The first day of the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships is finally upon us, and FloTrack is on site in Birmingham, Alabama, to bring you all the latest news from the Crossplex. 

Refresh this page frequently for live updates beginning at 5:35 p.m. CT. All times below are listed in CT. 

You can also follow along with our live team score projections here and watch all of our post-race interviews here.

Women's Mile Prelims | 5:35 p.m.

This one's wide open. 

The NCAA’s top three milers this season all scratched in favor of other events: Danae Rivers, who will contest the 800; Jessica Hull, who will run the 3000; and Weini Kelati, who was never really expected to enter in the mile at NCAAs but ran a very fast, converted 4:31, will race the 5K.

Now, Michigan’s Hannah Meier headlines as the top seed with her 4:32.46, and the top eight entries are separated by only two seconds—it’s literally anyone’s race. 

The big names in heat one include Meier, Oregon's Susan Ejore, and Alexis Fuller of Boise State. They clock 68.5 on the first lap.

On the final lap, Meier made a decisive move to the lead.

OH NO, EJORE GOES DOWN, AND TAKES MILLIE PALADINO WITH HER!!! She fell to the track after striking the back leg of Sarah Feeny.

Fuller ends up taking the heat, with Meier in second and Sarah Edwards of Virginia Tech in third.

Alexis Fuller & Hannah Meier finish in a close 1-2 to auto advance in the first mile heat. #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/vumynusTZu

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 8, 2019

The second heat, progressing conservatively, is headlined by Arkansas' Lauren Gregory, 2017 NCAA mile champion Karisa Nelson of Samford, Washington's Katie Rainsberger, and Erica Birk-Jarvis of BYU. 

After a pedestrian opening 400m (71), things are starting to heat up a bit with Nelson and Rainsberger running side by side at the front of the pack. Nelson kicked home to take it in 4:36.

Strong finish from Karissa Nelson to take the second mile heat in 4:36 #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/RWEM9T1MKA

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 8, 2019

There's a protest, and I'm assuming it's contesting Paladino's misfortune in heat one. 

Here are the qualifier's for tomorrow's final:

Men's Mile Prelims | 5:50 p.m.

In heat one, Waleed Suliman of Ole Miss, Sam Worley of Texas, and Carlos Villareal of Arizona are the top entrants. 

This race only began to get spicy after 600m. Worley wins the heat in 4:09, and Reed Brown of Oregon is on the outside looking in after finishing behind his teammate Blake Haney in seventh.

Sam Worley wins heat one of the men’s Mile in 4:09 to auto qualify with Casey Comer, Carlos Villarreal, and Waleed Suliman #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/L3MaM0mmBY

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 8, 2019

In heat two, reigning NCAA champion Oliver Hoare will begin the Badgers' quest for a distance-based NCAA team title. His conference foe Kyle Mau of Indiana is also in this heat, as well as NAU's Geordie Beamish and Washington's Mick Stanovsek.

William Paulson of Arizona State didn't want to leave this one to chance—he dialed up the pace at 1K, and ended up taking the heat in 4:06.

Time qualifiers will all come from the second heat after William Paulson leads them through in 4:06 #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/eCRR9ABmhK

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Here are the qualifiers for tomorrow's final:

Women's 60m Hurdles Prelims | 6:07 p.m.

The NCAA leader, Chanel Brissett of USC, and last year's champion, Payton Chadwick of Arkansas, will ensure this is a fast heat. 

Chadwick runs aggressively and turns in a PR of 7.93 for the win, and all three USC women will advance.

Tight race in the women's 60mH semis with Payton Chadwick & Chanel Brissett BOTH running 7.93! #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/3w2Y2sa4bI

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

We'll see if USC can get all four women through the prelims here as Anna Cockrell gets into her blocks. Janeek Brown of Arkansas will also be another key player to advance—she's the second-fastest hurdler this season behind Brissett.

FALSE START. It appears to be Cockrell! But there won't be a red flag.

