2017 Villanova OpenJan 26, 2017 by Dennis Young
Top Four Events To Watch At The Villanova Open
Top Four Events To Watch At The Villanova Open
Top Four Events To Watch At The Villanova Open
The Villanova Open will be LIVE from Ocean Breeze on FloTrack tomorrow! Here are the top four events to watch! Running events begin at noon Eastern on Friday.
Men's 60m hurdles
Who: Freddie III Crittenden
When: 2:05 PM ET (final)
Why: Crittenden was second at indoor NCAAs and fourth in the 110s outdoors. With Devon Allen turned professional, that makes the Syracuse senior the top returner indoors and the No. 2 returner outdoors. This is his first race since finishing second at NACACs last summer, and could be the beginning of a campaign that stamps him as a national title favorite.
Men's 400m
Who: Izaiah Brown
When: 2:40 PM ET
Why: Brown is one of the most promising young sprinters on the East Coast. He won the Big 10 indoor 400 in a shocking 45.62 last March--it was his first time under 46.00 as a collegian--and followed that up with a 45.27 Big 10 title outdoors.
Though Brown hasn't qualified for NCAAs in an individual event yet, he had the No. 3 regular season time last indoor season and was No. 5 on the outdoor regular season performance list. He struggled at the NCAA East prelims last May, finishing well outside of qualifying to Eugene, but he's one of the most talented sprinters on the scene. Don't be surprised if he shows up in championships this year.
Men's 800m
Who: Ville Lampinen, Harry Purcell, Russell Dinkins, Peter Callahan
When: 3:15 PM ET
Why: This is Callahan's season opener. The former New Mexico/Princeton athlete competes internationally for Belgium now, and ran 3:37.87 last year, putting him just ("just") a second and a half shy of the 1500 meter Olympic standard. His indoor 800m PR, 1:48.66, is actually faster than his outdoor best in the event.
Lampinen, a Finnish sophomore for Villanova, is a 1:48 man as well.
Women's 60m hurdles and 200m
Who: Grace Claxton
When: 2:00 PM ET (60m hurdles final) and 3:40 PM ET (200m)
Why: There aren't that many Olympians returning in the NCAA system; there are even fewer in the America East Conference. Impress your friends and family by knowing that Grace Claxton, now a senior at the University of Albany, competed in Rio in the women's 400m hurdles. The Puerto Rican made it to the semifinals and set a PR of 55.85 seconds. Claxton didn't make it out of the first round at NCAAs in Eugene last June, but she has the credentials and experience to be an All-American this year.
WATCH THE 2017 VILLANOVA OPEN LIVE ON FRIDAY JANUARY 27th!
On TV: Now available on Roku & Apple TV 4
Men's 60m hurdles
Who: Freddie III Crittenden
When: 2:05 PM ET (final)
Why: Crittenden was second at indoor NCAAs and fourth in the 110s outdoors. With Devon Allen turned professional, that makes the Syracuse senior the top returner indoors and the No. 2 returner outdoors. This is his first race since finishing second at NACACs last summer, and could be the beginning of a campaign that stamps him as a national title favorite.
Men's 400m
Who: Izaiah Brown
When: 2:40 PM ET
Why: Brown is one of the most promising young sprinters on the East Coast. He won the Big 10 indoor 400 in a shocking 45.62 last March--it was his first time under 46.00 as a collegian--and followed that up with a 45.27 Big 10 title outdoors.
Though Brown hasn't qualified for NCAAs in an individual event yet, he had the No. 3 regular season time last indoor season and was No. 5 on the outdoor regular season performance list. He struggled at the NCAA East prelims last May, finishing well outside of qualifying to Eugene, but he's one of the most talented sprinters on the scene. Don't be surprised if he shows up in championships this year.
Men's 800m
Who: Ville Lampinen, Harry Purcell, Russell Dinkins, Peter Callahan
When: 3:15 PM ET
Why: This is Callahan's season opener. The former New Mexico/Princeton athlete competes internationally for Belgium now, and ran 3:37.87 last year, putting him just ("just") a second and a half shy of the 1500 meter Olympic standard. His indoor 800m PR, 1:48.66, is actually faster than his outdoor best in the event.
Lampinen, a Finnish sophomore for Villanova, is a 1:48 man as well.
Women's 60m hurdles and 200m
Who: Grace Claxton
When: 2:00 PM ET (60m hurdles final) and 3:40 PM ET (200m)
Why: There aren't that many Olympians returning in the NCAA system; there are even fewer in the America East Conference. Impress your friends and family by knowing that Grace Claxton, now a senior at the University of Albany, competed in Rio in the women's 400m hurdles. The Puerto Rican made it to the semifinals and set a PR of 55.85 seconds. Claxton didn't make it out of the first round at NCAAs in Eugene last June, but she has the credentials and experience to be an All-American this year.
WATCH THE 2017 VILLANOVA OPEN LIVE ON FRIDAY JANUARY 27th!
How To Watch
STREAMING: Available only on FloTrack - $20 monthly or $150 yearly. Yearly FloPRO access is to ALL FloSports sites. SIGN UP HEREOn TV: Now available on Roku & Apple TV 4
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