2016 NCAA Indoor Preview: Men's Throws
2016 NCAA Indoor Preview: Men's Throws
Between NCAA Champions graduating and past champions coming back to regain the crown, men's throws are sure to excite this NCAA indoor season. Here's a full
Between NCAA Champions graduating and past champions coming back to regain the crown, men's throws are sure to excite this NCAA indoor season. Here's a full breakdown of what is in store in 2016.
With defending NCAA Champion Michael Lihrman graduated from Wisconsin, the possibilities are wide open for the contenders in the menÂ’s weight throw competition this season.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi of Purdue leads the charge of throwers vying for an NCAA title this season after finishing third last year with a mark of 24.18m. The Purdue standout finished third at the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships as well. Prior to the 2015 Championships, Enekwechi registered a personal best mark of 24.39m at the Fred Wilt Invitational last February. Heading into his senior season, itÂ’s now or never for Enekwechi to break that third-place streak heÂ’s been riding for the past three years.
An athlete who will also be be out to contend for an NCAA title this season will be Virginia All American Jordan Young. He finished fourth as a sophomore last year and was 10th in the shot put and seventh in the hammer throw at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The transfer from Arizona has six All American honors under his belt and will be looking to improve upon his finish at last yearÂ’s NCAA Indoor Championships.
Oregon will be counting on expert thrower Greg Skipper to rack up points for the Ducks on their quest for an NCAA title this year. He was fifth at last yearÂ’s NCAA Indoor Championships and went on to finish third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw last June.
2016 will likely be the year of redemption for TexasÂ’ Ryan Crouser who missed out on repeating his NCAA Indoor title last year with a runner-up finish to FloridaÂ’s Stipe Zunic. Zunic graduated and the ring is wide open for Crouser to contend for his fourth NCAA shot put title (2014 Indoor and Outdoor, 2013 Outdoor).
This year will also see a lot of new faces emerge at the top of the lists as seven of the top 10 finishers at last yearÂ’s NCAA Indoor final have exhausted eligibility.
Josh Freeman is one of those faces. The Southern Illinois standout is returning from an eighth-place finish in indoor and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Freeman notched a personal best at last yearÂ’s NCAA Outdoor Championships where he threw a mark of 20.15m.
JC Murasky of Ohio State is another athlete who shined at last yearÂ’s championships. The Buckeye emerged with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put. Murasky went on to finish 17th at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Lastly, sophomore stud Nick Ponzio will return after a stellar freshman season that included his first All American honor at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The USC Trojan finished eighth with a personal best of 19.53m. The mark moved Ponzio to No. 6 on USCÂ’s all-time shot put list.
Weight Throw
With defending NCAA Champion Michael Lihrman graduated from Wisconsin, the possibilities are wide open for the contenders in the menÂ’s weight throw competition this season.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi of Purdue leads the charge of throwers vying for an NCAA title this season after finishing third last year with a mark of 24.18m. The Purdue standout finished third at the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships as well. Prior to the 2015 Championships, Enekwechi registered a personal best mark of 24.39m at the Fred Wilt Invitational last February. Heading into his senior season, itÂ’s now or never for Enekwechi to break that third-place streak heÂ’s been riding for the past three years.
An athlete who will also be be out to contend for an NCAA title this season will be Virginia All American Jordan Young. He finished fourth as a sophomore last year and was 10th in the shot put and seventh in the hammer throw at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The transfer from Arizona has six All American honors under his belt and will be looking to improve upon his finish at last yearÂ’s NCAA Indoor Championships.
Oregon will be counting on expert thrower Greg Skipper to rack up points for the Ducks on their quest for an NCAA title this year. He was fifth at last yearÂ’s NCAA Indoor Championships and went on to finish third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw last June.
Shot Put
2016 will likely be the year of redemption for TexasÂ’ Ryan Crouser who missed out on repeating his NCAA Indoor title last year with a runner-up finish to FloridaÂ’s Stipe Zunic. Zunic graduated and the ring is wide open for Crouser to contend for his fourth NCAA shot put title (2014 Indoor and Outdoor, 2013 Outdoor).
This year will also see a lot of new faces emerge at the top of the lists as seven of the top 10 finishers at last yearÂ’s NCAA Indoor final have exhausted eligibility.
Josh Freeman is one of those faces. The Southern Illinois standout is returning from an eighth-place finish in indoor and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Freeman notched a personal best at last yearÂ’s NCAA Outdoor Championships where he threw a mark of 20.15m.
JC Murasky of Ohio State is another athlete who shined at last yearÂ’s championships. The Buckeye emerged with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put. Murasky went on to finish 17th at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Lastly, sophomore stud Nick Ponzio will return after a stellar freshman season that included his first All American honor at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The USC Trojan finished eighth with a personal best of 19.53m. The mark moved Ponzio to No. 6 on USCÂ’s all-time shot put list.