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Sydney McLaughlin's Sick Triple & More Highlights From The Big NCAA Weekend

Sydney McLaughlin's Sick Triple & More Highlights From The Big NCAA Weekend

Kentucky's Sydney McLaughlin ran mind-blowing times of 22.39, 50.07, and 49.45 at the Florida Relays this weekend.

Apr 2, 2018 by Johanna Gretschel
Sydney McLaughlin's Sick Triple & More Highlights From The Big NCAA Weekend

In a weekend packed full of all-star NCAA action, Sydney McLaughlin managed to outshine them all with three superb performances in consecutive days at the Florida Relays in Gainesville.

First, the 18-year-old University of Kentucky freshman clocked 22.39 to win the 200m on Thursday, which ranks her No. 4 all-time in the world U20 rankings.



Two of her training partners and high-profile professional hurdlers were also in the field: 100m hurdles world record holder Keni Harrison ran 22.81 for third and reigning 400m hurdles world champion Kori Carter ran 23.23 for fifth.

On Friday, McLaughlin clocked 50.07 in the rain to win by almost a second over Florida All-American Sharrika Barnett, who ran 50.93. That time makes McLaughlin the second-fastest performer in collegiate history behind only NCAA record holder Courtney Okolo, who ran 49.71 in 2016. 



She also moved to No. 6 on the U20 all-time list. 

Of course, the meet wouldn't be complete without a rousing 4x400m relay. Jasmine Camacho Quinn split 50.84 on leg two and McLaughlin split 49.45 on leg three to put the Wildcats ahead of Purdue. Kayelle Clark held on for the win with a 52.72 anchor; their final time of 3:26.92 is the NCAA leader and a new school record by three seconds.

Watch out, USC!



As amazing as McLaughlin's weekend was, the world junior records themselves are still on another planet. 

Allyson Felix set the 200m world junior record of 22.11 in 2003 (at altitude in Mexico City), one year before she won Olympic silver in the event. 

The 400m U20 record is a blazing 49.42, which Grit Breuer of Germany set in 1991. Sanya Richards-Ross set the American junior record of 49.89 in 2004.

Those times seem out of reach, though McLaughlin will still be eligible to set U20 records next year. 

Collegiate Record Holders, Champions Debut

Several big names from this past indoor season rolled into outdoors with a bang.

Eli Hall of Houston, who set the collegiate and American indoor records in the 200m with his 20.02 win at NCAA indoors, won the 200m at Texas Relays in 20.11 (+1.6). He also helped the Cougars win two exciting relays over LSU; Hall ran down the Tigers' anchor to win the 4x200m relay, 1:21.20 to 1:21.48, then aided the 4x100m relay to another victory, 38.915 to 38.919.

LSU still owns the fastest 4x1 time of the season per their 38.84 win at the Pac-12 vs Big Ten Invitational—though we're still not sure why they let an SEC team anywhere near that meet. 

His teammate Cameron Burrell was the one who nipped LSU at the line in the 4x1. The 2017 NCAA 4x1 champion and 100m runner-up returned for his final season of eligibility with a 10.01 (+4.1) win at Texas Relays to go with the relay victories.

Eli Hall on his season opener at Texas Relays and Burrell's return:

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Gabby Thomas of Harvard, who broke the NCAA indoor 200m record in 22.38 to win her first national title this past March, won the Invitational 200m at Texas Relays in a super wind-aided time of 22.13 (+4.6). 

Read the feature How Harvard Quietly Created One Of The Most Dominant Sprinters In NCAA History.

We checked in with Gabby Thomas after her 200m win at the Texas Relays:

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Thomas also took second in the 100m in 11.04 (+3.7) behind reigning NCAA 60m champion and record holder Aleia Hobbs of LSU (10.86). Teammate Kortnei Johnson was second (10.98). 

Hobbs, who has a 10.85 wind-legal PB to her name, will certainly be chasing the collegiate record—and school record—in the event this spring. The Tigers' Dawn Sowell set the NCAA record at 10.78 at altitude back in 1989. 

Another LSU Tiger, Mikiah Brisco, the reigning NCAA champion over 100m, was second in the Invitational 100m to Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria, 10.72 to 10.99 (+2.7). Okabgare's mark is the fastest all-conditions time of the year.

Out west, five-time NCAA champion and 3K collegiate record holder Karissa Schweizer of Missouri made her 10K debut with a 32:00.55, third-place finish at the Stanford Invitational behind Olympic triathlon champion Gwen Jorgensen and marathoner Carrie Dimoff, both of whom represent the Bowerman Track Club. Schweizer's mark is the ninth-best performance in NCAA history, but she says she's unsure if she'll race the event at NCAAs.

Watch Karissa Schweizer's 10K debut at the Stanford Invitational here.

Reigning NCAA steeplechase champion Allie Ostrander of Boise State lowered her PB in the event by three seconds at the Stanford Invitational with a 9:38. She said after the race that she has only run three times since NCAA indoors and is undecided about steeple vs 5K for the outdoor nationals; Stanford was also the site of her successful steeplechase debut in 2017.

Watch Allie Ostrander's 9:38 steeplechase win at the Stanford Invitational here.

Breakout Performances Of The Weekend

We have a new 800m star on our hands. 

University of Miami freshman Kayla Johnson casually dropped a three-second PB to win the Florida Relays in 2:03.92, a new NCAA leader. The girl has run 2:07 or 2:06 five times in the past calendar year, though maybe we should have seen the breakthrough coming—she also cut a good two seconds off her outdoor 400m PB with a 52.82 season opener at the Miami Hurricane Invitational.

She looks excited about it.



University of Tennessee junior Zach Long, who was 12th in the 2017 NCAA Outdoor 5K final, dropped an insane 15 seconds from his personal best in the event to win the Invitational section at Stanford in 13:39.22, a new NCAA leader. He was pretty much speechless after the race.

Watch Zach Long win the Stanford Invitational 5K here.


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