NCAA Outdoor Track And Field Championships Previews

Brought to you by LetsRun.com and TrackFocus.com

The stage is set for an exciting NCAA Outdoor Championships weekend in Eugene, Oregon. We've worked together with our friends at TrackFocus.com to preview every event at the meet. In distance events, look for difficult double attempts from Andrew Wheating (800/1,500), Lisa Koll (10k/5k) and Sam Chelanga (10k/5k). In sprints, the men's 400 may be the fastest race in the world so far this year. In the team race, the Oregon men and women enter as slight underdogs to sprint powers Texas A&M and Florida, adding even more intrigue to the distance races. We'll see how much of a lift the Ducks get in front of home crowds at Hayward Field. The meet runs Wednesday-Saturday.

More:
*NCAA Schedule, Info
*LetsRun.com's Emory Mort will be in Eugene covering the event, so check back for daily updates.
*TV: CBS College will air the championship live on Friday from 8-10 p.m. (EASTERN) and CBS will air it live on Saturday from 1-3 p.m. (EASTERN). NCAA.com will stream the rest of the championship online.

 

Distance Previews From LetsRun.com

800m

Phoebe Wright hopes to win her first outdoor 800m title after a PR 2:00 clocking at regionals and a dominant senior year. Oh, perhaps you wanted us to mention a potential re-rematch between Robby Andrews and Andrew Wheating. This time, assuming both make the final, Wheating will have home field advantage.

1,500m

With team titles on the line, Saturday's 1,500m finals should be among the most intriguing races of the weekend. The women's race seems too close to call while the men's final stands to feature 3 strong Oregon runners (Wheating, Matt Centrowitz and AJ Acosta) plus double indoor champ Lee Emanuel in his final NCAA race.

3,000m Steeplechase

Bridget Franek is the clear favorite on the women's side but the men's side is up for grabs. Princeton's Donn Cabral could become an NCAA champion in his new event but there are 5 or 6 guys who could win.

10,000m

The Sam Chelanga and Lisa Koll show will be the first distance finals of the week. The biggest question is - who will pick up the big points behind the stars with 27:08 and 31:18 seasonal bests?

5,000m

With Sam Chelanga and Lisa Koll likely doubling back, current NCAA Champions Angela Bizzarri and David McNeill will get the opportunity to defend their turf against the 10k specialists.

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Sprint and Field Event Previews From Our Friends At TrackFocus.com

100 meter dash

Florida sophomore Jeff Demps leads a fast field in the men's 100 meter dash.  While on the women's side, LSU and Texas A&M combine to have five out of the top six qualifiers.

200 meter dash

With the absence of defending champion Charles Clark of Florida State due to injury, the men's 200 meter dash appears to be up for grabs.  Coach Pat Henry's Texas A&M Lady Aggies have the potential for big points and a 1-2 finish.

400 meter dash

On the men's side, one of the fastest and deepest fields in NCAA history will battle for the title.  For the men, the contenders include current world-leader Calvin Smith of Florida, a crew of 45 flat sprinters from the SEC and a couple of Aggies.  The women's race touts an equally impressive field with US indoor record holder, Francena McCorory of Hampton and the defending champion, Auburn's Joanna Atkins vying for the title.

100/110 meter hurdles

Queen Harrison of Virginia Tech is on track for a 100m/400m hurdle sweep in Eugene.  After transferring from Bethune-Cookman to Oklahoma, Ronnie Ash looks like the favorite to win his 2nd straight title and first in a Sooner singlet.

400 meter hurdles

The men's race is a rematch between last year's NCAA champion and runner-up, Jeshua Anderson of Washington State and Johnny Dutch of South Carolina.  On the women's side, Miami's Ti'erra Brown, last year's NCAA runner-up, stands in the way of Queen Harrison's hurdle double.

4 x 100 meter relay

Both the men's and women's 4 x 100 meter relays have major team title implications.  The Florida and Texas A&M men are headed for a showdown.  While the Lady Aggies are a strong favorite and the Lady Ducks try to maximize  team points.

4 x 400 meter relay

In 2009, the men's national title was on the line going into the final event of the meet.  By securing a second place finish in the 4 x 400, Texas A&M was able to pass Oregon and Florida for the overall championship.  We at TrackFocus would not be surprised if men’s and women's 2010 NCAA team titles were decided in a similar fashion.

Decathlon/Heptathlon

Reigning 2009 multi-event champions, Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen are the favorites to defend their titles and secure ten important team points for the Oregon Ducks.

Long  Jump

Being the only collegiate woman over 22' this season, NCAA indoor champion Blessing Okagbare of UTEP is our favorite.  On the men's side, the 2010 NCAA season leader and two-time defending NCAA champion are both out with injury.  Oregon's Ashton Eaton hopes to jump past Florida's Christian Taylor and the rest of the competition.

Triple Jump

Florida and Texas A&M have five of the top ten jumpers in the field and how they finish will have major team title implications.  In the women's competition, the current NCAA indoor and outdoor champ looks to retain her title.

High Jump

The absence of defending champion, Destinee Hooker of Texas, from the women's field opens up the opportunity for a new champion in 2010.  While on the men's side, a Hoosier hopes to finish what he started in the indoor season.

Pole Vault

A talented group of 18 foot vaulters hope to deny Rice's Jason Colwick a second outdoor title.  While 2009 women's NCAA champ, Kylie Hutson of Indiana State, tries to overcome to her competition and a hand injury in Eugene.

Shot Put

The men's and women's shot put features two seniors who have combined to amass three NCAA outdoor titles and have always finished in the top six. Miriam Kevskishvili of Florida and Ryan Whiting of Arizona State are in a class of their own.

Discus Throw

Facing a quality discus field, Ryan Whiting of Arizona State will find it tough to double up on NCAA titles.  In the women's competition, Louisville's Jere' Summers will try to out throw her 2009 NCAA demons and a talented class of underclassmen.

Hammer Throw

The sole returning finalist from last year's final, Dortea Habazin of Virginia Tech, looks to claim the top spot.  Fellow Hokie and 2009 NCAA champ Marcel Lomnicky looks like the strong favorite to bring his second title back to Blacksburg.  And a win by his younger sister, Nikola Lomnicka of Georgia, could make this NCAA championship a true family affair.

Javelin Throw

A couple of Oregon seniors, Cyrus Hostetler and Alex Wolff, hope to bolster their team's title hopes.  While on the women's side, a group of All-Americans competes for the title of NCAA national champion.

 

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