Wednesday, June 8, 2022

2022 NCAA Championships Preview

 It's gonna be lengthy, but I intend to do both Men's & Women's Previews here!
Men go first!
These are NOT predictions!
I list the events in order of their Finals!
I list the NCAA Meet Record--several of which are also the Collegiate Record!/
Then I give names of the main challengers for the Meet Record, without saying they're going to win!
The Men's days are Wednesday (today) & Friday, except that the Decathlon begins today, and ends tomorrow!
The Women's days are Thursday & Saturday, with the Heptathlon being on Thursday and Friday!

MEN
HAMMER THROW (265-3) Absolutely zero chance for a Meet Record!  Main players are Bobby Colontonio and Trey Knight!  Watch also for Logan Blomquist, Decio Andrade, and Kostas Zaltos!
POLE VAULT (19-6.25) Would need a BIG improvement to get this MR!  Sondre Guttormsen has been very active this spring!  His brother Simen is good, as are Zach McWhorter & Zach Bradford.
Clayton Fritsch and Branson Ellis are others with potential!
JAVELIN THROW (284-2) While Chinecherem Nnamdi, Ethan Dabbs, and Marc Minichello are all solid spearchuckers, the MR is quite safe!  Watch also for Arthur Petersen and Tzuriel Pedigo!
LONG JUMP (28-0) IF JuVaughn Harrison were still competing, I'd give him half a chance at the MR!  However---Corey McLeod and Isaac Grimes could reach 27, while followers include Johnny Brackins, Wayne Pinnock, and Brandon Hicklin!
SHOT PUT (72-2.25) Turner Washington and Tripp Piperi are candidates for 70 footers, but probably will fall short of the MR!  John Meyer and Isaac Odugbesan are other solid guys!
10000 (27:41.87) The lone track final on Wednesday!  And it's a solid contender for MR reduction!  Abdi Nur could win it--if he's healthy!  Charles Hicks, Adriaan Wildschutt, and Cole Sprout are solid.  Others include Amon Kemboi, James Mwaura, and Matt Pereira! If they go through 5K in 14:00, the MR is in danger!
DECATHLON (8457) The MR is an easy target for Kyle Garland, but he might just cruise through here, to save himself for the WC's!  Ayden Owens-Delerme is Garland's main foe!  Johannes Erm, Leo Neugebauer, Austin West, and Ryan Talbot are other 8000 point wannabes!  UO's Max Vollmer will hear best the cheers of the locals!

HIGH JUMP (7-9.75) ZERO chance for the MR, and not likely to go past 7-6!  Vernon Turner, Tejaswin Shankar, Darius Carbin, and Earnie Sears III are there to prove me wrong!
DISCUS THROW (215-8) Mykolas Alekna should crush this Meet Record on his very first throw!!  230 is in danger!!  Claudio Romero and Turner Washington are the best bets to be within 10 feet of Alekna!  Ralford Mullings Roje Stona, and Samuel Welsh are others to key on!
4 X 100 RELAY (37.97) Lucky for us, Collegiate sprint relayers are solid at keeping the baton in hand all the way through!  That said, best teams are NC A&T, Tennessee, Houston, USC, and Florida State!
With Micah Williams on anchor (?), the Ducks should make this fun for the home crowd!
1500 (3:35.30) I keep wishing for fast distance races, and mostly get tacticals in return!  But Eliud Kipsang can front run a fast time!  Give him strong odds to take this baby down!  Better still if Mario Romo and Jonathan Davis keep him honest!
TRIPLE JUMP (57-7.75) Chengetayi Mapaya seems to be the best here, but nowhere near the MR!
Keyshawn King and Emmanuel Ihemije are ones to watch!
3000SC (8:12.4) Henry Rono's 1978 MR will survive again!  Toss a coin to pick among Ahmed Jaziri, Alec Basten, Duncan Hamilton, Ed Trippas (Great name for a Steepler!), and Ryan Smeeton are the faster candidates!
110H (12.98) Is Trey Cunningham ready to pull a Grant Holloway?  Yes!  But the hurdles are dangerous barriers to success sometimes!  Eric Edwards and Joshua Zeller might get within 0.20 of Cunningham!
100 (9.82) The Hayward mob will go nuts when Micah Williams steps on the track!  Not to mention total bonkers if he can nab the MR--which I see as iffy, but possible!  If it's fast, watch the wind gauge!  Favour Ashe, Joe Fahnbulleh, Matt Boling, JuVaughn Martin, and Terrence Jones should all make the final!
400 (43.61) Randolph Ross has run 43.85, but 44.23 this year!  I'm calling it NO Meet Record, but a sub-44!  Jonathan Jones & Jacory Patterson are solid!  Johnny Blockburger and Champion Allison are others to watch!