ANOTHER POSSIBLE FALSE START?!? It turns out to be an issue with the timing system... yikes. What a nerve-wracking scenario. 

KAYLA WHITE GOES 7.94! The senior from North Carolina A&T is going to be trouble for USC's bid for an all-Trojan podium for the women's 60m hurdles... This final tomorrow is going to be wild.

Kayla White runs 7.94 to win section two of the 60mH and Anna Cockrell gets the second auto qualifying spot in 7.98 #ncaatf pic.twitter.com/9Mlmly1i65

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Here are the qualifiers:

Men's 60m Hurdles Prelims | 6:17 p.m.

Florida's Grant Holloway will take to the track for the first time this weekend in heat one, but his day got started with the long jump, which he currently leads with a 7.95m effort.

The Grantathlon is well on its way now—Holloway just broke Omar McLeod's meet record in 7.44, which looked absolutely effortless. I don't think I've ever seen anyone run sub-7.50 with such ease. Chad Zallow of Youngstown State had a great start, but might not make it through if this next heat is as fast as expected. 

‼️7.44‼️pic.twitter.com/Dwtr6CvWyq

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Trey Cunningham of Florida State put together a nice race, and took the win in 7.55—nearly a PR—to take down Daniel Roberts of Kentucky, the second-fastest man in the NCAA right now. Based on these results, Zallow will not qualify for the final.

Trey Cunningham's 7.55 60mH heat #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/9rVFaG3qRC

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Here are the qualifiers:

Women's 400m Prelims | 6:27 p.m.

Georgia's Lynna Irby, the reigning NCAA outdoor champion in this event, will probably set the standard at 52 seconds in heat one.

And she does. Call me Nostradamus.

In heat two, you'll want to watch Kyra Constantine of USC—she's the second-fastest 400m runner in the NCAA this season behind Irby with a season's best of 52.07.

Constantine gets nipped at the tape by Gabby Scott of Colorado! 

54.13 is now the bubble time. 

WOW. GIANT PR for Kaelin Roberts of USC!!! 52.01! She got out in 23 and closed in 28. It's going to be hard to watch heat four for Syaira Richardson...  

.@USC_Track_Field’s Kaelin Roberts runs 52.01 for an NCAA lead in her 400m semi heat! #ncaatf pic.twitter.com/0fZ4jUGylB

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Alexis Holmes of Penn State owns the top seed in heat four with a 52.14.

WHOA! Holmes steps off the track after a bit of a scuffle following the cut-in at 200m! The freshman still manages to take the heat in 52.82.

.@PennStateTFXC freshman Alexis Holmes runs strong through a physical heat to advance to the 400m final in 52s #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/Q8vfIemvTj

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Here are the qualifers:

Men's 400m Prelims | 6:42 p.m.

NCAA leader Kahmari Montgomery of H-Town Speed City made 45.32 look like a walk in the park, but the biggest takeaway from heat one was Bryce Deadmon of Texas A&M dropping out due to what appeared to be a cramp or possibly a pulled hamstring... that would be extremely unfortunate for the Aggies' 4x400m relay title hopes.

Kahmari Montgomery just made a 45.3 look TOO EASY #NCAATF @UHCougarTF @TrACkisMIne17 pic.twitter.com/nhZGJUFqqt

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Wil London has the best PR in this heat, but PRs don't get you qualified for the final. He had to contend with being placed in lane three, but it seemed like he may have misjudged how fast he needed to run—his opening 200m was 22.30, by far the slowest in that heat, and uncharacteristic of him. He ended up last, and Quincy Hall of South Carolina took the win.

Another casual heat! Houston's Obi Igbokwe, who won it, only ran 46.91!!! Carl Lewis and Leroy Burrell will likely have some choice words for him... Jacory Patterson of Virginia Tech ended up catching a spike in the final 200m and fell to the track.

Tyrell Richard of SC State takes heat four.

Here are the qualifiers—Igbokwe got lucky:

Women's 60m Prelims | 6:57 p.m.

