Hibbert, Blanks And Neugebauer: Here Are 10 Men To Watch In NCAAs This Year
Hibbert, Blanks And Neugebauer: Here Are 10 Men To Watch In NCAAs This Year
The reigning AOY award-winner and multiple national champions are running it back on the track in 2024

The recent slate of January meets marked the official start of the NCAA indoor season and got things off to a hot start.
This season is set to include an incredible group of superstar athletes who are coming back for another go, and, without question, they have it all.
From national titles to collegiate records to World Championship berths, the upcoming men's track and field season is packing plenty of star power.
Below are 10 of the top returning men's stars across the NCAA, in no particular order.
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10. Graham Blanks, Harvard (Distance)
Prior to his junior year, Blanks was already a four-time All-American -- one being a runner-up finish in the outdoor 5,000m. The Harvard scholar then took the reins of the NCAA this fall, going 5-0 and picking up his first NCAA crown in cross country. Blanks put his fitness to the test in Boston last month, clocking 13:03.78, and broke the 11-year-old record previously held by Arizona's Lawi Lalang.
9. Mykolas Alekna, California (Throws)
Since stepping on to campus, the Lithuanian thrower has rarely disappointed. Over his first two years as a Golden Bear, Alekna has gone a solid 11-3, but finished second and third in both of his NCAA Championship appearances. Although he hasn't won an NCAA title, it's clear that he's capable; Alekna owns the collegiate record (232-11) in the discus, along with 15 of the top 20 marks in collegiate history.
8. Terrence Jones, Texas Tech (Sprints)
After coming close multiple times before, the Red Raider sprint star won the coveted NCAA crown in the 60m last winter, securing a time of 6.46 for the title. Jones became the third Texas Tech man since 2019 to win a national title in the sprints. After a third-place finish in the 200m last June, Jones will certainly be in the mix.
7. Ky Robinson, Stanford (Distance)
Last spring, Robinson brought a broom with him to NCAAs, as he won both the 10,000m and the 5,000m in conditions that were less-than-ideal for a distance runner -- overwhelming humidity and heat. The Cardinal ran 28:10 and 14:04 for double gold in Austin, Texas. After finishing third in cross country this past November, Robinson has seven All-American honors in addition to his pair of titles.
Comments from Razorback Romaine Beckford on his debut victory at 7-2.25 (2.19) and nearly clearing 7-3.25 (2.22) off a short, 4-step approach
— Arkansas Track & Field (@RazorbackTF) January 13, 2024
Then he capped the night with a signature backflip pic.twitter.com/A27D9ePdAZ
6. Romaine Beckford, Arkansas (Jumps)
With four AAC titles and the 2023 high jump crown already to his name, the newest Razorback is ready to jump even higher than before. In June, Beckford won NCAA gold following a jump-off and this year he's far and away the top returner. Beckford's best clearance is 7-5.25 -- he's got nowhere to go but up.
5. Philip Lemonious, Arkansas (Hurdles)
As a junior, Lemonious was runner-up at both SECs and the West prelims and had a lot of tough competition set to join him on the NCAA's championship start line. Lemonious ran the fastest time of his season in the prelims before running away with the national title in another PR of 13.24, which was the fastest time of the season.
4. Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston (Sprints)
To be successful in collegiate track and field today, it really helps to be both experienced and fast. Luckily, Houston's fastest man is just that. Maswanganyi was third and sixth in the 100m/200m combo last outdoor season; he also has three additional top-three finishes to go along with those efforts. One of the nation's top sprint returners will jockey for an NCAA title.
3. Joe Waskom, Washington (Distance)
One of the top dogs in Washington's powerhouse mid-distance programs, the sub-four miler comes into the year as one of the favorites in both the mile and 1,500m. Waskom won big during the 2022 outdoor season, then finished runner-up to his Husky teammate in 2023. With four separate sub-four performances to his name, the World Championship qualifier is an athlete to watch.
2. Jaydon Hibbert, Arkansas (Jumps)
Two NCAA records, two national titles and zero losses summarize Hibbert's first year at Arkansas. The World Championship finalist and the most recent winner of The AOY trophy quite honestly couldn't have asked for more. Hibbert's best mark of his freshman campaign was 58-7.5. It was also his first ever 58-foot jump.
1. Leo Neugebauer, Texas (Multis)
During his time at Texas, the German star has competed in 13 different events. The multi-event star can quite literally do it all. During the midst of his first NCAA title in the decathlon, the Longhorn hit personal records in five of the 10 events, also finishing in the top three in all but one of the 10. That was more than good for a new NCAA record of 8,836 points, which was also the No. 9 mark of all-time. Look for the 2023 AOY finalist to continue his international relevancy.
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