Championship meets produce collegiate, world leaders

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

There were 31 NCAA Division 1 conference finals held from May 4-14. Here are some of the women’s performances that commanded the national and world spotlight, not including the Pac-12 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Here are the Pac-12 recaps, highlighted by Oregon’s Deajah Stevens and Colorado’s Dani Jones on the track and Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen in the throws.

New collegiate leader, new Jamaican record

Florida State senior Kellion Knibb made history Sunday by becoming the first female athlete in the Atlantic Coast Conference to win four discus throw titles with her 196-1 (59.76m) at Georgia Tech.

But Kansas State sophomore Shadae Lawrence enjoyed a memorable performance of her own Sunday at the Big 12 Conference finals at Kansas University by not only taking over the NCAA Division 1 lead with her personal-best 205-4 (62.59m), but breaking Knibb’s Jamaican record.

Knibb set the record April 28 with her 203-8 (62.07m) at Penn Relays, but Lawrence improved by more than four feet from last year’s fourth-place finish at the Division 1 Championships to establish a new standard. Knibb was second in last season’s final at Hayward field, edging Lawrence by a margin of 201-7 (61.44m) to 200-9 (61.18m).

Lawrence improved to the No. 10 performer in collegiate history, with Knibb now 11th. The Jamaican stars could square off June 10 at the Division 1 final with the NCAA title not only at stake, but the possibility of another national record.

Rhodes reaching new heights

Baylor senior Annie Rhodes not only enjoyed a six-inch personal-best clearance Saturday, but set the Big 12 Conference women’s pole vault record by getting over the bar at 15-1.50 (4.61m) on her second attempt to repeat as champion.

Rhodes became the 10th female in NCAA Division 1 history to clear 15 feet outdoors, taking over the collegiate lead and elevating to the No. 4 American performer this year and eighth in the world.

Rhodes equaled the No. 5 performer in collegiate history, tying the clearance of Arkansas’ Tina Sutej from 2011.

With South Dakota senior Emily Grove clearing 15-1 (4.60m) on April 21, 13 of the top 15 outdoor performances in collegiate history have now occurred in the past three seasons.

Razorbacks score in packs

Although Arkansas won four individual titles on its way to capturing a fourth consecutive Southeastern Conference women’s title, perhaps the most significant performances came from the Razorbacks in the heptathlon and pole vault, where they amassed a combined 53 points.

Arkansas swept the top four spots in the heptathlon, all scoring more than 5,800 points, and produced the top three finishers in the pole vault, each with clearances of at least 14 feet, 4 inches (4.37m).

Although Georgia senior Kendell Williams decided not to pursue a third career SEC heptathlon title, it didn’t diminish what Taliyah Brooks, Payton Stumbaugh, Leigha Brown and Kelsey Herman achieved.

Only nine female athletes in NCAA Division 1 have scored more than 5,800 points this year, with Brooks (6,099) and Stumbaugh (6,023) ranking second and third in the country behind Williams (6,354). Brown is seventh at 5,852 and Herman ranks ninth at 5,820.

Last season, Arkansas placed five athletes in the top seven in the heptathlon for 20 points. This year, the quartet contributed 29 points to the Razorbacks’ 127-100 victory over LSU.

Sophomore twins Lexi Weeks and Tori Weeks both cleared 14-7.25 (4.45m) in the pole vault, with Desiree Freier third at 14-4 (4.37m) to complete the sweep after the Razorbacks took three of the top four spots last year.

Lexi Weeks prevailed on fewer misses, but the trio accumulated 24 points for Arkansas, which won its 10th consecutive SEC women’s team championship including cross country and indoor track and field.

Elite eight for Wimbley

Miami (Florida) senior Shakima Wimbley became the first athlete in Atlantic Coast Conference history to win eight career titles in the indoor and outdoor 200 meters.

Wimbley clocked 22.54, the fourth time she has run under 23 seconds this season, the most in any year in her career. Her career best is 22.43 from the 2015 conference final.

Wimbley also captured her fourth career ACC title, indoor or outdoor, in the 400 in a collegiate-leading 50.40. Wimbley’s personal-best effort elevated her to the No. 2 American this year and fourth in the world.

She added her fifth career 4x400 relay conference championship, indoor or outdoor, and a third 4x100 relay crown.

No doubting Thomas

Perhaps no team in the country is more reliant on one athlete than Harvard is on Gabby Thomas.

The sophomore star won five titles May 6-7 at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, contributing to both relay crowns for the Crimson in a 164-125 victory over Penn.

