7th!

Even more surprising was Oklahoma State!
Their 10:55.04 moves them from 24th A-T School all the way to 10th!!
Villanova was 4th in 10:56.04, while Arkansas took 5th in 10:56.85!

The Men's race saw Notre Dame's 9:31.55 edging Stanford's 9:31,70, despite Grant Fisher's 3:54 anchor!

In the Men's 800, Devin Dixon led through 400 in the 51's, following through on his intention to try to break the Collegiate Record!
But he faded, leaving it to Bryce Hoppel to take the W in 1:46.46!
This makes him 20th A-T Collegiate, and 21st A-T US!

Danae Rivers took the Women's 800 in a slow 2:03.69!
Jessica Hull sprinted to a 9:01.14 W in the 3000!
The other distance times are too embarrassing to even mention!

The Multi's were good, with Michelle Atherley improving by 49 points, her 4547 score moving her from 8th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other, to 7th!
Jordan Gray surprised in 2nd, her 4412 points making her 15th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!

Harrison Williams took the Men's Heptathlon with 6042 points!
He becomes 17th A-T Collegiate, and 22nd A-T US!!

The Women's PV winner was no shock, as Lexi Jacobus made 15-1.50, the only 15 footer!
But Bonnie Draxler closed in on that barrier, her 14-11.50 moving her from 10th A-T Collegiate to 8th!
Tori Hoggard and Desiree Freier were 3rd and 4th, both clearing 14-7.50!
But it was a slight PR for Freier, making her 20th A-T Collegiate!

Sade Olatoye is the latest Woman to reach 80 feet in the WT!
Her 80-3 moves her from 8th A-T Collegiate to 3rd!!
And she moves from 12th A-T World to 7th!

In 2nd, though far back with a 73-11.50, Makenna Forrest becomes 19th A-T Collegiate,and 22nd A-T US!
Third went to Taylor Scaife's 73-10!
She becomes 22nd A-T Collegiate, and 23rd A-T US, tied with 1 other!

Samantha Noening took the Women's SP with a lob of 58-9.25, making her 22nd A-T Collegiate!
She edged Nena Geiger's 58-8.50, making her 24th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!

Other NCAA marks of note---
In the Women's 60H heats, Payton Chadwick won in 7.93, tying her PR!
Kayla White sped a 7.94, making her 17th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others!
However, Chanel Brissett took the final in 7.90.
White improved to 7.92, moving her from 17th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others, to 11th, tied with 1 other!
Speaking of Ms White, she shocked some by taking the 200 in 22.66, the fastest Collegiate tome of the season!
This makes her 21st A-T Collegiate, and 20th A-T US!

Kaelin Roberts finally got the 1st sub-52 time in the 400 for Collegiates, her 51.50 making her 20th A-T Collegiate, and 24th A-T US!
Twanisha Terry took the 60, her 7.14 making her 13th A-T Collegiate, tied with 4 others!
Yanis David took the women's TJ with 46-0.50, but it was 2nd placer Chaquinn Cook's 45-4.50 that made her 16th A-T Collegiate!!

The HJ's were taken by Zarria Willow's 6-1.50, and Shelby McEwen's 7-6!
Jasmin Steely and Deborah Ailah both LJ'ed 21-2.50, with Steely winning!
South Carolina won the Women's 4X400 Relay in 3:30.76!!
Georgia showed they're gaining track power, taking 4th in 3:31.05, moving them from 19th A-T School to 16th!

But it was truly the Grant Holloway Show!
Besides his fantastic 60H, he also took the flat 60 in a 6.50 PR!
He moves from 10th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others, to 8th, tied with 2 others!
And he becomes 24th A-T US, tied with 4 others!
The LJ saw him leap 26-1, but he placed just 3rd to Rayvon Gray's 26-1.75!!
He had to leave after 3 jumps to get ready for another of his 4 events!

All in all, not the greatest NCAA meet, but Holloway and Mondo made it a bit more entertaining!!

Two non-Collegiate items to report!
The Gate River 15K Road race served as the USATF Championship!
Shadrack Kipchirchir won it in 43:41, but had a real battle with 2nd placer Stan Kebenai, who got the same time, and Len Korir, who ended a second back!
Erica Kemp had it much easier on the Women's side, running 50:54  for the win!!

And we have a WORLD Record!!
China's Liu Hong took the Women's 50000 meter Walk under the 4 hour barrier!
Her 3:59:15 is the new World Record, and China's National Record!!
Just to compare, it's been a long time (15 years??) since a US Man broke 4 hours!!

See you soon with my NBIN report!

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