800 (1:43.55) Moad Zahafi is within range, but unless Brandon Miller is on, he'll have to chase the MR solo style!  Luis Peralta might interfere!
400H (47.02) Meet Record is locked away in Fort Knox, so don't hope for Sean Burrell to suddenly imitate Rai Benjamin here!  And we're not even sure how fit Burrell is right now!  Isaiah Levingston, Moitelel Mpoke, Nathaniel Ezekiel, and Malik Metivier should fight for places!
200 (19.73) Most of the 100 guys are doubling here!  Fahnbulleh is the best at  this distance, but Boling and Camel are good!  Others to watch include Javonte Harding, Courtney Lindsey, Udodi Onwuzurike, and Micaiah Harris!
5000 (13:12.27) Again, these races usually go slow!  But the MR is vulnerable if they go after it!  Olin Hacker, Cole Sprout, Morgan Beadlescomb, Adriaan Wildschutt, and Nico Young are the key players!  Watch also for Amon Kemboi, Brian Fay, and Athanas Kioko!
4 X 400 RELAY (2:59.00) Florida broke the Collegiate Record (also the MR here) a bit ago with their 2:58.53!  Can they reduce it more here?  Kentucky, NC A&T, Texas, TCU, Texas A&M, and Georgia could put up a fight!  Last final for the Men!!

WOMEN
HAMMER THROW (250-10) The results page lists Camryn Rogers's 247-8 as the MR, but she broke it in that stupid "prelims" meet!!  She threw 250-10 there!  And she's likely to add to it here!  No chance for them, but have fun watching Alyssa Wilson, Madi Malone, Jillian Shippee, Beatrice Llano, and Anna Purchase trying to at least PR!
POLE VAULT (15-5) There are some 15 footers here, but they'd have to PR by about 4 inches to even tie this MR!  Lisa Gunnarsson, Rachel Baxter, and Gabriella Leon are the stars here!  But key on Olivia Lueking, Amanda Fassold, and Chloe Timberg also!
JAVELIN THROW (204-0) Have to admit that I'll be rooting for Madison Wiltrout to reach 200 feet for the first time AND break the MR!  Her main opponent is Ashton Riner!  Other good ones include Katelyn Fairchild, Sophia Rivera, Maddie Harris, and Rhema Otabor!
LONG JUMP (22-9.25) It would take Jasmine Moore, Monae Nichols, or Tyra Gittens to add a few inches to their PR to take this MR down--but it's possible!  Deborah Acquah, Ruth Usoro, and Ackelia Smith are others to watch!
SHOT PUT (63-5) If Adelaide Aquilla can break out of her 62-7ish rut, the MR is hers for the taking!  Jorinde Van Klinken is solid here!  Latavia Maines and Ana Da Silva are others to watch!
10000 (32:09.20)  On 3, say "DON'T JOG!", please!!  IF they don't, there's enough talent here to see a sub-32 happen at distance mad Hayward Field!  Mercy Chelangat, Lauren Gregory, Emily Covert, Haley Herberg, and Grace Forbes are the leaders!  Watch for Emma Heckel also!
HEPTATHLON (6527)  The MR is also the CR!  But Anna Hall (like Kyle Garland!) might just cruise through this one!  Kristine Blazevica, Erin Marsh, and Ida Eikeng will be happy getting 6000 points!

