Holloway & Roberts' Historic Showdown: Men's Sprints/Hurdles Preview

The best high hurdle race of the year is slated to go down at Friday's NCAA Championships when Daniel Roberts and Grant Holloway battle in Austin.

Jun 5, 2019 by Kevin Sully

Holloway & Roberts' Historic Showdown: Men's Sprints/Hurdles Preview

Grant Holloway began the season with a detailed to-do list.

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Grant Holloway began the season with a detailed to-do list.

He wanted to get that elusive long jump title.

He wanted the collegiate record in the 110m hurdles.

He wanted another team title for Florida.

Ambitious? Yes. Unrealistic? No. Over the past three years, Holloway has proven little is outside of his grasp.

With those targets, the least of his worries appeared to be winning another high hurdle title. The collegiate record of 13.00 would require a special performance, but just winning the race was one of the safest predictions in all of NCAA track and field. If anybody was above the grind of the NCAA and its constant barrage of competition, it was Holloway.

Almost a year after he listed his goals for his senior year, Holloway made great progress. He became the first man to sweep the 60m and 60m hurdles indoors since 2000, broke the American record in the 60m hurdles and lowered his 110m hurdles personal best to 13.07 outdoors.

But he now faces the strongest challenge yet to end his streak of five consecutive NCAA hurdle titles. Holloway made improvements this season, but another man has been able to match him race for race.

During the indoor season, Kentucky’s Daniel Roberts was hiding in plain sight. He ran an impressive series of personal bests. When Holloway broke the American record with a time of 7.35, Roberts was just behind in 7.41, the second-fastest mark in collegiate history—and also under the former collegiate record.

But until he actually beat Holloway, this wasn’t going to feel like an actual rivalry. Holloway hadn’t lost an NCAA hurdle race since his freshman season.

At the SEC Championships, Roberts ended that streak. After Holloway set a personal best of 13.07 in the prelim, Roberts responded with a 13.07 in the final. Holloway ran well with a 13.12, but Roberts pushed past him over the final two hurdles.

It was strange to see the best collegiate hurdler in history run the second-best time of his life and still come up short. But that is the state of play with these two men. Neither are backing down. Heats and prelims have become legit record attempts.

After the East prelim, the duo owned five of the top six marks of all-time. Holloway ran 13.10. Roberts went 13.13 in a separate heat. After, he said breaking the collegiate record of 13.00 is required to win in Austin.

“On my part, I made a mistake; went back to practice motivated. I’m the underdog now,” Holloway said after his prelim.

Whether you believe the man who has five NCAA hurdle titles and five of 10 best marks all-time can be considered an underdog is up to you. But what is clear is this rivalry now exists—not because Holloway faltered, but because Roberts was able to elevate his performance to meet an untouchable competitor.

With all the superlatives around Holloway, it’s fitting that his last collegiate meet won’t be a romp, but one of the best races in NCAA history.

Men’s 100m: Who prevails from a field where four men have broken 10 seconds?

The 10-second barrier has created a convenient dividing line in this event. Texas Tech’s Divine Oduduru ran 9.94 at the Michael Johnson Invitational as part of his incredible sprint double where he ran 19.76 in the 200m 45 minutes later. He’s a better 200m runner, but has plenty of ability to leave Austin with two titles.

Mario Burke of Houston ran a wind-aided 9.95 at his conference meet and looked comfortable running a 10.08 in Sacramento in the West prelim. Indoors, he was second to Grant Holloway in the 60m. His experience in big races will be matched by his motivation for this race. Burke dropped the baton in the 4x100m at the West prelim, eliminating Houston from the event and dashing their hopes at a repeat relay title. Burke rebounded from that disappointment to qualify in the 200m.

Even though he attends the most high-profile track school and finished fourth at the last two NCAA Championships, it always felt like Cravon Gillespie has been overshadowed. That dynamic changed for the Oregon senior this year. He broke 10 seconds for the first time at the Pac 12 Championships with a 9.97. His consistency at prelims was even more impressive, running 10.01 and 10.03 in consecutive rounds in Sacramento to lead all qualifiers.

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Florida's Hakim Sani Brown is the youngest of the group, but competed on the biggest stage when he made the World Championships final in the 200m in 2017. The 20-year-old from Japan lowered his personal bests in both the 100m and 200m this year and took third indoors in the 60m. He also ran 9.99 at the SEC Championships—his first time under 10 seconds.

