2016 T&F Collegians Headline NACAC U23 Championships

2016 T&F Collegians Headline NACAC U23 Championships

NEW ORLEANS — If you thought the next time we’re going to see collegians from 2016 go up against each other on the track and in the field is at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, you got another thing coming.

This weekend marks the start of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) U23 Championships. The meet runs from Friday through Sunday in San Salvador, El Salvador.

QUICK LINKS: Meet Home | Performance Lists | Collegians Entered

If all goes according to plan and each collegian who is entered decides to compete in their respective events, we could see some great action.

Here are a few of the events that we’re keeping our eye on this weekend. Check below for the full list of events and let us know on Twitter (@ustfccca) which ones you’re excited about.

Note: Of those athletes entered, 14 will represent their respective countries at the Olympic Games.

Women’s Long Jump

Quanesha Burks vs. Chanice Porter vs. Akela Jones

It’s not often that you get to see the indoor and outdoor champ in NCAA Division I face off against each other in the same year that they won the title. Throw in one of the best non-specialists in the nation and it gets even better.

Alabama’s Quanesha Burks (NCAA DI indoor champ) squares off with Georgia’s Chanice Porter (NCAA DI outdoor champ) with Kansas State’s Akela Jones lording over the proceedings. Burks will represent the United States, Porter her native Jamaica and Jones her native Barbados.

According to the performance list, Burks, Jones and Porter are all seeded better than the meet record of 6.66m set by Jeomi Maduka in 2008. Burks and Jones are separated by one centimeter (6.80m to 6.79m), while Porter is a bit further behind at 6.70m.

Competition begins Sunday morning at 11:40 a.m. ET.

Women’s 800 Meters

Raevyn Rogers vs. Olivia Baker

Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers and Stanford’s Olivia Baker aren’t strangers to each other on the track as they raced three times alone during this past outdoor season. Rogers got the better of Baker each round, including the last matchup at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in which she completed the indoor-outdoor sweep.

Baker and Rogers were on a collision course once again at the U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field, but Baker fell short of making the finals, while Rogers placed fifth in a competitive race.

If Baker and Rogers both stick in Sunday’s NACAC final, they could be pulled to fast times. They’re the third and fourth seed based off the performance list and that’s crazy to think when they’re at 2:00.75 and 2:01.02 already.

Men’s High Jump

Avion Jones vs. Trey Culver

Olympic aspirations eluded Texas Tech’s Trey Culver and East Carolina’s Avion Jones last week. Culver finished in a tie for eighth at the Trials, while Jones no-heighted on 2.16m (7-1).

Should they compete Sunday in the NACAC final and perform up to their seeded marks, they could find the momentum they need going into the long offseason.

Jones is seeded first at 2.31m, with Culver second at 2.26m. Next up is Kansas State’s Christoff Bryan at 2.25m. After that, it falls off to 2.18m and beyond.

The NACAC U23 record is 2.28m, set by Ryasn Ingraham in 2014.

Men’s 400 Meters

Fred Kerley vs. Michael Cherry

Texas A&M’s Fred Kerley (45.10) and LSU’s Michael Cherry (45.11) ended the collegiate season ranked the fourth and fifth fastest men at 400 meters. At this weekend’s NACAC Championships, they’re seeded first and second.

Kerley underwhelmed at Trials (27th in qualifying), while Cherry missed the final by two hundredths of a second.

Both could shine in El Salvador should they compete and make it to Saturday’s final.

Men’s 1500 Meters

Thomas Awad vs. Henry Wynne

Penn’s Thomas Awad and Virginia’s Henry Wynne have unfinished business, not with each other but with the 1500.

Awad was the third fastest collegian this past outdoor season but didn’t get a chance to contest the event at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. He did, however, run at Trials, where he finished 24th in the semifinal round.

Wynne captured the indoor mile title and then took third place outdoors in the 1500 behind Akron’s Clayton Murphy and Washington’s Izaic Yorks.

Awad and Wynne are both entered in Friday’s final — the first one on the track — and are seeded well under the meet record of 3:44.45 set by Oliver Collin in 2010.

