Meet Recap: 2023 NCAA DI Indoor T&F Championships

Collegiate records seemed to fall like dominoes in an exciting NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center!

Teamwise, Arkansas swept the men’s and women’s crowns – the first time that has happened in this meet since 2016, when Oregon collected both championship trophies.

2023 NCAA Indoor T&F Championships – Final Standings
Men’s Teams	Score		Women’s Teams	Score
#1 Arkansas	63		#3 Arkansas	64
#8 Georgia	40		#1 Texas	60
#4 Florida	34		#2 Florida	45
#2 Washington	31		#16 Stanford	33
#3 Texas Tech	29		#8 Georgia	31

Men’s Recap

Three events saw alterations to the collegiate record book. That included a major challenge to the world record.

Heptathlon Lives Up To Expectations

The two-day heptathlon was as good as anticipated as two athletes exceeded Ashton Eaton’s 2010 CR of 6499. Kyle Garland of Georgia won a fabulous competition with 6639 points – just six points away from the world record – as Ayden Owens-Delerme of Arkansas was second in 6518. They now rate No. 2 and No. 3 on the all-time world list.

The titanic clash of titans was hot from the start as both Garland and Owens-Delerme started off on PR pace. Entering with PRs of 6415 and 6272, respectively, they already rated No. 2 and No. 3 all-time collegiately. Garland’s first-day marks included an all-time collegiate heptathlon best of 7.96m (26-1½) in the long jump. He led by 155 points over Owens-Delerme – 3773 to 3618 – going into Saturday’s final three events.

Saturday welcomed Day 2 events, and both started off steaming – Owens-Delerme at 7.73 to break the all-time collegiate heptathlon best in the 60-meter hurdles of 7.74, with Garland and Texas Tech’s Denim Rogers both tieing the old mark.

Both stars added PRs in the pole vault, and Garland closed out his record score with another PR, 2:41.36 in the 1000 meters. Technically, Owens-Delerme – who ran 2:33.14 in scoring 6518 – briefly held the CR (some 8.22 seconds) until Garland finished the event.

Guttormsen Joins 6-Meter Club

Sondre Guttormsen of Princeton already had victory sewn up before embarking on a lifelong dream – to clear pole vaulting’s magical 6-meter barrier. That he did on his second attempt to tie the CR set by KC Lightfoot of Baylor in 2021. He PRed twice in the competition, and runner-up Zach Bradford of Texas Tech matched him at 5.91m (19-4¾) in becoming =No. 5 on the all-time collegiate list.

Hibbert Breaks Triple Jump Record

Jaydon Hibbert of Arkansas opened up the triple jump with a bang, bounding out to 17.54m (57-6½). That broke a school – and collegiate – record that had stood since 1985: Michael Conley’s 17.40m (57-1).

Hibbert’s mark is also a world U20 record. He passed his five other attempts.

McLeod Wins Long Jump

Having led the men’s long jump in round 2 with a jump of 8.22m (26-11¾), Carey McLeod of Arkansas watched as jumper after jumper passed him up. Sitting in fourth place, McLeod went down the runway in round 6 and landed at 8.40m (27-6¾) to capture the lead and move to No. 5 all-time collegiately.

McLeod just inched ahead of Mississippi State’s Cameron Crump, who had tied his PR of 8.39m (27-6½) that has him =No. 6 all-time. Jeremiah Davis of Florida State also had some last-round heroics, leaping 8.37m (27-5½) to be No. 8 all-time, while Wayne Pinnock of Arkansas – the leader after first three rounds – twice jumped 8.33m (27-4), good for =No. 10 all-time.

A total of seven jumpers were over 8 meters (26-3) – the most ever in collegiate competition.

Altitude? What Altitude?

Three men’s distance events had unique all-time bests – fastest-ever collegiate marks at high altitude (1000 meters or higher).

Dylan Jacobs of Tennessee led six runners under the previous 5000 best of 13:46.67 with his 13:37.59 victory on Friday, and Fouad Messaoudi of Oklahoma State led six runners under the previous 3000 best of 7:58.03 with his 7:48.10 win on Saturday. OSU, with Messaoudi running the opening 1200 leg, led five DMR squads under the previous best of 9:33.41 with their 9:28.77 title on Friday.

Women’s Recap

Nine times (!) a collegiate record was altered in the women’s competition, affecting seven events. In addition, American records and even an all-time world best fell. Arkansas sealed team victory with one of those records in the concluding 4×400 relay that set an all-time world best.

Three Records For Alfred

Julien Alfred lowered the CR in the 60 meters for the fourth and fifth time this year. Her 6.96 in Friday’s prelims was only the beginning as she improved to 6.94 in the final Saturday to move to =No. 2 on the all-time world list. The world record is 6.92.

Less than an hour later, Alfred won the 200 in 22.01, taking down the 22.09 CR set last year by 2022 The Bowerman winner Abby Steiner of Kentucky.

Five Records for Moore

Jasmine Moore of Florida also set records on two days, and in two events. She started off in Friday’s long jump, leaping 7.03m (23-0¾) in round 1 to exceed the 6.93m (22-9) CR set by Tara Davis of Texas at this meet in 2021.

On Saturday she twice improved on her own CR the triple jump, first at 15.08m (49-5¾) in round 2, then a final-round effort of 15.12m (49-7¼). Both triple jump marks also bettered the American record. All five of Moore’s measured triple jumps were better than the CR of 14.57m (47-9¾) held by Moore when the meet started.

Second place in the triple jump went to Tennessee’s Charisma Taylor. Her best of 14.88m (48-10) was also better than Moore’s CR when the meet started.

Three Records For Wilson

Britton Wilson of Arkansas stormed two laps of the 200-meter track in 49.48, becoming the first sub-50 collegian indoors and moving to No. on the all-time world list as she also earned an American record.

Wilson came back to anchor the Razorbacks’ victorious 4×400 relay team, which clocked 3:21.75 in smashing the CR of 3:24.09 from last year. Arkansas’s time is the fastest ever achieved by a women’s foursome.

Nugent Nabs Hurdles Record

It took two years – and a new program – but Ackera Nugent of Arkansas got to the podium’s top level in the 60-meter hurdles. The NCAA champion in 2021 while a Baylor, Nugent was never faster. In fact, no collegian ever has been, as she lowered the CR to 7.72 in Friday’s prelims before taking the final in 7.73. Both times were ahead of the previous CR of 7.75 set by Masai Russell of Kentucky in January. Russell matched that time in the final, finishing second.

Two Titles To Tuohy

Katelyn Tuohy of NC State joined Alfred and Moore as winners of two individual events. Tuohy won Friday’s 5000 meters in 16:09.65 before taking Saturday’s 3000 in 9:10.07. The latter time is the fastest known by a collegian at an altitude above 1000 meters.