Outside of the sub-10 club, there’s a tight group that has run in the low 10-second range. Demek Kemp of South Carolina State ran 10.03, Rodney Rowe of North Carolina A&T ran 10.05, and Joseph Amoah of Coppin State has a lifetime best of 10.09. Amoah was the top time qualifier out of the East with a 10.10. That mark put him just ahead of Purdue’s Waseem Williams’ 10.11.

Men 200m: Divine Oduduru takes on all-comers

Divine Oduduru has a bit more latitude here. He won the past two NCAA 200m titles and his personal best leads the world. Even though five of the eight finalists are back from 2018, only Divine can stop Divine in this race.

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His teammate, Andrew Hudson, was sharp in Sacramento, PR'ing twice, and his quarterfinal run of 20.04 was the best mark of the weekend. Hudson will be key to Texas Tech’s team title chances as all four teams projected with a chance to win—Texas Tech, Houston, LSU and Florida—have entries in the men’s 200m.

LSU will be led by Jaron Flournoy. The senior ran 20.09 in Jacksonville, the best time in the East. Hakim Sani Brown of Florida recovered from a bumpy first round to put up a 20.13 in the quarterfinal—a lifetime best. Houston’s two entries are Mario Burke and Kahmari Montgomery.

Both men will double back from earlier events (Burke in the 100m, Montgomery in the 400m) to scrape together as many points as possible. Seniors Nick Gray (Ohio State), Andre Ewers (Florida State) and Rodney Rowe (North Carolina A&T) are experienced NCAA championship competitors and could crack 20 seconds in the right race.

Sophomore Micaiah Harris will be running on his home track in Austin. He’s seeded at 20.21, but popped a wind-aided 20.10 in the first round in Sacramento.

Men’s 400m: Four returners from 2018 final take on Trevor Stewart

Trevor Stewart of North Carolina A&T recorded the best time of the year and ran the fastest mark in the prelims. His 44.38 at the MEAC Championships is still .4 seconds better than anyone else competing in the 400m this week. He breezed through the East prelim with a 44.77, making the case that he is the favorite for Austin.

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Out west, Kahmari Montgomery looked smooth with a season-best 44.78. The senior from Houston can also call on his big-race experience. He took seventh in the preposterously fast 2018 race and then went on to win the U.S. title. Montgomery is one of four men back from last year’s NCAA final.

Wil London of Baylor, 8th in 2018, is the only other man in the field who has broken 45 seconds this season. Obi Igbokwe was sixth in the final while running for Arkansas. Now with Houston, Igbokwe has remained in the top tier of the event. He was fifth indoors in the 400m and looks poised to beat his personal best of 44.94. Big Ten champion Mar’Yea Harris of Iowa is the top returner after taking fourth in 2018. He’s got the same personal best as Igbokwe and is solid in high-pressure moments.

Two men not involved in last year’s race could mix it up this year. Sean Bailey of UTEP was a NJCAA champion in 2018. He ran a personal best of 45.19 at the West prelim. Jonathan Jones of Texas is the top freshman entrant by virtue of his 45.02 in Sacramento, also a personal best.

Men’s 400m: Can Quincy Hall win an NCAA title in his first Division I outdoor championships?

South Carolina’s Quincy Hall had a big run at the East prelim when he blew away the field to win in 48.54. The junior is the only man under 49 seconds this year, and he boasts a 400m personal best of 44.53 (the second-best time in the NCAA this year).

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He’s only finished two 400m hurdle races all year, but that didn’t bother him in Jacksonville. Another time in the mid-48-second range will be hard to stop, but if he slows, there’s a deep group of men to challenge him.

USC sophomore Cameron Samuel ran 49.28 to lead all qualifiers in the West and has a lifetime best of 49.09. Big 12 champion Norman Grimes of Texas Tech also looked sharp in Sacramento, running 49.30. Houston’s Amere Lattin will have a busy weekend between both hurdle races and possibly some relay duty in the 4x400m. The senior is experienced and coming off a lifetime best at the West prelim.

Michigan’s Taylor McLaughlin is the top returner after placing fifth in the final in 2018. He ran a season-best of 49.94 at the East prelim, but has a lifetime best of 49.10. Robert Grant is also rich with championship experience. He’s made two other NCAA 400m hurdle finals with his best result coming in 2016 when he took fourth.