Weekend Recap: Big Marks Highlight Conference Championships Weekend

Star always shine under the brightest lights.

We saw some exceptional performances during Conference Championships Weekend across the nation in collegiate track & field.

From The USTFCCCA InfoZone: Meets & Results | Records & Lists

Let’s find out which ones stood out the most from an amazing weekend.

How About An All-Time World Best!?

Christopher Morales Williams.

Remember the name.

CMW, as he’s known colloquially, set an all-time world best in the 400 meters at the SEC Indoor Championships on Saturday. The budding star from Georgia turned two laps of the Randal Tyson Track Center oval in 44.49 to take down the former all-time best of 44.52 set by 2018 The Bowerman winner Michael Norman in his award-winning year.

That’s also a collegiate record, but you probably figured that out.

Distin Raises CR In High Jump To 2.00m (6-6¾)

Lamara Distin of Texas A&M smashed the Collegiate Record in the high jump in becoming the first female collegian – indoors or outdoors – to break the 2-meter barrier.

Distin cleared 2.00m (6-6 ¾) on her final attempt Saturday to win the SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. That bettered the 1.98m (6-6) first set in 2009 by Destinee Hooker of Texas and equaled in 2016 by Kansas State’s Akela Jones. Distin’s mark is also higher than the outdoor CR of 1.99m (6-6¼) by Arizona’s Brigetta Barrett in 2013.

Distin had a clean record through 1.97m (6-5½), her previous best indoors or outdoors – it was fourth career clearance over that height. Then came her attempts at the 2-meter barrier – she missed twice before success on her final attempt. She retired, not attempting to go any higher.

Davis Climbs The Record Book

Welcome to the 82-foot club, Jalani.

Jalani Davis of Ole Miss launched a massive PR of 25.09m (82-3¾) to win the weight throw at the SEC Indoor Championships and move up to No. 3 in collegiate history behind Brittany Riley and Shey Taiwo, two athletes who were also coached by Connie Price-Smith and John Smith.

Davis had been No. 5 on the all-time collegiate chart before her massive throw on Friday afternoon. The Ole Miss standout leapfrogged both Annette Echikunwoke and teammate Jasmine Mitchell.

Davis added a second title the next day, winning the shot put with a PR 18.61m (61-0¾).

Rose Improves Her No. 2 All-Time 800 Mark

Michaela Rose of LSU strengthened her position at No. 2 on the all-time indoor 800-meter list, winning the SEC Indoor Championships in 1:59.25.

Her previous indoor best was 1:59.49, set two weeks ago. The only collegian ever to run faster is Texas A&M’s Athing Mu at 1:58.40 in 2021.

Rose was fast from the start, passing 200 in 28.44 and 400 in 57.81. She crossed 600 in 1:28.08, leading by 1.62 seconds. She earned most of her winning margin of 4.51 seconds in the last 200.

Brackins Jumper Last Week, Hurdler This Week

Johnny Brackins Jr. of Southern California clocked the two fastest 60-meter hurdle times of his life at the Ken Shannon Invitational in Seattle. His then-PR 7.57 in the prelims was followed up by a win in the final at 7.55, which equaled the collegiate lead this year by Texas Tech’s Caleb Dean.

Last weekend Brackins won the USATF long jump title on his final attempt at 8.23m (27-0), the second-best this year by a collegian.

No Multi, No Problem For Neugebauer & Steinforth

Leo Neugebauer of Texas and Till Steinforth of Nebraska bypassed the heptathlon at the Big 12 Championships and Big Ten Championships, respectively, as the two lead the nation with scores of 6219 and 6097 points.

Instead, the multi-talented athletes concentrated on individual events, and both won their respective long jumps Friday. Steinforth won the Big Ten on his final attempt, leaping a PR 7.99m (26-2¾). Neugebauer passed his final two jumps, but any of his four measured attempts would have netted him victory, topped by an indoor PR 7.92m (26-0).

Those marks put them No. 9 (Steinforth) and No. 11 (Neugebauer) on the current descending order qualifying list in the NCAA DI long jump.

Cartwright Smashes NCAA DII 60H Record

Denisha Cartwright left no doubt on Saturday.

Cartwright demolished the NCAA DII record in the 60-meter hurdles at the NSIC Indoor Championships. The Minnesota State standout went 7.93 to take 0.12 seconds off the previous all-time best of 8.05 that she shared with former Adams State star Indira Spence.

That also puts Carwright third on the seasonal All-College Descending Order List.

Hyde, Coca Clock Fast Miles

Adams State’s Gracie Hyde and Miguel Coca stamped their names high up another NCAA DII all-time list with victories in the mile at the Ken Shannon Invitational on Washington’s oversized track.

Hyde won the women’s mile in 4:30.90, bettering the previous DII all-times, all-conditions best of 4:31.99 by Berenice Cleyet-Merle of Indianapolis in 2022. Just two weeks ago Hyde smashed the DII 3000 record at 8:58.33 and anchored her Grizzly DMR team to another DII record at 11:08.94.

In the following event, Coca won the men’s race in 3:56.38, which is No. 2 all-time, all-conditions in DII history. Two weeks ago he set the DII record in the 3000 at 7:44.90.