We're just three days away from the NCAA D1 Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the projections and scenarios will finally be played out in the most competitive and exciting meet of the indoor season. Sprint superstars from the SEC will clash to fight for crucial points, while the Oregon men will bring the deepest distance squad ever to an NCAA meet looking to secure their second straight title. The hometown favorite Arkansas women will have the crowd’s support behind them as they look to snap the Oregon women’s streak of five straight indoor titles. Talk is cheap, as they say, and the competition will speak the loudest this weekend. 

 

Before we jet off to Arkansas for NCAAs, here’s a look back at everything that went down this past weekend: 

 

We Went To JUCO Nationals And Found Some Talent

The 2015 NJCAA Indoor meet was LIVE on Flotrack for the first time in history, and we got a firsthand glimpse into some future NCAA talent. You will want to remember these names:

 

Watch all the JUCO races HERE!

 

- Central Arizona’s Harry Mulenga swept the mile, 3k, and 5k in Albuquerque and told us that he’ll be attending Alabama. Mulenga has a 4:04 PB in the mile, and should make a considerable jump when he starts training next fall in Tuscaloosa. Watch out, SEC. 

 

- Not to be outdone by her male counterpart, Barton CC’s Lydia Mato completed a ridiculous quadruple in ABQ, winning the 1k, mile, 3k, and 5k. Mato hasn’t picked her D1 school just yet, but expect her to find a home soon and be a force in the NCAA in the years to come. 

 

- Jaymes Dennision of Asa College threw down a 1:16.22 600m, a new JUCO national record. His phone will be ringing off the hook until he signs. 

 

- Odean Skeen of South Plains won the 60m in 6.56, which would tie for fourth best in the NCAA in 2015.

 

4700m Race At NAIAs?

In a classic “C’mon Man!” moment, the men’s 5,000m run at NAIAs came to a shocking conclusion when the officials rang the bell one lap early and the top three athletes started kicking for home without knowing that they still had two laps to run. When those three crossed the line, only 4700m had been run, and fourth place Neno Bellinotti of Indiana Wesleyan wisely kept going to complete his final lap. 

Right?

It only gets weirder. Since the officials were at fault, the victory was awarded to Benard Keter of Wayland Baptist, as he was the top finisher in the heavily contested one-lap early battle. Even though Bellinotti was the first man to complete 5000m in the 5000m race, he was officially fourth in the results because the race was shortened to 4700m to account for the officials’ mistake. So for all you kids out there, a lesson can be learned from this: math is important. 

 

Quick highlights from Euro Indoors

- Iona’s Kate Avery elected to run at Euro’s instead of NCAAs and failed to make the final in the 3k. Certainly a massive disappointment for the NCAA XC champ.

 

- Czech Republic’s Jakub Holusa won the men’s 1500m in 3:37.68. Former Tulsa All-American Chris O’Hare was 3rd in 3:38.96. 

 

- Ali Kaya of Turkey won the men’s 3k in 7:38.42, with former New Mexico star Lee Emanuel 2nd in 7:44.48. 

 

- Pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie of France dominated, jumping a world-leading 6.04m.

 

- Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers ran a world-leading 60m of 7.05. 

 

- Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won the women’s 1,500m in 4:09.04. Iona’s Rosie Clarke was sixth in 4:16.49, and will jet across the pond to Fayetteville to compete at NCAAs.

 

Make sure to check out all of our NCAA previews!