2017 DI NCAA Outdoor ChampionshipsJun 10, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
LIVE UPDATES: 2017 DI NCAA Outdoor Championships Day 4
LIVE UPDATES: 2017 DI NCAA Outdoor Championships Day 4
Live updates blog for the 2017 NCAA DI Track & Field Outdoor Championships
The final day of the 2017 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships are here! Keep this page bookmarked as we'll be dishing out live updates from Hayward Field in Eugene. The Oregon women are widely considered to be the best women's collegiate program in NCAA history, but will they get in their own way? Or will they complete the NCAA triple with XC, indoor and outdoor crowns? After the first day of competition, Georgia is projected to give Oregon a run for their money.
Hold on to your butts, this thing isn't over yet...
Fake news. Ducks win!
Here we go!!! Oregon has to WIN this thing to take home the team title. Deajah Stevens is running second leg after her 200m meltdown/fall. My prediction... fight on, USC is taking this title home!
Makenzie Dunmore splits 51.6 on first leg for Oregon
Amaliue Iuel leads at the break on second leg for USC
Holy crap it's Deanna Hill of USC and Oegon riht next to each other third leg here comes LSU!!!
Oregon passes on last exchange! BUT Kendall Ellis takes it back BUT somehow Raevyn Rogers takes it back! Oregon wins!
Looking ahead at the team scores, Oregon needs 10 total points to wrap up the team title. There's just two events left: 5K and 4x400m relay. The Ducks should do very well in the 4x4 but are not a lock to win as NCAA leaders USC have been running great. Oregon will need some points from Sam Nadel and Lilli Burdon here.
NCAA XC and indoor 5K champ Karissa Schweizer is the favorite, but steeple champ Allie Ostrander is also here and you can't overlook Gina Sereno after Michigan teammate Jamie Phelan was surprise victor in the 1500m earlier today.
Penn State's Tessa Barrett takes it out, about 80 seconds through 400m. Schweizer is right behind her.
First 1K covered in 3:14; Barrett, Shweizer and Danielle Shanahan of Loyola are the top three but the full field is in contention.
Barrett leads the field through 1600m in 5:10.
Allie Buchalski of Furman has moved up into fourth with seven laps remaining. It's Barrett, Shanahan, Schweizer and Buchalski.
Six laps to go and Schweizer takes the lead! The two-time NCAA champ is going to break things open now. Here comes Sereno! These Michigan girls are running super well today...
Five laps to go... 72.5 on that last lap, we're definitely picking things up. Schweizer, Sereno, Buchalski, Samantha Nadel of Oregon in fourth, Allie Ostrander in fifth
Four laps to go... 73.8, it's Schweizer with a few strides on Buchalski. Nadel moves into third ahead of Sereno
Three laps to go... 72.9, Schweizer, Buchalski, Nadel, Ostrander, Katherine Receveur of Indiana has moved into fifth. Schweizer has a five-second lead on the field as there's a big battle brewing for second place
Two laps to go... Schweizer 13:16, then Nadel 13:24 followed closely by Receveur, Ostrander. That was a 72.2 lap for Schweizer who is in her own world here.
Bell lap... 14:28 for Schweizer and the pack is 10 seconds behind led by Nadel. Ostrander is emerging in the front of the chase pack, but there's 8 women right there!
Schweizer wins in 15:38.93! A heroic effort for the now three-time NCAA champion. Eastern Michigan's Alsu Bogdanova comes out of nowhere to take second in 15:43.84, closes in 64.5! I literally have never heard of this girl. Receveur takes third in 15:44.8, her best NCAA finish ever.
Nadel fades to eighth, scoring one point for Oregon. The Ducks have to win in the 4x400m relay to clinch the team title, as Georgia now pulls ahead, 62.2 points to the Ducks' 54 points. This is a nail-biter!
Holy shit! Deajah Stevens just led the whole way and collapsed on the ground two meters from the finish. Kyra Jefferson from Florida had pulled even with her about 15 meters out and she held her composure for the win in 22.02. I have literally never heard Hayward Field this quiet after a final.