Collegians At 2016 NACAC U23 Championships

Name Institution Event Country
Mobolade Ajomale Academy of Art 100 Meters Canada
Sydney Gidabuday Adams State 5000 Meters USA
Patrick Corona Air Force 5000 Meters USA
Tadashi Pinder Alabama 100 Meters Bahamas
Domonique Williams Alabama 400 Meters Trinidad and Tobago
Quanesha Burks Alabama Long Jump USA
Jeremiah Greene Alabama Triple Jump USA
Matthew Campbell Albany High Jump Jamaica
Taliyah Brooks Arkansas Heptathlon USA
Payton Stumbaugh Arkansas 100-Meter Hurdles USA
Erin Farmer Arkansas State Shot Put USA
Ebony Morrison Auburn 100-Meter Hurdles USA
Dage Minors Bermuda 1500 Meters Bermuda
Khadijah Clouden Birginia State 100 Meters US Virgin Islands
Erik Peterson Butler 10,000 Meters USA
Olivia Pratt Butler 10,000 Meters USA
Khalifah Rosser Cal State LA 400-Meter Hurdles USA
Monique Griffiths Cal State Northridge Hammer USA
Tynelle Gumbs Central Arizona Hammer British Virgin Islands
Trevia Gumbs Central Arizona Hammer British Virgin Islands
Eldred Henry Central Arizona Discus British Virgin Islands
Tynelle Gumbs Central Arizona Discus British Virgin Islands
Trevia Gumbs Central Arizona Discus British Virgin Islands
Portious Warren Central Arizona Shot Put Trinidad and Tobago
Trevia Gumbs Central Arizona Shot Put British Virgin Islands
Reuben Walters Central Arizona 110-Meter Hurdles Trinidad and Tobago
Tynelle Gumbs Central Arizona Javelin British Virgin Islands
Eldred Henry Central Arizona Shot Put British Virgin Islands
Hezekiel Romeo Central Arizona Shot Put Trinidad and Tobago
Loretta Blaut Cincinnati High Jump USA
Brandon Valentine-Parris Claflin 400 Meters St. Vincent & Grenadines
Jorel Bellafonte Clemson 400-Meter Hurdles Cayman Islands
Kevin Philbert Cloud County CC Long Jump Curacao
Kevin Philbert Cloud County CC Triple Jump Curacao
Duan Asemota Cofeyville CC 100 Meters Canada
Rudy Winkler Cornell Hammer USA
Taysia Radoslav Cornell 400-Meter Hurdles Canada
Khalil Parris Detroit 400-Meter Hurdles Canada
Amina Banks Duke 1500 Meters USA
Megan Clark Duke Pole Vault USA
Avion Jones East Carolina High Jump USA
Shayla Sanders Florida 100 Meters USA
KeAndre Bates Florida Long Jump USA
Darrielle McQueen Florida Triple Jump USA
Nicole Setterington Florida State 100-Meter Hurdles Canada
Dage Minors Franklin Pierce 800 Meters Bermuda
Dage Minors Franklin Pierce 1500 Meters Bermuda
Natasha Akbarizadeh Gardner-Webb Hammer Canada
Cejhae Greene Georgia 100 Meters Antigua & Barbuda
Kendal Williams Georgia 100 Meters USA
Chanice Porter Georgia Long Jump Jamaica
Paige Kouba Harvard Steeplechase USA
Autumne Franklin Harvard 400-Meter Hurdles USA
Felipe Valencia Houston Shot Put Mexico
Pedrya Seymour Illinois 100-Meter Hurdles Bahamas
Brandon Allen Iona Steeplechase Canada
Aaron Mallett Iowa 110-Meter Hurdles USA
Brian Williams Iowa Central CC Discus USA
Latoya Gilding Jackson State Discus Trinidad and Tobago
Kendra Clarke Johnson C. Smith 400 Meters Canada
Joshua Cunningham Johnson C. Smith 400 Meters Canada
Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye Kansas State Long Jump Turks/Caicos
Sonia Gaskin Kansas State 400 Meters Barbados
Akela Jones Kansas State High Jump Barbados
Akela Jones Kansas State 100-Meter Hurdles Barbados
Rene Perla Kansas State 400-Meter Hurdles El Salvador
Shardia Lawrence Kansas State Triple Jump Jamaica
Christoff Bryan Kansas State High Jump Jamaica
Akela Jones Kansas State Long Jump Barbados
Ranae McKenzie Kansas State 400-Meter Hurdles Jamaica
Sonia Gaskin Kansas State 800 Meters Barbados
William Barnes Kent State 110-Meter Hurdles Puerto Rico
Beckie Famurewa Kentucky Hammer USA
Fred Dorsey Kentucky 100 Meters US Virgin Islands
Fred Dorsey Kentucky Long Jump US Virgin Islands
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn Kentucky 100-Meter Hurdles Puerto Rico
Kiah Seymour Kentucky 400-Meter Hurdles USA
