Weekend Recap: All-Time Marks Canvas Conference Championships Weekend

EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ll continue to update this post throughout the weekend.

Collegiate track & field athletes weren’t going to slow down on Conference Championships Weekend.

With conference glory on the line, those athletes are picking up the pace – and then some.

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Numerous all-time marks will dot and have dotted the national landscape across divisions.

Here are some of the biggest moments from another jam-packed weekend.

Alfred Makes It Look Easy

Julien Alfred.

All-time mark.

Rinse, repeat.

Collegiate record.

Rinse, repeat.

Alfred, competing at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in Lubbock, Texas, sizzled the track to the tune of 7.03 in the first round of the 60 meters. That was good enough for the third-fastest mark in collegiate history, only behind two of her own efforts from earlier this season – 7.00 and 7.02.

In the final, Alfred went even faster – 6.97. It is the fourth time she has broken the existing collegiate record, starting with a 7.04 in last year’s NCAA Indoor prelims. She now rates =No. 8 on the all-time world list.

Alfred was also spectacular in the 200, burning a lap of Texas Tech’s 200-meter oval in 22.26 for another victory. Her time makes her No. 2 collegian all-time behind Kentucky’s Abby Steiner, who ran 22.09 last year en route to winning The Bowerman.

Madness, Two Laps At A Time

How long does a collegiate record last these days?

Try 90 minutes – at least that’s how much time elapsed between Rhasidat Adeleke of Texas setting the 400-meter collegiate record at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and Talitha Diggs of Florida ripping that all-time best right out of Adeleke’s hands at the SEC Indoor Championships.

Adeleke started the record-breaking fun with her 50.33 winner in Lubbock, Texas, which shaved 0.01 seconds off the previous best of 50.34 set by Kendall Ellis of Southern California at the 2018 NCAA DI Indoor Championships.

Then Diggs traversed two laps in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the rest – well, as they say – is history (for now). Diggs went 50.15 to not only trump Adeleke, but set an American record (formerly held by Ellis) and equaled the eighth-best performer in world history.

Can’t Keep Up With This Jones

Don’t tell us you forgot about Terrence Jones.

After all, he’s the co-collegiate record holder in the 60 meters.

Well, Jones made his 2023 debut in the event at the Big 12 Indoor Championships on Friday and it was memorable. Jones clocked 6.46 in the first round, matching the fourth-fastest mark in collegiate history.

The Texas Tech standout is tied with 2017 The Bowerman winner Christian Coleman and former BYU star Leonard Myles-Mills at the top of the all-time chart and equaled former Arizona State star Marcus Brunson in fourth.

Jones returned to the track to win the final in 6.48.

Moore Soars In The Long Jump

Jasmine Moore, who owns the collegiate indoor record in the triple jump, nearly added the long jump to her collection in winning the SEC Indoor Championships with a leap of 6.91m (22-8).

The Florida junior now rates =No. 2 all-time, just behind the CR of 6.93m (22-9) set by Tara Davis of Texas in 2021.

Moore hit her big jump in round 1, then came close again with a second-round effort of 6.86m (22-6¼), the No. 8 performance in collegiate history. She is the only collegian with more than one jump at or better than 6.86 (22-6¼). Moore – who entered with an indoor PR of 6.75m (22-1¾) from last year’s SEC Indoor Championships – added a 6.64m (21-9½) effort in round 3, then passed her final three attempts.

Any of her three jumps would have given her the title, her career eighth SEC crown combining indoor and outdoor. Moore added a ninth title a day later, winning the triple jump at 14.09m (46-2¾).

Crump Cleared For Takeoff

If you didn’t know the name Cameron Crump before Friday, now you do.

The Mississippi State standout soared 8.39m (27-6½) on his fifth attempt at the SEC Indoor Championships to move up to No. 5 on the all-time collegiate chart. That was also the second-best jump by a collegian since 2002 with only 2021 The Bowerman winner JuVaughn Harrison standing in front of him in that regard with his 8.45m (27-8¾) effort from two years ago.

Crump won a historic competition that saw the top-2 athletes both span 8.31m (27-3¼) or farther. Arkansas jumper Wayne Pinnock held the lead at 8.31m (27-3¼) since Round 2, but Crump flew past him in Round 5 (Pinnock, who moved up to No. 9 in collegiate history with that mark, passed on all of his remaining attempts).

Russell Just Misses Own Record

Masai Russell was close to her own collegiate record of 7.75 in the 60-meter hurdles at the SEC Indoor Championships. She also got her closest race of the year, as Ackera Nugent of Arkansas was right with her.

The two were neck-and-neck throughout, with neither having a big edge. Russell was first off the final hurdle and gained most of her winning margin of 0.04 seconds on the run-in. At 7.77, Russell registered the No. 2 performance all-time collegiately, while Nugent – the NCAA Indoor champ in 2021 while at Baylor – PRed at 7.81 to become =No. 4 collegian all-time.

More Like Blast-kowski

Sam Blaskowski keeps lowering the record and raising the bar.

