These Freshmen May Have Already Punched Their NCAA Tickets

These Freshmen May Have Already Punched Their NCAA Tickets

Collegiate track and field really heated up this weekend, especially for the NCAA freshman. Check out some of the top newcomers making an immediate impact in the NCAA.

Jan 24, 2017 by Meg Bellino
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Collegiate track and field really heated up this weekend, especially for NCAA freshmen. 

The following true freshmen hold a top five spot in their respective event--or events if you're Florida Gator Grant Holloway. But just because they're in qualifying position right now (the top 16 marks per individual event advance to the championship in College Station, Texas), how do their marks compare with what typically gets you into the NCAA indoor championships?

Makenzie Dunmore, Oregon


60m: 7.29, tied-5th 

Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 7.32 
2015: 7.30
2014: 7.32

Dunmore's time of 7.29 from the UW Preview has been fast enough to qualify for the past three NCAA championships, but the 60m may not even be this Georgia native's best event. She entered Oregon with PBs of 23.57 and 52.51, but fall training has apparently paid off for this powerful addition to Oregon's decorated sprint squad.

Danyel White & Amby Ivy, Texas A&M


200m: 23.22 & 23.45, 2nd and 5th


Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 23.35
2015: 23.50
2014: 23.54

White's 200m mark from the Texas A&M Aggie Invite is the fastest junior time in the world right now and topped even her outdoor personal best from high school. Ivy's time wouldn't have gotten into the 2016 championships but would have slid into 2015 and 2014. The freshman duo should do big things for the always deep Aggies sprint crew, which looks to replace big points from Shamier Little's departure to run professionally.

Akeem Bloomfield, Auburn


400m: 46.68, 5th

Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 46.33
2015: 46.46
2014: 46.28

Though his 46.68 season opener for Auburn likely won't qualify him to the NCAA meet, people should take notice of the Tigers' Jamaican transplant. Bloomfield ran 44.93 in 2015 for a Jamaican junior national record. He didn't crack 45 seconds last year and competing indoors isn't something Jamaican high schoolers are accustomed to, as Vanderbilt was Bloomfield's first-ever indoor competition. We'll see how he fares on Arkansas' fast, banked track in Fayetteville this weekend at the SEC Challenge. 

Emmanuel Korir & Michael Saruni, UTEP


800m: 1:46.50 & 1:47.94, 1st and 4th

Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 1:47.72
2015: 1:48.28
2014: 1:48.84

There always seems to be plot twists in the men's NCAA 800m. Korir and Saruni ran their respective marks on Vanderbilt's 300m track, and Saruni will likely need to run faster to be safe into the March championship. But the real story of the season may be HOW fast will Korir run? The freshman recorded a 1:14.97 600m in New Mexico last weekend, the fastest indoor 600m time ever run. The indoor collegiate record of 1:44.84 has stood for almost 30 years and is held by UTEP coach Paul Ereng. It's only fitting one of his athletes should take it down.


Aaliyah Miller, Baylor
Danae Rivers, Penn State
Ruby Stauber, LSU


800m: 2:03.43, 2:04.04, 2:04.56, 1st, 2nd and 4th


Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 2:04.52
2015: 2:04.87
2014: 2:05.77

We knew Miller would be a great addition to the Baylor team but a 2:03 in January?! The World U20 silver medalist and outdoor 2:02 performer ran away with the win at the Rod McCravy Invite over fellow freshman Danae Rivers of Penn State. Miller's time is a current world lead, fourth on the American junior indoor list, and 12th on the world junior indoor all-time list. Rivers broke the PSU 600m record last weekend (above) in 1:29.06 and ran 2:05 for Wilbur Cross High School in Connecticut. Stauber, a Minnesota native, ran 2:05 indoors and 2:03 outdoors running for Wayzata High School. She was third behind Miller and Sammy Watson at the U.S. Junior championship last summer.

Watch Aaliyah Miller prep for the World U20 Championships:


Grant Holloway, Florida


Long Jump and 60m Hurdles: 8.05m and 7.63, 1st


Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 7.73m (Long jump)
2015: 7.69m
2014: 7.70m

2016: 7.74 (60m hurdles)
2015: 7.79
2014: 7.77

Holloway is a monster athlete. His marks in the 60m hurdles and long jump make him the second man--to Ashton Eaton--to break 7.75 in the hurdles and jump 8.05m or better indoors. Thank you Florida athletic communications for the stat!

Clayton Brown, Florida
Justice Summerset, Arizona


High Jump: 2.25m, 2.21m, 1st and tied-3rd
Triple Jump (Brown): 16:34m, 4th


Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 2.19m
2015: 2.20m
2014: 2.20m

Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 16.07m (Triple jump)
2015: 15.92m
2014: 15.88m

In his first two appearances as a Gator, Brown surpassed his PBs in the high jump and triple jump, leading the nation in the high jump with 2.25m and sitting in fourth in the triple jump. Given Florida's rich jumping history, Brown is destined for big things no matter what event he is contesting in.


Summerset is the Arizona high school record-holder in the high jump and already raised the bar in his first competition in an Arizona Wildcats uniform. Summerset jumped 2.21m at NAU, a huge mark for the true freshman. A year ago, 2.19m qualified for the NCAA championships, but 2.20m was the last mark to get in in 2015 and 2014.

Chris Nilsen, South Dakota 


Pole Vault: 5.51m, tied-3rd


Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 5.42m
2015: 5.46m
2014: 5.44m

The outdoor national high school record-holder had a great weekend for the University of South Dakota. Nilsen recorded an indoor PB of 5.51m, well ahead of the 16th qualifying spot in the past three NCAA seasons (5.42m in 2016, 5.46m in 2015, 5.44m in 2014). Nilsen was a U.S. junior champion last spring and finished seventh at the World U20 Championships. 

Related Related: 18 Feet & Climbing - Chris Nilsen's Journey To The Pole Vault National Record


Lucy Bryan, Akron


Pole Vault: 4.30m, tied-4th


Last time qualifiers in:
2016: 4.28m 
2015: 4.27m
2014: 4.25m

This 21-year-old British import is making an immediate impact in Akron, Ohio. Bryan, the 2011 World Youth bronze medalist, leapt 4.30m, just shy of her 4.33m indoor PB. Over the past three seasons, anything over 4.30m was a safe shot to the NCAA championship.