Multi-tasking by Victor, Coleman are conference finals highlights

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor 

There were 31 NCAA Division 1 conference championships held from May 4-14. Here are some of the men’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 a sprint sweep for Oregon’s Kyree King and Stanford sophomore Grant Fisher prevailing in a tactical 1,500.

The future greatest athlete commands the present

Texas A&M senior Lindon Victor became the 57th decathlete ever to reach the 8,500-point level after accumulating 8,539 at the Southeastern Conference Championships, breaking his own collegiate record.

Victor, who also improved on his own Grenadian national record, had compiled 8,472 points March 29-30 at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. He put together an impressive second day in Columbia, S.C., to build on his own world-leading performance.

Only five decathletes last year amassed more points than Victor and one of those was world record holder Ashton Eaton, who has since retired.

Victor is the No. 45 performer all-time in the decathlon and will have another opportunity to improve on his collegiate and Grenadian records June 7-10 at the Division 1 Championships at Hayward Field.

Victor captured last year’s title with 8,379 points and is looking to follow Georgia’s Maicel Uibo (2014-15) with back-to-back NCAA decathlon titles.

Coleman a member of great eight

Tennessee junior Christian Coleman became the first collegiate athlete to run under 10 seconds in the 100-meter dash and under 20 seconds in the 200 in the same day and just the eighth all-time to achieve the feat with his impressive double Saturday at the Southeastern Conference Championships.

Coleman, who ran wind-legal marks of 9.97 and 19.98, became the fifth American to produce the double. The last American to achieve the feat in the same day was former Tennessee standout Justin Gatlin in 2014 in Brussels.

Rising South African star Akani Simbine also accomplished the goal March 4 in Pretoria by clocking 9.93 and 19.95, marking the first time two athletes achieved the double in the same year.

Former Trinidad and Tobago star Ato Boldon, who produced the double six times in his career, did so twice in 1997, the only other time the feat was achieved multiple times in a year.

Coleman is the fastest American this year and No. 4 in the world in the 100, in addition to ranking second among U.S. performers – trailing Noah Lyles’ 19.90 – and fourth globally in the 200.

Hammer time for Jayhawks

Kansas freshman Gleb Dudarev got things going in the right direction Friday for host Kansas at the Big 12 Conference Championships by winning the men’s hammer throw with a collegiate-leading 243 feet, 5 inches (74.20m).

Dudarev, who competes for Belarus, improved his personal best by more than four feet to elevate to 22nd in the world this year. He also ranks in the top 25 in Division 1 history.

Kansas has won an NCAA title in every men’s throwing event but the hammer. Dudarev is also looking to become the first freshman to capture the championship since Virginia Tech’s Tomas Kruzliak in 2013.

Quarter miler closing in on quarter-century record

When Texas A&M standout Fred Kerley ran 44.09 seconds Friday in the 400-meter prelims at the Southeastern Conference Championships, not only did the senior produce the world-leading time this year, but he also improved to the No. 2 performer in Division 1 history.

Former USC star and Olympic gold medalist Quincy Watts, now a Trojans assistant, still holds the collegiate record of 44.00 from 1992.

Kerley ran equal to the No. 17 all-time world performer and tied for 11th in U.S. history.

He also contributed to another world-leading effort by Texas A&M in the 4x400 relay, as the Aggies clocked 3:00.72, improving on the winning mark of 3:02.13 by the U.S. national team April 23 at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas.

Future of the 400

Although Fred Kerley is a significant favorite to win the Division 1 title in the 400 after placing 13th last year, several freshmen have the potential to be All-Americans following their performances at conference finals.

Auburn teammates Nathon Allen and Akeem Bloomfield were second and third behind Kerley in 44.52 and 44.81 at the SEC Championships, with UTEP freshman Emmanuel Korir winning the Conference USA title in 44.53 and USC first-year standout Michael Norman clocking 45.15 to capture the Pac-12 crown.

Five athletes have run under 45 seconds this season. The record for most individuals to break the 45-second barrier in an NCAA final in the same year is four in 2008.

Korir ran the second-fastest 800 in collegiate history April 29 with his 1:43.73 at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge, making him the only college athlete to run under 45 seconds in the 400 and sub-1:44 in the 800.

