Will the Class of 2013 Please Stand Up?
Seven Americans whose NCAA eligibility came to a close in 2013 were crowned national champions in Boston. Veterans, take notice. These young twenty-somethings aren’t playing around.

-Cas Loxsom (Penn State) bettered his American record in the 600m by winning in 1:15.33.
-Lauren Wallace (UC Davis) beat an outstanding field in the 1000m, upsetting Treneire Moser and running 2:40.42, giving the women’s apparel line oiselle their first national track champion.
-Ryan Hill (NC State) proved he had the finishing wheels to win his first national title in the two mile in 8:26.72.
-Erik Kynard (Kansas State) is back! The 2012 silver medalist won the high jump title in 2.34m. He took several attempts at the 2.40m American record and will be on the medal hunt this summer at the world championships.
-Omar Craddock (Florida) won the triple jump contest in 16.84m. His former Gator teammate, Will Claye, was injured in the long jump competition and did not compete in the triple. Nevertheless, Craddock proved how good these Florida jumpers are by besting the field by almost a full foot.
-Jeremy Taiwo (Washington) won the heptathlon competition by 747 points in a new meet record of 6273 points. This was the second-best hep score of his career.
-Felisha Johnson (Indiana State) won her first national championship in the weight throw in 23.45m, just slightly better than runner-up Jeneva Steven’s throw of 23.43m.

Rowbury Two For Two
Shannon Rowbury has been a force this indoor season, and kept it going at the USATF indoor championships. She won the mile (in a tactical 4:34.40) and came back for day two to establish a new personal-best for two miles, winning in 9:43.94. Her season-best mile mark of 4:22.66 is still the world leading time, and she will carry this momentum into the outdoor season, where a Jenny Simpson vs. Rowbury match-up could be the highlight of 2015.


Had a Baby Six Months Ago? No Problem.
Alysia Montano returned to the track just a few weeks ago at the Husky Classic, running two 400s. This weekend in Boston, she moved up to the 600m and was victorious. She won in 1:26.59. Race favorite Ajee Wilson went down on the track after her foot got tripped up, but this only sets up a thrilling situation for outdoors. Wilson was the best American in 2014, a position Montano had relished in for several years before taking time off to give birth to daughter Linnea. Making the women’s 800m squad for Beijing will no doubt be one of the most challenging teams, and it’s no mystery now that Montano is up for the test.

Three Collegiate Records Broken
Emily Sisson of Providence, Remona Burchell of Alabama, and Michael Lihrman of Wisconsin all established themselves as the best-ever in the NCAA at their respective conference championships.

-Sisson ran 15:12.22, breaking former Friar Kim Smith’s 15:14.18 mark from 2004. Heading into the NCAA Championships, and with Wisconsin’s Sarah Disanza seeming off form, Sisson is the 5k favorite.

-Burchell ran 7.08 for 60m to dominate the SEC Championships. She’s been undefeated in 2015 and with a killer start, she should win her second 60m title in Fayetteville.

-Lihrman has been chasing the NCAA all-time weight throw mark all season, especially since he set the Division I mark a few weeks ago. With his launch of 25.58m, Lihrman now owns the top eight of 10 best NCAA marks of all-time. He also said he’s eyeing the world record…

UPSET CITY
In just her second race of the season, Kentucky’s Kendra Harrison beat favorite Florida’s Bridgette Owens for the SEC 60m hurdle title. Her time, 7.92, is an NCAA-leading mark (the only woman to break 8-seconds in 2015 so far) and No. 6 all-time.

In the most anticipated sprint match-up of the season, it was not Baylor’s Trayvon Bromell or OK State’s John Teeters in the Big 12 60m. It wasn’t even TCU’s Ronnie Baker. It was Texas’ Senoj-Jay Givans. With the team title in sight, Givans out-leaned NCAA leaders for his second Big 12 60m title. If Teeters and Bromell can be beat in a championship final, could the NCAA race really be up for grabs?

Natoya Goule of Clemson is human. At the ACC Championships, Hanna Green of Virginia Tech out kicked Goule to win the race in 2:03.43. Another threat to Goule come ACCs will be Arkansas’ Chrishuna Williams, who took the SEC title in 2:02.95. This is Williams’ first season as an 800m runner according to Hogs’ alum Duncan Philips. So, the 800m race is up for grabs, too?

Ducks Fly Together
Oregon distance is loaded. But we already knew that. They ran the fifth-fastest DMR when they stacked their team with Edward Cheserek, John Gregorek, and Eric Jenkins. It doesn’t even matter who they put on the team in Fayetteville because they are loaded. As it stands today, the Ducks could send three men in the mile, five in the 3000m, and three in the 5000m. We get it. You’re good. REALLY good.
**Props to Duck Jeremy Elkaim for having the race of his life in the MPSF 3k, running 7:48.48 FTW, qualifying for NCAAs and leading 9 men under 7:55**

In Other News
Bowerman winner Deon Lendore getting injured in the 400m prelim, but Texas A&M STILL beating the Florida men in the 4x400m relay in 3:03.75 (Nearly breaking the collegiate record in the process, once again, without Lendore).

Dominique Scott and Leah O’Connor won their conference meets and are serious contenders for NCAA titles. Scott won the SEC 3k and mile, while O’Connor took the Big Ten DMR (in NCAA #2 10:57.80 fashion) and mile. Their mile times, 4:32.49 and 4:32.29, respectively, are nearly identical. And both were their third races of the weekend.