Blaskowski, competing at the WIAC Indoor Championships on Friday, bettered his own NCAA Division III record in the 60 meters to 6.65. Lest we forget to mention that Blaskowski clocked that mark in the prelims and still has the semifinals and final to go on Saturday.

Already the owner of the division’s 200-meter record, Blaskowski took outright control of the 60-meter version last week at the USATF Indoor Championships when he clocked identical 6.67 marks. The first qualified him for the final, while the second placed him fifth in the decisive heat.

Blaskowski equaled his 6.65 effort in the final to win the title.

Make It Two For McBride

Matt McBride already had one NCAA DIII all-time best.

He figured, “Why not make it two?”

McBride, competing at the OAC Indoor Championships, covered 500 meters in 1:03.52 to better the previous record of 1:03.71 by 0.19 seconds.

He is also the fastest in NCAA DIII history over 600 meters with his 1:17.93 effort earlier this season at the SPIRE Midwest Open. However, that mark counts on the all-conditions chart since it occurred on the oversized oval at the SPIRE Institute.

Speaking Of Double Record-Holders

Ryan Wilson of MIT wasn’t done with his NCAA DIII record in the mile.

Wilson, competing on the same track where he set his mile record earlier this season, took down the 11-year-old division best in the 800 meters with his 1:46.61 winner at the Last Chance Indoor Qualifier in Boston.

Two weeks ago, Wilson went 3:55.29 for the mile record.

Using the All-College Descending Order List before this weekend, Wilson would be tied for sixth in the 800 and alone in 12th in the mile.

Curtabbi Breaks DII 3000 Record, Uwajeneza Into Top-3

West Texas A&M had a pair of Lady Buffs make NCAA Division II history in Boston.

Eleonora Curtabbi smashed the NCAA DII record in the Women’s 3000 Meters with her 9:08.10 effort Sunday afternoon. Curtabbi beat the previous record of 9:11.41 set by Celine Ritter of Lee (Tenn.) in 2021.

Joining Curtabbi on the all-time list is Florance Uwajeneza, who went 9:14.35 in the same heat to become the No. 3 performer on the all-time list.

El Bouchayby Sets DII 800 Record

Oussama El Bouchayby took advantage of Last Chance Weekend.

The Angelo State mid-distance standout broke the NCAA Division II record in the Men’s 800 Meters, clocking a blistering 1:47.11 at the Last Chance Indoor Qualifier in Boston. That bettered the previous best of 1:47.34 set by Selasi Lumax of Southern Connecticut exactly 11 years ago to this day.

El Bouchayby only trails the all-conditions bests of 1:46.27 by Thomas Staines of CSU Pueblo in 2019 and 1:46.52 by Drew Windle of Ashland in 2014.

Bearcats Clock All-Conditions Bests

It was a good day for Northwest Missouri in the 600 Yards at the MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Luisarys Toledo got the party started by capturing the women’s crown in 1:19.66 to top the previous best of 1:21.45 set by Maria Diamond of Lincoln (MO.) last year. Toledo is the first DII athlete to go sub-1:20 in the event.

Raheem Williams then completed the sweep after winning the men’s title in 1:09.82, beating the previous best of 1:09.74 set by Luke Stenzel of Emporia State in 2018.

Cunningham Throws Down Big Time Mark

Lindsay Cunningham of Winona State threw down a big time mark on Minnesota State’s 200-meter flat track.

Cunningham clocked 15:48.66 in the Women’s 5000 Meters to win by more than a minute at the NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships. She is now the No. 2 performer in NCAA Division II history, only trailing the record of 15:47.88 set by Brianna Robles of Adams State earlier this year.

Cartwright Turns In Two All-Time Performances

Cartwright turned in two all-time performances on Day 1 of the NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

In her signature event, Cartwright turned in a blistering time of 8.11 in the 60-meter hurdles, which is the ninth-best mark on the NCAA Division II all-time chart. She ran 8.07 twice this season to match the No. 2 performer in NCAA DII history.

Cartwright then returned to the track for the prelims of the 60 meters, clocking 7.23 to become the outright No. 4 performer on the DII all-time chart. She was previously in a three-way tie for No. 4 at 7.24, with one of the athletes being teammate Makayla Jackson.

In the finals, Cartwright won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.22 and the 60 meters in 7.27. She also topped the podium in the 200 with her 23.79 winner.

Gorillas Rewrite 60H All-Time Chart

Cordell Tinch of Pittsburg State continues to leave his mark on the NCAA Division DII all-time chart in the 60-meter hurdles.

Tinch went 7.56 in the prelims at the MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, clocking the third-fastest mark in DII history. Tinch now owns four of the five fastest times ever recorded by a DII athlete, including the divisional record of 7.50 he set earlier this year.

In the finals on Sunday afternoon, Tinch clocked 7.58 to win the MIAA crown. That is the fourth-best mark on the all-time chart.

Not to be outdone, teammate TJ Caldwell cemented his spot as one of the best hurdlers in divisional history. Caldwell finished to Tinch in the finals with a 7.64 showing, making him the No. 3 performer in NCAA DII history.