Shift in hurdling hierarchy

The top five performers in Division 1 this season in the men’s 400-meter hurdles all came from the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference finals, led by North Carolina junior Kenny Selmon running 48.76, making him the No. 2 American and fourth in the world this year.

Arkansas junior Kemar Mowatt prevailed in a strong SEC final in 48.79, elevating the Jamaican standout to No. 5 in the world, followed by Florida senior Eric Futch in 48.82 and Texas A&M junior Robert Grant in 49.15, both ranking in the top 10 globally this year. Pittsburgh senior Desmond Palmer ranks 11th in the world after taking second to Selmon at the ACC Championships in 49.17.

Futch is the defending Division 1 champion, the only athlete to run under 49 seconds at last year’s final. There have been three times when at least three individuals broke the 49-second barrier – 2005, 2000 and 1982 – at the NCAA Championships.

Another fabulous freshman on runway

Missouri freshman Ja’Mari Ward temporarily held the world Under-20 lead Friday following his winning long jump of 26-8.25 (8.13m) at the Southeastern Conference Championships, only to finish the weekend third behind Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarria (26-10.50) and China’s Shi Yuhao (26-10), but it was an exceptional performance in his finals debut.

Ward improved to second in Division 1 behind Texas Tech sophomore Charles Brown, who jumped 26-8.5 (8.14m) on April 1 at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. They rank as the 12th and tied for 13th performers in the world this year, including second and equal to third among Americans.

Florida’s Grant Holloway (26-1.75) and Arkansas’ Harrison Schrage (25-11.5), both freshmen, placed third and fourth behind Ward and Gators junior KeAndre Bates (26-4.25) at the SEC final. UCLA freshman Isaiah Holmes was second at the Pac-12 Championships with a leap of 25-11.

Declaring themselves discus contenders

Ole Miss junior Brian Williams took over the collegiate lead in the discus throw with a personal-best 213-8 (65.13m), elevating him to the No. 4 American performer this year and 11th in the world.

Williams, the 10th American collegiate athlete to surpass 213 feet, improved more than three feet from his winning performance April 28 at the SEC Relays.

Kansas senior Mitchell Cooper won the Big 12 Conference title Sunday with a throw of 209-11 (63.98m), ranking second in Division 1 and improving to the No. 19 performer in the world this year. Nebraska junior Nicholas Percy captured the Big 10 championship with a mark of 206-5 (62.91m), elevating him to No. 28 in the world.

Two throws is all it takes

Texas A&M junior Ioannis Kyriazis has taken only two throws in competition this year in the javelin, but no other collegiate thrower has been within seven feet of the Greek Under-20 record holder.

Kyriazis won his third straight Southeastern Conference title with a throw of 262-11 (80.15m) on only his second attempt of the season. Kyriazis won the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays on his only throw March 31 with a personal-best 288-9 (88.01m), making him the No. 4 performer in the world this year.

Three athletes improved their stock entering the NCAA regionals, with Southeastern Louisiana’s Gennard Paul winning the Southland Conference title Saturday with a personal-best 255-4 (77.82m) to move into second in Division 1 behind Kyriazis.

Missouri senior Reinhard Van Zyl was second behind Kyriazis at the SEC final with a throw of 253-3 (77.20m), a mark also achieved Saturday by Utah State freshman Sindri Gudmundsson to win the Mountain West Conference crown.   

High hurdles and high jump give Georgia high hopes

Georgia received a big boost in its pursuit to challenge for a team plaque at the Division 1 final June 7-10 at Hayward Field following the performances of Devon Williams and Keenon Laine at the Southeastern Conference finals.

Williams took over the collegiate lead in the 110-meter hurdles with a wind-legal 13.37 seconds, making him the No. 3 American performer this year and 13th in the world.

Laine captured the conference crown in the high jump, clearing a personal-best 7-4.5 (2.25m) on his second attempt to move into a tie for second among Division 1 athletes this season, tied for fourth among American performers and equal to 23rd in the world.

Georgia also has sophomore Denzel Comenentia ranked in the top five in the collegiate ranks in the hammer throw and shot put, with Williams second in the decathlon.