USTFCCCA News & Notes
Meet Recap: 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships
Champions will be crowned in Track Town, USA.
That’s because the 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships are being held over the next few days at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
QUICK LINKS: National Championships Central | Timing Site
Scroll below to read more about the race for the team title and daily recaps of some of the biggest moments from the NCAA Championships.
2024 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships – Team Standings |
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Men’s Team
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Points
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Women’s Team
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Points
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No. 3 Florida
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41
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No. 1 Arkansas
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63
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No. 13 Auburn
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40
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No. 5 Florida
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59
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No. 4 Southern California
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33
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No. 3 Texas
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41
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No. 2 Alabama
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32
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No. 4 Oregon
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40.5
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No. 5 Texas A&M
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31
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No. 10 Ole Miss
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38
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Men’s Recap
Four teams had realistic shots of winning the national title entering the climatic 4×400 relay: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Southern California. Three of those had relay teams entered – Alabama, Florida, and Southern California – and all were within eight points of leading Auburn.
When the dust settled, the two-time defending champion Gators stood tall.
Florida finished third in the blink-your-eyes-and-you-miss-it-fast relay, where the top-3 teams all went sub-2:59.00, which was just enough to edge the Tigers by one point, 41-40. That was the closest margin of victory since Texas A&M eked out a victory over Florida State back in 2011. The Gatos captured their third consecutive title, giving them five since 2016 and seven in program history, tying Oregon for the fourth-most in NCAA DI history.
Auburn carried the momentum from a meet-opening victory in the 4×100 relay to post its best finish since 2008. The Tigers ripped around the track in 38.03 to become the third-fastest program in collegiate history. Two of those athletes on the relay returned to finish 2-3 in the 100 meters: Favour Ashe and Kanyisola Ajayi in second and third, respectively.
Sprints led the way for Houston, too. The Cougars received an individual national title from Louie Hinchliffe in the 100 meters with Shawn Maswanganyi adding two points with a seventh-place effort. Houston received 12 more points from its third-place 4×400 relay and a clutch third-place effort in the pole vault from Christyn Sampy. The Cougars tied their best finish in program history at this meet.
Southern California, Alabama, and Texas A&M all finished within one point of each other in third (33), fourth (32), and fifth (31), respectively.
Women’s Recap
It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.
And Arkansas finished with a flourish on Saturday.
The Razorbacks, led by their stable of 400-meter athletes, overcame a slow start on the final day of the 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor Championships to win their third outdoor national title in program history. Arkansas ended up with 63 points, four more than runner-up Florida.
Nickisha Pryce played a huge role in the Razorback victory, as did Amber Anning, Kaylyn Brown and Rosie Effiong. Price set a collegiate record in winning the 400 meters of 48.98, while her teammates took second, third, and fourth to give Arkansas 29 points in that event alone. That quartet returned to the track later to claim victory in the 4×400 with a resounding 3:17.96 CR where Effiong, Pryce and Brown split 49.21, 49.20 and 49.05, on the second, third and fourth legs, respectively.
Twenty of Florida’s 59 points came from Parker Valby, who completed the distance double. Valby won the 10,000 meters on Thursday night and then set an absolute collegiate record of 14:52.18 to win the 5000-meter crown on Saturday. The Gators also received an event title from Grace Stark in the 100-meter hurdles when she clocked a collegiate-leading 12.47.
Texas and Oregon were within 0.5 points of each other in third and fourth at 40.5 and 40 points, respectively, while Ole Miss took fifth with 38 points. McKenzie Long shined for the Rebels with a Triple Crown, which includes victories in the 4×100, 100 and 200 meters.
Saturday, June 8 – Women’s Day 2
Here are some notable happenings from Championship Saturday!
Fight On, Jasmine!
Jasmine Jones wasn’t going to be denied.
The Southern California standout galloped to a meet-record victory in the 400-meter hurdles on Saturday at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. Jones stopped the clock at 53.15 to topple Kori Carter’s 11-year-old meet best of 53.21, which also rates Jones as the No. 2 performer in collegiate history.
Defending champion Sabrina Sutherland of Michigan finished runner-up.
Crimson In Triumph
Maia Ramsden is the Queen of the Metric Mile.
Already crowned as the imperial champion during the indoor season, Ramsden added the 1500-meter version on Saturday at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. Ramsden pulled away from the pack with about 600 meters to go to finish in 4:06.62, which is the tenth fastest mark in collegiate history.
The Harvard standout finished the year with four all-time top-10 marks on the ledger from this season alone: No. 2 (4:02.58), No. 4 (4:05.65), No. 7 (4:06.00) & No. 10.
Friday, June 7 – Men’s Day 2
Here are some notable happenings from Championship Friday!
Dean Sizzles 400-Meter Hurdles
Caleb Dean hurdled his way into the record book on Friday.
Dean clocked a 47.23 PR to win the final of the 400-meter hurdles and move up to No. 2 on the all-time collegiate chart behind 2018 The Bowerman finalist Rai Benjamin at 47.02.