Chrisdale McCarthy Lincoln (Mo.) 100-Meter Hurdles Jamaica
Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme LIU-Brooklyn 400-Meter Hurdles Haiti
Tramaine Maloney Lousiana Tech 110-Meter Hurdles Barbados
Michael Cherry LSU 400 Meters USA
John Krzyszkowski Marquette Javelin Canada
Shakima Wimbley Miami (FL) 400 Meters USA
Agnes Esser Minnesota Hammer Canada
Agnes Esser Minnesota Discus Canada
Raven Saunders Mississippi Shot Put USA
MJ Erb Mississippi Steeplechase USA
Curtis Thompson Mississippi State Javelin USA
Molly Josephs Missouri Baptist 10,000 Racewalk USA
Shavonne Husbands Missouri State 100 Meters Barbados
Shavonne Husbands Missouri State 200 Meters Barbados
Jonathan Addison NC State Long Jump USA
Alexis Perry NC State Long Jump USA
Sarah Firestone Nebraska Javelin USA
Cody Walton Nebraska Decathlon USA
Kayelle Clarke New Mexico JC 200 Meters Trinidad and Tobago
Jermika McBride Northwestern State 200 Meters Bahamas
Sonikqua Walker Ohio State 400 Meters Jamaica
Leya Buchanan Oklahoma 100 Meters Canada
Leya Buchanan Oklahoma 200 Meters Canada
Maria Gomez Olivet Nazarene Triple Jump El Salvador
Maria Gomez Olivet Nazarene Long Jump El Salvador
Itohan Aikhionbare Oregon Shot Put Belize
Raevyn Rogers Oregon 800 Meters USA
Sam Mattis Penn Discus USA
Tommy Awad Penn 1500 Meters USA
Dannielle Gibson Penn State Triple Jump Bahamas
Lauren LaRocco Portland 5000 Meters USA
Carmiesha Cox Purdue 100 Meters Bahamas
Carmiesha Cox Purdue 200 Meters Bahamas
Kyle Webb Purdue 200 Meters Bermuda
Kyle Webb Purdue 400 Meters Bermuda
Evan Karakolis Rice Javelin Canada
Jenny Lopez Saint Ambrose 10,000 Racewalk USA
Anthony Peters Saint Ambrose 20,000 Racewalk USA
Khari Herbert Saint Augustine’s 400 Meters British Virgin Islands
Tia-Adana Belle Saint Augustine’s 100-Meter Hurdles Barbados
Tia-Adana Belle Saint Augustine’s 400-Meter Hurdles Barbados
Holland Cabara Sequoias 100 Meters Trinidad and Tobago
Taylor Hill South Plains 100 Meters British Virgin Islands
Adrian Williams South Plains Javelin St. Kitts & Nevis
Taylor Hill South Plains 200 Meters British Virgin Islands
Devin King Southeastern Louisiana Pole Vault USA
Alexander Young Southeastern Louisiana Hammer USA
Andre Colebrook Southeastern Louisiana 400-Meter Hurdles Bahamas
Jaide Stepter Southern California 400 Meters USA
Tera Novy Southern California Discus USA
Eric Sloan Southern California Triple Jump USA
Warren Hazel Southern Illinois 400 Meters St. Kitts & Nevis
Josh Freeman Southern Illinois Shot Put USA
Mike Tate Southern Utah 1500 Meters Canada
Ann Dagrin St. Johns Hammer Haiti
Daniel Brady Stanford 400-Meter Hurdles Canada
Olivia Baker Stanford 800 Meters USA
Freddie Crittenden Syracuse 110-Meter Hurdles USA
Kali Davis-White Tennessee 100 Meters Jamaica
Chelsea Blaase Tennessee 10,000 Meters USA
Kali Davis-White Tennessee 200 Meters Jamaica
Clairwin Dameus Tennessee State Heptathlon USA
Audie Wyatt Texas A&M Pole Vault USA
Lathone Collie Texas A&M Long Jump Bahamas
Chrisann Gordon Texas A&M 400 Meters Jamaica
Fred Kerley Texas A&M 400 Meters USA
Shelbi Vaughan Texas A&M Discus USA
Robert Grant Texas A&M 400-Meter Hurdles USA
Lathone Collie Texas A&M Triple Jump Bahamas
Trey Culver Texas Tech High Jump USA
Braheme Days UCLA Shot Put USA
Zack Bornstein UCLA Decathlon Canada
Bryce Miller UMKC Steeplechase USA
Ian LaMere UW-Platteville 10,000 Meters USA
Simone Charley Vanderbilt Triple Jump USA
Henry Wynne Virginia 1500 Meters USA
Richard Crick Virginia State Triple Jump St. Vincent & Grenadines
Richard Crick Virginia State Long Jump St. Vincent & Grenadines
Jessie Merckle Wake Forest Javelin USA
Tayla Carter Western Carolina 100 Meters Bahamas
Ian Kerr Western Texas College 100 Meters Bahamas
Damien Odle Wichita State Javelin USA
Georgia Ellenwood Wisconsin High Jump Canada
Georgia Ellenwood Wisconsin Long Jump Canada