But let's give it up for Kyra Jefferson!!!! After getting over the shock of Stevens' fall, the crowd now giving this Gator her due. Girl just set the COLLEGIATE RECORD! The prior record was 22.04, set by Dawn Sowell of LSU in 1989.
Looks like a Suzy Favor moment. Oregon head coach Robert Johnson has reportedly pulled Stevens from entering the mixed zone with reporters. She usually runs the 4x400m, so she may be back, but she may not race again today after that performance.
Sage Watson wins her first NCAA title in 54.52! USC's Amalie Iuel had the best start and was leading through about 300m, but Watson moved into the lead after the final curve. Nice PB for the Olympian from Canada as her previous best was 54.85, set via a third-place finish at the 2016 NCAAs.
Iuel's teammate, freshman Anna Cockrell, moved up well to take second in 55.36, a new PB, while Iuel takes third in 55.82. Pac-12 sweep!
Women's High Jump
Georgia duo Tatiana Gusin and Madeline Fagan, who swept this event indoors, are 1-2 right now and the only ones who haven't missed. Six women are left in this competition as the bar is raised to 6-2.
Official results: Fagan wins, Gusin takes second as both women jump a best mark of 1.91m/6-3.25. Kaysee Pilgrim of UNLV is third in 1.85m/6-0.75.
Okay, NCAA title No. 5 on the way for Oregon's Raevyn Rogers... teammate Brooke Feldmeier looked really good in the prelims, too. I wouldn't be shocked to see a Ducks sweep.
This looks fast! Collinsworth, Rogers, Green all next to each other -- 27.1 opening 200m. Feldmeier right behind in 4th. 58.32 at the bell!!
Wow, Collinsworth putting up a fight! She's right there with Rogers -- starts to take off at 200m to go! Now Green passes Collinsworth into second but Feldmeier has the best kick in the biz!
Rogers wins this going away in 2:00.02! Green has just enough for second, 2:01.32, and Felmeier takes third in 2:01.5, a PB. Collinsworth will take fourth in 2:02.3. After this event, the Oregon women moves into the No. 1 position in team scoring for the first time. They are projected to ride this lead all the way to the team title.
Chrisann Gordon from Texas made up the stagger right away!! The senior just barely holds off NCAA indoor champion Shakima Wimbley, 50.51 to 50.68. The finish looked even closer from up here in the stands. Awesome run for Gordon, who earned a silver medal on the 4x400m relay at the Rio Olympic Games with her native Jamaica. She keeps the 400m title in Longhorn territory, as collegiate record holder Courtney Okolo dominated the event last year.
Deajah Stevens' and Ariana Washington's performances in the 100m and 200m are going to be super crucial for the Ducks to clinch the team title. Both were Olympians in 2016; Washington is the defending NCAA champion in both the 100m and 200m, while Stevens is the No. 1 seed in the 200m and No. 2 seed in the 100m. Neither ran well in the 100m prelims on Thursday, but we've seen Washington overcome a poor prelim to win big when it matters so I wouldn't rule anything out.... (I picked Stevens to win in our Staff Picks). 2016 NCAA runner-up Ashley Henderson is here, as is NCAA leader and SEC champ Aleia Hobbs, as is 2016 NCAA 60m champ/this year's Big 12 champ Teahna Daniels...
Wow! Mikiah Brisco! The LSU star took off and DID NOT LOOK BACK!! 10.96 (+0.3)! Deajah Stevens ran a strong second half but couldn't catch her -- runs just over 11 seconds. Daniels takes third in what I believe is also a career best of 11.06. Brisco's time ties for No.5 in NCAA history with Tigers alumnae Kimberly Duncan and Oregon's English Gardner.
I'm gonna date myself here and say that I saw Mikiah dominate the Louisiana high school state championship in the 100m and 100m hurdles back in like 2014 when I worked for NOLA.com. Pretty sure she won New Balance Nationals that year, too.
