NCAA D1 Indoor ChampionshipsMar 10, 2015 by Lincoln Shryack
NCAA Preview: Men's/Women's Weight Throw
NCAA Preview: Men's/Women's Weight Throw
Michael Lihrman, Wisconsin
The brand-new NCAA record holder (25.58m) has never lost a weight throw competition while competing for Wisconsin. Let that sink in for a second. The defending champion has a mark more than a full meter ahead of the next best thrower in 2015, with his most recent performance at the Big 10 Championships yielding the #1 toss in NCAA history. The only way that this Badger doesn’t leave Fayetteville with his second straight title is if he forgets his ball and chain in Madison.
Kearsten Peoples, Missouri
Peoples tossed a massive PB of 22.84m at the Missouri Collegiate Challenge three weeks ago in Columbia, more than a two foot improvement on her previous personal best. That throw is nearly a half meter better than anyone else in the NCAA in 2015, and coupled with Peoples first SEC title in the event two weeks ago will give her the edge in Fayetteville. It should also be noted that the Mizzou senior beat defending NCAA champion Brea Garrett of Texas A&M at SECs.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Purdue
Outside of having the most fun name to pronounce in NCAA track and field, Purdue junior Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (aka Chuk) is an outstanding weight thrower. Enekwechi threw a PB of 24.39m at his home track over Valentine’s Weekend which cemented his position as the second best thrower heading into NCAAs. The Boilermaker faces a huge obstacle in the form of Lihrman, and even on his best day, Chuk is most likely tossing for second.
Brea Garrett, Texas A&M
Don’t count out the defending champ. Garrett has only thrown 22.28m in 2015 (her PB is 22.66m), but she did beat Peoples at the Tyson Invite a month ago in Fayetteville on the same track where they’ll matchup again this weekend. Garrett entered 2014 NCAAs ranked #1, now she’ll try to take down #1 to grab her second straight title.
Conor McCullough, USC
McCullough was gifted with the rare 6th year of eligibility by the NCAA back in January, and he’s performed like a man on a mission ever since. The former Princeton Tiger is known more for his hammer pedigree, having thrown an American junior record in the 6kg hammer of 80.79m back in 2010. McCullough has proven that he can also toss the weight, as his 23.60m PB from MPSF is the #3 mark of 2015. His best shot at an NCAA title won’t come until outdoors (his 2014 hammer throw of 77.20m was nearly 3m further than the NCAAs best), but the Trojan is certainly a rare talent that could surprise in the weight throw in Fayetteville.
Ida Storm, UCLA
The Bruin senior has finished second in the NCAA weight throw twice in her career, in 2012 and 2014. Storm just cracked the 22m barrier for the first time in her career at MPSF, tossing a 22.40m mark that is the NCAA #2 in 2015. An athlete with the second-best performance isn’t usually considered a “dark horse”, but Storm must get past the defending champ and the NCAA #1 in order to grab her first title. That’s no small task, but her PB in her last outing shows that she’s rounding into top form heading to Fayetteville.