LSU's Kourtnei Johnson BLASTS out of the blocks to record a 7.15, just a hundredth of a second off of her season best, followed by her teammate Sha'Carri Richardson in 7.22. Twanisha Terry's performance suffered from a poor start, and she finished third. She'll be looking for a little q while watching the next heat.

.@LSUTrackField MOVING in the 60m semis! #NCAATFpic.twitter.com/F8RmHRaMhH

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Kiara Parker of Arkansas and Destiny Smith-Barnett of UNLV have identical season's bests: 7.15. This one's gonna be quick.

Hook 'em! Teahna Daniels of Texas, who won a NCAA title in this event as a freshman in 2016, took the heat in 7.23. 

Teahna Daniels wins the second section of the 60m semis in 7.23 #ncaatf pic.twitter.com/SOA4zWmrxt

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Here are the qualifiers:

Men's 60m Prelims | 7:07 p.m.

Mario Burke builds on the momentum set early by Houston's sprint squad by throwing down another heat win for the Cougars in 6.57. Divine Oduduru, despite a shaky start, followed him in second with a time of 6.60.

Mario Burke takes the first 60m semi over Divine Oduduru in 6.57 #ncaatf @UHCougarTF @Burke_Supa pic.twitter.com/6I6xoIBAZs

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

It's time for the third event of the Grantathlon! This is his NCAA Championship 60m debut, and if all goes to plan, he could very well win the event. 

CHOMP CHOMP! That just put three Gators in the final. Even with a slow start, Holloway smokes 'em in 6.53.

.@GatorsTF make a STATEMENT in the second 60m section! #NCAATF
6.53 - Grant Holloway @Flaamingoo_
6.54 - Hakim Sani Brown @Hakimsanib pic.twitter.com/Qg6HGkBT6b

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Here are the qualifiers:

Women's 800m Prelims | 7:17 p.m.

Texas A&M's Jazmine Fray, the collegiate record holder (2:00.69), headlines heat one of the women's 800m, along with Norfolk State's Martha Bissah, who has the top seed (2:03.99) and leads the NCAA with a converted 2:02.58 from the Camel City Elite Invitational.

Fray led the race up until the final backstretch, when Bissah took over.

The second- and third-fastest women in the NCAA this season, Danae Rivers of Penn State and Allie Wilson of Monmouth, respectively, are expected to challenge each other in heat two. 

Uh oh! Rivers allowed a little too much room on the inside lane, which allowed Penn junior Nia Akins to scoot in and take third ahead of Rivers in fourth.

Here are the qualifiers:

Men's 800m Prelims | 7:27 p.m.

In heat one, Bryce Hoppel of Kansas maintains his undefeated season in 1:48.30, and Mississippi State's Marco Arop, the second-fastest seed, ended up stumbling to the finish line in fifth after getting tripped up in the inside lane.  

Devin Dixon, the NCAA leader from Texas A&M, opted to run an extremely conservative race, which bodes well for Arop, who will make it in on time. Domenic Perretta of Penn State unfortunately fell, but still finished in 2:05.76.

Here are the qualifiers:

Women's 200m Prelims | 7:37 p.m.

Anavia Battle, the world leader from Ohio State who turned in a 22.80 at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, ended up getting taken at the line by Alabama's Tamara Clark.

Let's see if Kayla White's still in PR mode! She owns the second-fastest time in the country, 22.82.

SHE GONE. 

She ate up that stagger in ridiculous fashion, allowing her to take heat two in 22.95. 

22.94 ? pic.twitter.com/c92rUaGEsy

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Freshman phenom Kynnedy Flannel of Texas is in this heat, along with the very busy Razorback, Payton Chadwick, a former multi-athlete who shouldn't be bothered by her workload this weekend. Flannel ran 22.82 this season, which ranks third in the NCAA.

Chadwick closed with remarkable strength, and almost caught Flannel at the line. 

Reigning NCAA outdoor 200m champion Anglerne Annelus of USC stars in heat three, along with 60m dynamo Kourtnei Johnson. 