Brisco just talked to the on-field reporter and said, "My strategy was just to get a good start. I knew they were all good finishers." No kidding.
Rainsberger's better-than-expected fourth-place finish in the 1500m makes up some points lost in the 100m/100m hurdles. So Oregon still looks good to win.
Oregon needs some good points here from Alaysha Johnson and Sasha Wallace, the latter of whom scraped into the final via a time qualifier.
Wow! Great battle between Tobi Amusan, the NCAA leader from UTEP, and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn from Kentucky, as both clock obscene times of 12.57 and 12.58. Texas freshman Rushelle Burton runs big with 12.65. Tailwind of +1.6.
Can Allie O win an NCAA title in her first outdoor season and her first year of the steeplechase?! Elinor Purrier is the fastest seed. Colorado freshman Madie Boreman looked sick in the prelims (sick in a fast way, not a diseased way).
These girls are jogging.... Boreman and Katie Kunc of Kentucky are up front. Boreman is the first over the water barrier. Ostrander moving up now. Six laps to go; they passed the last 400m in 80 seconds.
Now Tori Gerlach from Penn State is sticking her nose in it, running right next to Boreman. She led for most of the prelim before a neck-and-neck battle with Ostrander to the finish. The projected time right now (5 laps to go) is 9:58, but they'll pick things up. Winning time will be under 9:50.
Four laps to go... 79.6 for the last lap as Ostrander makes a little surge to put herself in front. Gerlach on her shoulder; this is the opposite of the prelim. Boreman and I think that's Grayson Murphy of Utah right behind. No, it wasn't Murphy -- Purrier! The 4:28 miler running side by side with Ostrander
Three laps to go... 74.1, fastest lap so far. It's Ostrander on the inside, Purrier on the outside and Boreman just a stride back. Gerlach has dropped a bit behind and runs side by side with Murphy. Ostrander takes the advantage on the water jump but Purrier is still on her tail.
Two laps to go... 74.6. Ostrander leads, Purrier on her tail. Not running next to each other anymore. lol @ media people, someone just yelled "Ostrander has to be the smallest woman to win the steeplechase!" chill out, she hasn't won yet! Ostrander and Purrier really pulling away from the rest of the field now
Bell lap!!! Purrier pulls ahead! Hard not to bet on the miler to win this one but Ostrander is pulling even! Ostrander made a big pass by getting over the barrier first! Purrier stumbles through the water jump and I think it's done now -- Ostrander wins in 9:41.31, a nearly 10 second PR! What a gutsy run! The redshirt freshman from Boise State collapses to the track in tears when she crosses the line. That's a powerful image.
Purrier takes the water barrier stumble pretty hard and Boreman and Gerlach are able to get by her at the finish -- both running under 9:50 for the first time. Purrier finishes fourth in 9:48.26. My friends in the mixed zone are saying that BOTH of Purrier's shoes fell off. Standby for more on that...
The most highly anticipated race of the day!!!!! (At least for me) My pick is Dani Jones, but Christina Aragon is my darkhorse. Aragon, the Stanford freshman, is racing here for the first time vs. her older sister, Notre Dame fifth-year senior, Danielle.
Jessica Harris of Notre Dame takes the 400m in 1:09.85. She imploded in the prelims and barely scraped into the final after leading the field through 800m in 2:09, so we'll see how this goes... I think she's just waiting for someone else to take over, though.
2015 NCAA champ Rhianwedd Price of Missisippi State and 2017 indoor mile champ Karisa Nelson move up, pass 800m in 2:19. It's a kicker's race!!
Approaching bell lap and everyone is in it! Nelson leads, 3:11 at the bell. Nelson trying to pull away, Jones on her shoulder
Michigan! Wow! Jamie Phelan takes it from 200m to go and holds on for 4:13.78! The race was five women deep approaching the finish line with Nelson, Hiltz, Jones, Rainsberger but Phelan somehow held them all off for first. We haven't talked about this girl all season... the junior was sixth at the East Prelims in 4:12.55, a career best. Hiltz from Arkansas closed super well and almost nipped her at the line, but ends up second in 4:13.80. Indoor champ Nelson takes third, 4:13.96. Oregon frosh Rainsberger gets some solid points in fourth, while my pre-race picks Jones and Aragon end up fifth and seventh.