HIGH JUMP (6-5)  Guess what?  Lamara Distin has already jumped higher than the MR!  Can she do it here?  Tyra Gittens, Rachel Glenn, and Abigail Kwarteng are others capable of 6-2 or better!
DISCUS THROW (213-3) Jorinde Van Klinken hasn't come anywhere near her PR of 230-4 (WINDY!!!), but she should win here!  The MR is possible also!  Alexandra Emilianov is solid!
And--as USUAL--Seasons is one to watch!  LOL
4 X 100 RELAY (42.09) Based on who runs what, we could see a fast race, but probably will fall short of a MR!  Key on Texas A&M, LSU, Texas, Ohio State, Kentucky, and home favorite UO!
1500 (4:05.98) Katelyn Tuohy is closest to the MR this year, but she's doing the 5000 only!  So it's an even match between Krissy Gear, Julia Heymach, Christina Aragon, Sintayehu Vissa, Micaela Degenero, Olivia Howell, and Shannon Flockhart!
TRIPLE JUMP (47-8)  Hope for a legal wind, because Jasmine Moore has a great chance at the MR!  Natricia Hooper is solid, as are Ruth Usoro, Ruth Lasmane, Ackelia Smith and Titiana Marsh!  Also watch for Mekeisha Welcome!

3000SC (9:24.41)  The MR is also the Collegiate Record, but Courtney Wayment seems ready to take both down!  Joyce Kimeli and Ceili McCabe are strong also!  Watch for Elise Thorner!
100H (12.39) Ackera Nugent isn't here, due to injury!  Alia Armstrong might have an outside shot at the MR, as long as that Hayward breeze stays calm!  Demisha Roswell is solid, and don't neglect Jasmine Jones, Paula Salmon, Kaylah Robinson, or Masai Russell, who will be doubling in the 400H!  Rayniah Jones is another to watch!
100 (10.75) Julien Alfred has run 10.81 (& 10.80W), plus other speedy times!  She's the favorite, IMHO!  But focus on Celera Barnes (10.82W), Abby Steiner, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Jada Baylark, Anavia Battle, and Kevona Davis!  For the home folks, there's Kemba Nelson!  That's 9 women!  Will all make the final??
400 (49.57)  Charokee Young seems the solid choice--for the win and for the MR!  Stacey Ann Williams, Alexis Holmes, Talitha Diggs, and Kennedy Simon are all strong sub-51 women!

800 (1:59.11)  Oh, if only Athing Mu hadn't gone Pro, and racing in Rome's DL tomorrow!  Without her, the MR seems pretty safe!  In fact, a sub-2:00 would be a bit surprising!  That said, we should key on Avi-Tal Wilson-Perteete and Katy-Ann McDonald here!  Aaliyah Miller, Gabrielle Wilkinson, Aurora Rynda, and Claire Seymour are good ones also!  No runaways here!
400H (53.21)  We'd need a massive breakthrough from Britton Wilson to get this Meet Record!  But with a 50.05 PR over the flat 400 (& an even faster Relay leg!), she's capable of sub-53!  She'll have doubler Masai Russell and 2:03.11 800 & Star Heptathlete Anna Hall chasing fast times also!
200 (22.02) Several experts are seeing this final as THE race of the entire meet!!  Abby Steiner!  Favour Ofili!  Anavia Battle!  Kynnedy Flannel!  Melissa Jefferson!  There are mere mortals here also!  Watch for Kevona Davis and Rosemary Chukwuma to possibly crash the party!  That MR---wind legal--is in mortal danger!!
5000 (15:15.08) Katelyn Tuohy and Abby Nichols could fight each other lap by lap hard enough to bring not only the MR, but possibly the CR into sight!  (A sub-15 also??!!)  But Mercy Chelangat and Lauren Gregory don't like to dog paddle through!  Also key on Tuohy's NC State teammate Hanna Steelman, as well as Parker Valby, Taylor Roe, Marlee Starliper, and Emma Heckel!
4 X 400 RELAY (3:22.34)  Will we see another Collegiate Record here?  Whatever their time, it should be a great ending to this meet!  Candidates for Gold are Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Texas, Baylor, and South Carolina.

Enjoy the 4 days of Collegiate action, and please use this Preview as your guide!
Meet begins in a few hours!

See you soon!





No comments:

Post a Comment