Freshman Lanae-Tava Thomas of USC takes it! 

Men's 200m Prelims | 7:52 p.m.

Only divine intervention could stop Divine Oduduru from winning this title, and his bid for the NCAA championship begins right here. 

No dancing this time, but Oduduru wins the heat in 20.34. 

Casual 20.3 by Divine Oduduru to win his 200m heat ahead of Kasaun James’ 20.4 #ncaatf pic.twitter.com/46P3ie3qNw

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Keitavious Walter rolled tide all the way to a heat two win in 20.61, a season's best, over Andrew Hudson of Texas Tech.

Houston continues to pour it on in the sprints with Obi Igbokwe crushing heat three in 20.62. 

Wow, Jaron Flournoy of LSU throws down, which pushes Andrew Hudson out of the final.

Here are the qualifiers:

Women's 5000m Final | 8:07 p.m.

This is it! The best women's 5k field ever assembled at a NCAA Championship. 

Four women own season bests under 15:17, another three are under 15:30, and there's an 8:45 3k runner. Yeah, this is going to be pretty damn awesome. 

My pick to win this race is Weini Kelati. She ran 8:53.98 in the 3000m at the Millrose Games despite falling during the race, and two weeks ago, she ran a 4:37 that converted down to 4:31.70 when accounting for altitude. But there's truly no telling—after all, it has the makings of the greatest collegiate 5k race of all time. And, as a Wisconsinite, I of course want Monson to win. I picked her as my favorite in the 3k.

The gun goes off, and there's a recall. 

WOW. THERE'S A FALSE START, AND IT'S WEINI KELATI!!!!

The official is forgiving, and issues a warning. Whew... 

Five minutes into the race, Allie Ostrander leads it, followed by Sharon Lokedi, Alicia Monson, Charlotte Prouse, Weini Kelati, and Ednah Kurgat. Ostrander wants the pace to be a bit more honest, and started bringing the laps down to the 37-second range right around the 1k mark after opening in 40s. 

Kelati takes over the lead nearly at the halfway mark, but shortly after, Kurgat zooms to the front. Now it's Kelati in the lead with 1k left to go, and Monson is sticking to her shoulder. There's about a five-meter gap between them and the rest of the pack, and at 4,200m, it has grown to 10 meters. Kelati just clicked off a 71.2 400m, but can't shake Monson. 

THERE GOES MONSON! With a lap to go, she has dropped Kelati, who is wearing her pain on her face! She clocks a 69.5 final 400m and a 33.65 final 200m to burn the rest of the greatest NCAA women's 5k field EVER!

MONSON IS YOUR 2019 NCAA 5K CHAMPION!!!!!

ON WISCONSIN, ON WISCONSIN, GRAND OLD BADGER STATE!

?Alicia Monson 5000m National Champion ? #NCAATFpic.twitter.com/YGjgLrLlj0

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Men's 5000m Final | 8:27 p.m.

Can Wisconsin win both the men's and women's 5k titles??? 

I SURE HOPE SO!

This event is absolutely critical to the Badger men's team title hopes, which rest squarely on the shoulders of Morgan McDonald, who needs to win this race to keep the dream alive, and Oliver Hoare, who has to win the mile. In addition, both of them need to run in and hopefully win the DMR, but for now, McDonald has fresh legs, and everyone in the field should be intimidated by that.

Clayton Young of BYU leads it through 600m, clicking off the first lap in 30 seconds and then 35-second splits thereafter. Then it's Iowa State's Edwin Kurgat, and NAU's Luis Grijalva. The leaders are all tightly bunched at the front, and McDonald is hanging loose right behind them.

Five minutes into the race, BYU leads with Connor McMillan and Young, followed by Grijalva and now Vincent Kiprop of Alabama. Later, at almost 3k, the pace has ratcheted up a bit, and they're now rolling in the 32/33-second territory per lap. They're currently on 14-minute pace, and Amon Kemboi from Campbell leads with McDonald on his hip past 3k.