Who would have thought eight weeks ago that we wouldn't see Oregon or LSU in the finals? Both teams set the NCAA record this year and they'll have to end the season sharing both the record (42.12) and consideration for best team in the NCAA that doesn't win a title...
Kentucky comes on strong to pass Alabama in the final meters, 42.51 to 42.56. Both teams run under the Hayward Field record and now rank No. 4 and No. 5 all-time in NCAA history. Still, hard to imagine Oregon not winning if Hannah Cunliffe had run at West Prelims.
LIVE RESULTS
Don't pop the champagne yet... There's a protest in the 4x4. #NCAATF https://t.co/UC2EtzFreI
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 11, 2017
Fake news. Ducks win!
Women's 4x400m Relay
OH MY OREGON DUCKS. Raevyn Rogers puts the team on her BACK and wins the 4x4 and the women's team title! #NCAATF
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 11, 2017
NEW COLLEGIATE RECORD pic.twitter.com/kgPZxWDTox
Here we go!!! Oregon has to WIN this thing to take home the team title. Deajah Stevens is running second leg after her 200m meltdown/fall. My prediction... fight on, USC is taking this title home!
Makenzie Dunmore splits 51.6 on first leg for Oregon
Amaliue Iuel leads at the break on second leg for USC
Holy crap it's Deanna Hill of USC and Oegon riht next to each other third leg here comes LSU!!!
Oregon passes on last exchange! BUT Kendall Ellis takes it back BUT somehow Raevyn Rogers takes it back! Oregon wins!
Women's 5K
What a year for @MIZ_TrackField's Karissa Schweizer! She wins the #NCAATF 5K title to add to her #NCAAXC crown and indoor 5k title! pic.twitter.com/vKRqg3YCYX
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 11, 2017
Looking ahead at the team scores, Oregon needs 10 total points to wrap up the team title. There's just two events left: 5K and 4x400m relay. The Ducks should do very well in the 4x4 but are not a lock to win as NCAA leaders USC have been running great. Oregon will need some points from Sam Nadel and Lilli Burdon here.
NCAA XC and indoor 5K champ Karissa Schweizer is the favorite, but steeple champ Allie Ostrander is also here and you can't overlook Gina Sereno after Michigan teammate Jamie Phelan was surprise victor in the 1500m earlier today.
Penn State's Tessa Barrett takes it out, about 80 seconds through 400m. Schweizer is right behind her.
First 1K covered in 3:14; Barrett, Shweizer and Danielle Shanahan of Loyola are the top three but the full field is in contention.
Barrett leads the field through 1600m in 5:10.
Allie Buchalski of Furman has moved up into fourth with seven laps remaining. It's Barrett, Shanahan, Schweizer and Buchalski.
Six laps to go and Schweizer takes the lead! The two-time NCAA champ is going to break things open now. Here comes Sereno! These Michigan girls are running super well today...
Five laps to go... 72.5 on that last lap, we're definitely picking things up. Schweizer, Sereno, Buchalski, Samantha Nadel of Oregon in fourth, Allie Ostrander in fifth
Four laps to go... 73.8, it's Schweizer with a few strides on Buchalski. Nadel moves into third ahead of Sereno
Three laps to go... 72.9, Schweizer, Buchalski, Nadel, Ostrander, Katherine Receveur of Indiana has moved into fifth. Schweizer has a five-second lead on the field as there's a big battle brewing for second place
Two laps to go... Schweizer 13:16, then Nadel 13:24 followed closely by Receveur, Ostrander. That was a 72.2 lap for Schweizer who is in her own world here.
Bell lap... 14:28 for Schweizer and the pack is 10 seconds behind led by Nadel. Ostrander is emerging in the front of the chase pack, but there's 8 women right there!
