10 Best NCAA Performances From The Weekend
10 Best NCAA Performances From The Weekend
Here are the 10 best NCAA performances from Friday and Saturday.
Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!
Already a subscriber? Log In
The intensity of the NCAA season ramped up significantly over the weekend as both distance stars and top sprinters impressed across the country. Here were the 10 best collegiate performances from Friday and Saturday:
1. Oregon NCAA DMR Record
The Ducks were just ninth at NCAAs last year in the DMR, and their 9:24.52 collegiate record on Friday was a huge surprise. Texas’ 9:25 mark had stood for 12 years, but Oregon eclipsed it with a masterful final two legs: Charlie Hunter split 1:48.08 in the 800m before passing off to anchor Cooper Teare, who closed in 3:55. Hunter’s PB in the 800 is just 1:49.42, while Teare’s mile best is 3:59.80.
2. Joe Klecker 4:01 Mile In Boulder
For a non-miler, Colorado’s Joe Klecker ran quite the race on Friday in Boulder as the senior ran the fastest ever mile in Colorado (4:01.00) and assumed the NCAA lead in the distance as the effort altitude-converted to 3:55.13.
.@JoeKleckerxc, the King of Colorado. #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/nB3Jac9KL3
— Colorado Buffaloes Track & XC (@CUBuffsTrack) February 1, 2020
Klecker, who finished second in the NCAA 5k and third in the 3k last March, will almost certainly not run the mile at nationals, but his record performance was a reminder of the threat he’ll pose to guys like Edwin Kurgat and Tyler Day in the longer distances. Klecker seems particularly adept at racing at high elevations, no small factor with NCAAs being in Albuquerque this year.
3. Dani Jones 2:04 800m In Boulder
Speaking of a Colorado star thriving at an off-distance, Dani Jones made her 2020 debut on Friday in the 800m and proceeded to break a CU record previously held by Mary Decker with her 2:04.38. Factoring in the thin Boulder air, the time converts down to 2:03.58, currently second-best in the NCAA.
.@dani_jonesss jumps four individuals and takes down a 42-year old 800-meter record! #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/TL5DlRp9f1
— Colorado Buffaloes Track & XC (@CUBuffsTrack) February 1, 2020
Jones’ event selection this indoor season is still unclear-- she ran the mile in 2018, and the 3k/DMR in 2017-- but of course, she’ll be a huge factor no matter which event(s) she runs.
4. Randolph Ross 45.44 400m At Texas Tech
The best quarter-miler in the country so far this season has been North Carolina A&T true freshman Randolph Ross, who ran an NCAA-leading 45.44 in a dominant performance at Texas Tech on Friday. Ross, whose father, Duane, is the head coach at A&T, ran faster than All-Americans Bryce Deadmon and Trevor Stewart (Ross was in a different heat) to establish himself as a legitimate NCAA title contender.
5. Anavia Battle 22.86 200m At Texas Tech
Ohio State junior Anavia Battle scored a big victory over 200m rival Cambrea Sturgis of North Carolina A&T with her 22.86 at Texas Tech. The time, just off Battle’s 22.80 indoor best, is tops in the NCAA right now.
?NATIONAL LEADER ALERT?
— Ohio State T&F/XC (@OhioStateTFXC) February 1, 2020
Junior Anavia Battle won the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.86..currently the FASTEST time in the @NCAATrackField ‼️?#GoBucks #WeNotMe pic.twitter.com/9t5ZdEPbWL
6. BYU’s 10:53.95 DMR At UW
The BYU women established themselves as the early season NCAA DMR favorites on Saturday as they won the UW Invitational in 10:53.95, a Dempsey Indoor record and the fastest collegiate DMR ever run on an oversized track. The run was all the more impressive considering an official snafu on Friday-- the 800m legs ran only 400m, and the race was stopped-- forced the women’s DMR to be re-run the next day.
The NCAA DMR rankings have been re-written.
— TrackTown USA (@GoTrackTownUSA) February 2, 2020
BYU and Washington run the first and third fastest times in the NCAA this year at Dempsey, finishing 10:53.95 and 10:56.23! pic.twitter.com/2cQGQrXi9H
7. Kieran Tuntivate NCAA-Leading 7:49.15 3k At BU
Harvard senior Kieran Tuntivate lowered his 3k PB by over 10 seconds on Saturday in Boston with a 7:49.15 that leads the NCAA. The mark is a new Ivy League record for Tuntivate, who took more than two seconds off the previous mark held by another Harvard runner, Maksim Korolev.
8. Raymond Ekevwo 6.53 60m At Razorback
Florida’s Raymond Ekevwo broke 6.60 for the first time with his 6.53 60m victory at the Razorback Invitational. The senior dominated in winning by over a tenth of a second, and he simultaneously assumed control of the NCAA lead.
?That is fast??♂️?
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) February 1, 2020
6⃣.5⃣3⃣ in the 60 meters@RaymondEkevwo just became the @NCAATrackField leader and 3rd in?history
?: https://t.co/uR2D25eK74 pic.twitter.com/p2lzx4YVkB
9. Kennedy Simon 52.20 400m At Razorback
Texas sophomore Kennedy Simon set a 52.20 PB at the Razorback Invite to take over the NCAA lead. Simon has been much improved in year two at UT, as her best indoors last season was just 53.55.
Women's 400m Invite | Kennedy Simon puts up an NCAA-leading 52.20 (PR) to run away from the field today! #FamilyOnAMission | #HookEm ? pic.twitter.com/8GzGD5VFEp
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) February 1, 2020
10. Micaiah Harris 20.49 200m At Razorback
Texas junior Micaiah Harris owns the two fastest 200m times in the NCAA this season, including this 20.49 from Friday at the Razorback Invitational.
#⃣1⃣ in the ?#FamilyOnAMission | #HookEm ? pic.twitter.com/QL98EkvjPW
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) February 1, 2020