At 3600m, the pace is starting to heat up. They're now running 62-second quarters, and it's still Kemboi, McDonald, and then Joe Klecker of Colorado. 

With just 1k remaining, they're holding steady in the same order and at the same pace. 

Two laps to go, and Kemboi is gassed. It's now McDonald and Klecker, but McDonald is aggressively extending the lead! He's sprinting for home on the backstretch, and it's all McDonald!

DOUBLE 5K WIN FOR WISCO, BABY!!!!!! The 2018 NCAA cross country champion is also the 2019 NCAA 5k champion!

XC Champ. 5K Indoor Champ. Morgan McDonald keeping the streak alive!pic.twitter.com/iN1ft8kBNI

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Women's DMR Final | 8:47 p.m.

The entry list is a bit deceiving—a few teams pulled their best runner due to the 5k: Sharon Lokedi of Kansas, Alicia Monson of Wisconsin and Allie Ostrander of Boise State.

Michigan enters with the top seed, though they lost to Michigan State at last week’s Big Ten Championships and Hannah Meier will run on tired legs from the mile prelims. That’s a theme that runs throughout this event with most of the contenders using athletes on the anchor leg that are doubling back from individual events. 

BYU gets off to a good start with their first two legs, but things are starting to fall apart for them a bit on 800m leg. Susan Ejore, bandaged up from her fall in the mile prelims, overtook Lauren Ellsworth of BYU, but Ejore faded a bit at the end and they handed off almost simultaneously. Now, it's Erica Birk-Jarvis vs. Jessica Hull, and Hull has taken the lead. Hull with fresh legs is dangerous, and Birk-Jarvis already ran a preliminary round in the mile. I'd also be remiss to not mention that McKenzie Dunmore of Oregon threw down a spectacular 52-second 400m leg.

A lot of the field has come back to Hull, and now it's a pack of five teams at the front: Oregon, BYU, Villanova, Arkansas, Oklahoma State!

Down the homestretch, Birk-Jarvis made a terrific effort to stay with Hull, but didn't have enough fuel in the tank. The Ducks have won the 2019 women's DMR title, making it two years in a row. Their time is the eighth-fastest in NCAA history.

Perfectly executed finish by Jessica Hull to bring home another DMR title for the Ducks! #NCAATFpic.twitter.com/kq8uGM7c5M

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019

Men's DMR Final | 9:02 p.m.

Ollie Hoare is running the first leg for the Badgers, which must be because Wisconsin wants to give McDonald more time to recover after the 5k. Five laps in, he isn't leading—instead, it's Alex Rogers of Texas, followed very closely by Iowa State.

WOW. Iowa State DROPPED Texas on the last lap of the 1200m, and now the Cyclones command a massive lead, with Oregon and then Texas and Ole Miss in tow. I don't see how anyone could catch Iowa State at this rate—they've opened up a 30-meter chasm from the rest of the field. 

Eric Brown of Wisconsin made a good move in the final lap to put the Badgers back into the second spot, but Morgan McDonald isn't the one receiving the stick—it's Olin Hacker. 

Yared Nuguse, Notre Dame's hero leg from last year when they won the title, is reeling Iowa State back in! Stanford's Grant Fisher is right behind him now, and then Kyle Mau of Indiana. This Iowa State runner doesn't seem to be running with any urgency... bold move, Cotton.

With a lap to go, Fisher bursts to the lead! Does Nuguse have anything left???

HE DOES!!! HE CAUGHT GRANT FISHER AT THE LINE!!!! THE LUCK OF THE IRISH STRIKES AGAIN, AND NUGUSE IS ONCE AGAIN THE HERO ANCHOR! 3:56 for Nuguse, 3:54 for Fisher!

YARED NUGUSE!
Out-leans Grant Fisher 9:31.55-9:31.70 and @NDXCTF win the DMR National Title! pic.twitter.com/zGrmGL1KvP

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 9, 2019