Schweizer wins in 15:38.93! A heroic effort for the now three-time NCAA champion. Eastern Michigan's Alsu Bogdanova comes out of nowhere to take second in 15:43.84, closes in 64.5! I literally have never heard of this girl. Receveur takes third in 15:44.8, her best NCAA finish ever.
Nadel fades to eighth, scoring one point for Oregon. The Ducks have to win in the 4x400m relay to clinch the team title, as Georgia now pulls ahead, 62.2 points to the Ducks' 54 points. This is a nail-biter!
Women's 200m
.@FloridaGators's Kyra Jefferson comes through with a NEW collegiate record to win the #NCAATF 200m in 22.02 as Stevens falls with 15m to go pic.twitter.com/GBtEU2966K
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 11, 2017
Holy shit! Deajah Stevens just led the whole way and collapsed on the ground two meters from the finish. Kyra Jefferson from Florida had pulled even with her about 15 meters out and she held her composure for the win in 22.02. I have literally never heard Hayward Field this quiet after a final.
But let's give it up for Kyra Jefferson!!!! After getting over the shock of Stevens' fall, the crowd now giving this Gator her due. Girl just set the COLLEGIATE RECORD! The prior record was 22.04, set by Dawn Sowell of LSU in 1989.
Looks like a Suzy Favor moment. Oregon head coach Robert Johnson has reportedly pulled Stevens from entering the mixed zone with reporters. She usually runs the 4x400m, so she may be back, but she may not race again today after that performance.
Women's 400m Hurdles
.@ArizonaTrack's Sage Watson wins it as @USC_Track_Field scores 13 points at #NCAATF! pic.twitter.com/ZMDb982TiW
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 11, 2017
Sage Watson wins her first NCAA title in 54.52! USC's Amalie Iuel had the best start and was leading through about 300m, but Watson moved into the lead after the final curve. Nice PB for the Olympian from Canada as her previous best was 54.85, set via a third-place finish at the 2016 NCAAs.
Iuel's teammate, freshman Anna Cockrell, moved up well to take second in 55.36, a new PB, while Iuel takes third in 55.82. Pac-12 sweep!
Women's High Jump
Georgia duo Tatiana Gusin and Madeline Fagan, who swept this event indoors, are 1-2 right now and the only ones who haven't missed. Six women are left in this competition as the bar is raised to 6-2.
Official results: Fagan wins, Gusin takes second as both women jump a best mark of 1.91m/6-3.25. Kaysee Pilgrim of UNLV is third in 1.85m/6-0.75.
Women's 800m
SHE DOES IT! @OregonTF's Rogers caps her season with a win (her 5th title!) in 2:00.02 at #NCAATF, Feldmeier 3rd https://t.co/wUAbq44qiO pic.twitter.com/9dVnfO5Yx0
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 10, 2017
Okay, NCAA title No. 5 on the way for Oregon's Raevyn Rogers... teammate Brooke Feldmeier looked really good in the prelims, too. I wouldn't be shocked to see a Ducks sweep.
This looks fast! Collinsworth, Rogers, Green all next to each other -- 27.1 opening 200m. Feldmeier right behind in 4th. 58.32 at the bell!!
Wow, Collinsworth putting up a fight! She's right there with Rogers -- starts to take off at 200m to go! Now Green passes Collinsworth into second but Feldmeier has the best kick in the biz!
Rogers wins this going away in 2:00.02! Green has just enough for second, 2:01.32, and Felmeier takes third in 2:01.5, a PB. Collinsworth will take fourth in 2:02.3. After this event, the Oregon women moves into the No. 1 position in team scoring for the first time. They are projected to ride this lead all the way to the team title.