Thomas had wind-aided efforts of 11.15 in the 100 and 22.84 in the 200, along with winning the long jump with a wind-legal 20-7 (6.27m) performance for Harvard, which secured its fourth consecutive outdoor team title after capturing a fifth straight indoor Heps championship in February.

Harvard ran 44.42 in the 4x100 and 3:39.96 in the 4x400, with freshman Karina Joiner and senior Jade Miller also contributing to both relay victories.

Rarefied air for Rebel star

UNLV senior Kaysee Pilgrim benefited from the Mountain West Championships being held in Logan, Utah, with the altitude allowing her to clear a conference record 6-2.75 (1.90m) to capture the women’s high jump title.

Pilgrim took over the Division 1 lead from Mississippi State junior Logan Boss, winning a great battle with Air Force junior Shelley Spires, who cleared a program record 6-1.50 (1.87m) on her first attempt. After Pilgrim needed three tries at 6-1.50, she cleared 6-2.75 on her first attempt to secure the title.

Pilgrim improved to the No. 4 American performer this year and tied for eighth in the world, with Spires equal to the No. 8 U.S. performer and 24th in the world.

Pilgrim was 11th last year at both the NCAA Championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Sediva surging at the right time

Virginia Tech senior Irena Sediva hadn’t participated in a javelin competition since July and had completed only eight meets since winning the Division 1 title in 2015.

She was hurt on her first throw at last year’s Atlantic Coast Conference Championships and was unable to defend her title, but the Czech Republic star demonstrated no signs of rust Friday by winning with a final throw of 192-6 (58.68m) to take over the collegiate lead from LSU senior Rebekah Wales, who captured the Southeastern Conference crown with a throw of 191-0 (58.23m).

Sediva, who is No 26 in the world this year, was only four feet shy of her 2015 personal best and produced the third-best throw of her career. She won the NCAA crown with a 192-9 (58.76m).

Virginia Tech captured its first women’s team title since 2008 and swept both championships for the first time since joining the conference in 2004-05.

Terrific trio on top of the world

At one point this season, Alabama’s Quanesha Burks, Kentucky’s Sha’Keela Saunders and South Carolina’s Rougui Sow have all held the world lead in the women’s long jump. They are currently responsible for the top three non-altitude jumps this year.

All three Southeastern Conference stars performed well in Friday’s final in Columbia, S.C., in a dress rehearsal for the Division 1 championship meet June 7-10 at Hayward Field.

Burks not only won the event, but took over the world lead with a wind-legal 22-4.5 (6.82m) on her first jump, a mark she equaled on her final attempt.

Saunders, the NCAA indoor champion, closed the gap in the last round by jumping 22-1.75 (6.75m) and Sow – with a personal-best 22-0.75 (6.72m) on April 7 – rebounded from fouling her first two jumps to place third with a fifth-round mark of 21-11.50 (6.69m).

It marks the first time in NCAA history three female long jumpers from the same conference have produced 22-foot long jumps in the same season. Only twice at the Division 1 final – in 1994 and 2015 – have three women surpassed 22 feet.

Woodard the Sooners’ next big shot

Oklahoma junior Jessica Woodard put herself in elite company Saturday by surpassing the 60-foot mark in the women’s shot put, producing a personal best at the Big 12 Conference Championships at Kansas University to improve to No. 2 in program history.

Woodard’s second-round effort of 60-3 (18.36m) helped her ascend to the No. 3 performer in Division 1, in addition to sixth among Americans and 11th in the world this year.

Woodard joined Ole Miss junior Raven Saunders and Kent State senior Danniel Thomas as the only Division 1 female athletes with 60-foot performances this year. She just missed the 2013 conference record of 60-8.75 (18.51m) set by former Oklahoma star Tia Brooks.

Sereno continues to showcase impressive range

Michigan senior Gina Sereno added to her impressive resume by winning the 10,000 title Friday and 5,000 crown Sunday at the Big 10 Championships at Penn State.

Sereno, the Division 1 leader in the 3,000 with her 9:14.22 at the Penn Relays on April 27, has won races at four separate distances this season, including the 1,500 on April 1 at the Battle of the Blues.

Sereno held off Indiana sophomore Katherine Receveur by a 16:23.24 to 16:23.29 margin in the 5,000 and won the 10,000 in 33:53.02. Her personal-best 15:49.17 in the 5,000 ranks Sereno 10th in Division 1 this year.