What to Watch For: Collegians in Day One of Rio T&F

NEW ORLEANS – Track & field action gets underway today at the Rio Olympics, and collegians are kicking it off in style.

Here’s some highlights of what’s in store for this season’s collegiate stars as they descend on the world’s biggest stage:

• Reigning NCAA heptathlon champion Kendell Williams of Georgia and 2015 champ Akela Jones of Kansas State renew their rivalry in the Olympic heptathlon.
• NCAA Outdoor 5000- and 10,000-meter national champion Dominique Scott of Arkansas competes in the women’s 10,000 meters final
• Akron’s Clayton Murphy and Mississippi State’s Brandon McBride take the track in the 800 heats. Though in separate heats, the two are on a potential collision course. Murphy is the reigning indoor 800m and outdoor 1500m champ, while McBride is the third-fastest collegian ever at 800 meters and is a two-time NCAA champion.
• Collegiate shot put record holder and Bowerman Finalist Raven Saunders of Ole Miss will seek to qualify for the final in the morning, and then take the final by storm in the evening. She is the former World Junior Champion in this event, and will look to replicate her success on the senior circuit.
• Another Bowerman Finalist in Arkansas’ Jarrion Lawson will look to qualify for Saturday’s final in the long jump. He has the farthest wind-legal mark of anyone in the field and we tabbed him as a medal contender earlier this week.
• No collegian has ever thrown farther in the hammer than DeAnna Price of Southern Illinois. She’ll have her work cut out for her this week, though, as the 12th seed among the competitors in Rio. That journey starts today with the qualifying rounds.

Here’s the full list of collegians in competition today, with details on how to follow their events.