UPDATED: After 800 #NCAATF Team Proj:
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 10, 2017
75.0 @OregonTF
62.2 @UGATrack
46.0 @USC_Track_Field
37.2 @RazorbackTF
36.0 @GatorsTF
Women's 400m
Chrisann Gordon from Texas made up the stagger right away!! The senior just barely holds off NCAA indoor champion Shakima Wimbley, 50.51 to 50.68. The finish looked even closer from up here in the stands. Awesome run for Gordon, who earned a silver medal on the 4x400m relay at the Rio Olympic Games with her native Jamaica. She keeps the 400m title in Longhorn territory, as collegiate record holder Courtney Okolo dominated the event last year.
Women's 100m
Mikiah Brisco's #NCAATF winning time of 10.96 ties for No. 6 all-time in NCAA history https://t.co/wUAbq4m1am pic.twitter.com/4EQbOohJ0v
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 10, 2017
Deajah Stevens' and Ariana Washington's performances in the 100m and 200m are going to be super crucial for the Ducks to clinch the team title. Both were Olympians in 2016; Washington is the defending NCAA champion in both the 100m and 200m, while Stevens is the No. 1 seed in the 200m and No. 2 seed in the 100m. Neither ran well in the 100m prelims on Thursday, but we've seen Washington overcome a poor prelim to win big when it matters so I wouldn't rule anything out.... (I picked Stevens to win in our Staff Picks). 2016 NCAA runner-up Ashley Henderson is here, as is NCAA leader and SEC champ Aleia Hobbs, as is 2016 NCAA 60m champ/this year's Big 12 champ Teahna Daniels...
Wow! Mikiah Brisco! The LSU star took off and DID NOT LOOK BACK!! 10.96 (+0.3)! Deajah Stevens ran a strong second half but couldn't catch her -- runs just over 11 seconds. Daniels takes third in what I believe is also a career best of 11.06. Brisco's time ties for No.5 in NCAA history with Tigers alumnae Kimberly Duncan and Oregon's English Gardner.
I'm gonna date myself here and say that I saw Mikiah dominate the Louisiana high school state championship in the 100m and 100m hurdles back in like 2014 when I worked for NOLA.com. Pretty sure she won New Balance Nationals that year, too.
Brisco just talked to the on-field reporter and said, "My strategy was just to get a good start. I knew they were all good finishers." No kidding.
Rainsberger's better-than-expected fourth-place finish in the 1500m makes up some points lost in the 100m/100m hurdles. So Oregon still looks good to win.
UPDATED: After 100 #NCAATF Team Proj:
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 10, 2017
72.0 @OregonTF
62.2 @UGATrack
47.0 @USC_Track_Field
37.2 @RazorbackTF
34.0 @GatorsTF
Women's 100m Hurdles
Aaand @UTEPTrack's Tobi Amusan wins it in a very nice 12.57 at #NCAATF! https://t.co/wUAbq44qiO pic.twitter.com/PgWHaYw7b6
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 10, 2017
Oregon needs some good points here from Alaysha Johnson and Sasha Wallace, the latter of whom scraped into the final via a time qualifier.
Wow! Great battle between Tobi Amusan, the NCAA leader from UTEP, and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn from Kentucky, as both clock obscene times of 12.57 and 12.58. Texas freshman Rushelle Burton runs big with 12.65. Tailwind of +1.6.
Women's 3K Steeplechase
What a battle! Ostrander DOMINATES the last 200m over Purrier with an untied shoe at #NCAATF https://t.co/wUAbq44qiO pic.twitter.com/p3Axl8nVwH
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 10, 2017
Can Allie O win an NCAA title in her first outdoor season and her first year of the steeplechase?! Elinor Purrier is the fastest seed. Colorado freshman Madie Boreman looked sick in the prelims (sick in a fast way, not a diseased way).
These girls are jogging.... Boreman and Katie Kunc of Kentucky are up front. Boreman is the first over the water barrier. Ostrander moving up now. Six laps to go; they passed the last 400m in 80 seconds.
Now Tori Gerlach from Penn State is sticking her nose in it, running right next to Boreman. She led for most of the prelim before a neck-and-neck battle with Ostrander to the finish. The projected time right now (5 laps to go) is 9:58, but they'll pick things up. Winning time will be under 9:50.
Four laps to go... 79.6 for the last lap as Ostrander makes a little surge to put herself in front. Gerlach on her shoulder; this is the opposite of the prelim. Boreman and I think that's Grayson Murphy of Utah right behind. No, it wasn't Murphy -- Purrier! The 4:28 miler running side by side with Ostrander
Three laps to go... 74.1, fastest lap so far. It's Ostrander on the inside, Purrier on the outside and Boreman just a stride back. Gerlach has dropped a bit behind and runs side by side with Murphy. Ostrander takes the advantage on the water jump but Purrier is still on her tail.
Two laps to go... 74.6. Ostrander leads, Purrier on her tail. Not running next to each other anymore. lol @ media people, someone just yelled "Ostrander has to be the smallest woman to win the steeplechase!" chill out, she hasn't won yet! Ostrander and Purrier really pulling away from the rest of the field now
Bell lap!!! Purrier pulls ahead! Hard not to bet on the miler to win this one but Ostrander is pulling even! Ostrander made a big pass by getting over the barrier first! Purrier stumbles through the water jump and I think it's done now -- Ostrander wins in 9:41.31, a nearly 10 second PR! What a gutsy run! The redshirt freshman from Boise State collapses to the track in tears when she crosses the line. That's a powerful image.
Purrier takes the water barrier stumble pretty hard and Boreman and Gerlach are able to get by her at the finish -- both running under 9:50 for the first time. Purrier finishes fourth in 9:48.26. My friends in the mixed zone are saying that BOTH of Purrier's shoes fell off. Standby for more on that...
Women's 1500m
And @UMichTrack's Jaimie Phelan wins a very tight race with so many in it at 50m left at #NCAATF! https://t.co/wUAbq44qiO pic.twitter.com/M4OrA7RuEy
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 10, 2017
The most highly anticipated race of the day!!!!! (At least for me) My pick is Dani Jones, but Christina Aragon is my darkhorse. Aragon, the Stanford freshman, is racing here for the first time vs. her older sister, Notre Dame fifth-year senior, Danielle.
Jessica Harris of Notre Dame takes the 400m in 1:09.85. She imploded in the prelims and barely scraped into the final after leading the field through 800m in 2:09, so we'll see how this goes... I think she's just waiting for someone else to take over, though.
2015 NCAA champ Rhianwedd Price of Missisippi State and 2017 indoor mile champ Karisa Nelson move up, pass 800m in 2:19. It's a kicker's race!!
Approaching bell lap and everyone is in it! Nelson leads, 3:11 at the bell. Nelson trying to pull away, Jones on her shoulder
Michigan! Wow! Jamie Phelan takes it from 200m to go and holds on for 4:13.78! The race was five women deep approaching the finish line with Nelson, Hiltz, Jones, Rainsberger but Phelan somehow held them all off for first. We haven't talked about this girl all season... the junior was sixth at the East Prelims in 4:12.55, a career best. Hiltz from Arkansas closed super well and almost nipped her at the line, but ends up second in 4:13.80. Indoor champ Nelson takes third, 4:13.96. Oregon frosh Rainsberger gets some solid points in fourth, while my pre-race picks Jones and Aragon end up fifth and seventh.
Women's 4x100m Relay
Kentucky & Alabama now rank No. 4 & No. 5 all-time in the NCAA! What a year for the 4x1. #NCAATF https://t.co/wUAbq4m1am pic.twitter.com/mj8GrYv7CW
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 10, 2017
Who would have thought eight weeks ago that we wouldn't see Oregon or LSU in the finals? Both teams set the NCAA record this year and they'll have to end the season sharing both the record (42.12) and consideration for best team in the NCAA that doesn't win a title...
Kentucky comes on strong to pass Alabama in the final meters, 42.51 to 42.56. Both teams run under the Hayward Field record and now rank No. 4 and No. 5 all-time in NCAA history. Still, hard to imagine Oregon not winning if Hannah Cunliffe had run at West Prelims.