The Texas Tech standout also became the only man in NCAA DI history to win both the 60-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles – let alone in the same year.
Holy 4×400, Batman!
First, look at these marks – 2:58.37, 2:58.83, 2:58.98.
Then, look at these splits – 43.17, 43.20, 43.84, 43.91.
That’s how fast the Men’s 4×400 Relay was on Friday night.
Texas A&M, anchored by Auhmad Robinson in 43.20, won the race in a meet-record 2:58.37, followed by runner-up Arkansas in 2:58.83 and Florida in 2:58.98. James Benson II one-upped Robinson on the fourth leg, splitting a ridiculous 43.17. Those marks by both the Aggies and the Razorbacks crack the all-time top-10 and shatter school records.
Division. Doesn’t. Matter.
Cheickna Traore is now a two-division, 200-meter champion.
Traore, who won the NCAA DIII title last year in a division-record 20.25 while at Ramapo, took down a talented field on Friday night to capture the NCAA DI version at Hayward Field. The Penn State standout stopped the clock at 19.95 to beat Robert Gregory of Florida to the line by 0.13 seconds.
Back in 2019, Wadeline Jonathas made similar headlines when she won the 400-meter crown at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships representing South Carolina, just one year after ruling NCAA DIII with an iron fist while at UMass Boston.
Thursday, June 6 – Women’s Day 1
Here are some notable happenings from the second day of competition.
Valby Reigns Over 10,000 Meters
Like there was ever a doubt.
Parker Valby bided her time in the 10,000-meter final on Thursday night. When the time was right, Valby struck and opened an insurmountable gap on the rest of the field, eventually winning the event title by more than five seconds in a meet-record 31:46.09.
Valby, already the collegiate record-holder in the 25-lapper at 30:50.43, added another all-time top-10 mark to the ledger. Behind her, the next five finishers secured PRs, none faster than Hilda Olemomoi of Alabama, who is now the eight fastest woman in collegiate history.
Timberg Vaults To New Heights
Chloe Timberg wanted the meet record – and got it.
The Rutgers standout cleared 4.71m (15-5½) on Thursday at the 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships to take down a nine-year-old all-time best set by 2015 The Bowerman finalist Demi Payne. How much did Timberg eclipse Payne’s mark by? Try just one centimeter.
Timberg had the victory locked up when eventual runner-up Riley Felts of Charlotte couldn’t clear a bar past 4.55m (14-11). Felts missed on her first attempt at the next two bars before trying to prolong the competition at 4.70m (15-5). That ultimately led to another miss.
Rutgers never had an outdoor national champion until now.
1500-Meter Final Will Be Epic
Get your popcorn ready.
If Thursday’s semifinal rounds of the Women’s 1500 Meters were a sign of things to come, we’re in for a treat come Saturday.
4:05.99 – That’s what Samantha Flockhart of Providence ran to win Heat 1 and just miss the meet record by 0.01 seconds.
4:06.00 – That’s what Maia Ramsden of Harvard ran to win Heat 2 and just miss the meet record by 0.02 seconds.
4:09.91 – That’s what Olivia Howell of Texas ran to be the final time qualifier.
Eat ‘Em Up Cats
The top-3 finishers in the women’s hammer all set PRs.
None threw farther than Elisabet Runarsdottir of Texas State.
Runarsdottir hurled the implement 70.47m (231-2) to win the event by nearly two feet over Tara Simpson-Sullivan of Rice, who threw 69.94m (229-5). Jalani Davis of Ole Miss took third place with a mark of 69.86m (229-2).
This is Texas State’s first outdoor event title since Inez Turner went back-to-back in the 800 meters 29 years ago.
Wednesday, June 5 – Men’s Day 1
Here are some notable happenings from the first day of competition.
California Triumph
Rowan Hamilton is a two-division champion.
Hamilton, who transferred to California from NAIA British Columbia, won the hammer title on Wednesday. The Canadian hurled the implement 77.18m (253-2) to beat defending champion Kenneth Ikeji of Harvard by two inches (Ikeji threw a season best 77.12m (253-0) in Round 3, the same round in which Hamilton notched his best).
That gave Hamilton his fourth career national title, adding to the three he won in the NAIA. Hamilton topped the podium in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Of note: Hamilton’s title gave California its first men’s hammer victory since Jack Merchant won 102 years earlier with a mark of 161-4.
Forward, Rebels
Before Wednesday, Ole Miss had won seven individual men’s titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships – but never in a throwing event.
Notice that we said “before Wednesday,” though.
Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan changed that in a big way in 2024.
Robinson-O’Hagan captured the shot put crown with a majestic collegiate-leading throw of 20.88m (68-6). He put together a solid field series, eclipsing 20.19m (66-3) on each of his four measured marks.
Hail To Thee, New Mexico
Habtom Samuel entered the NCAA Championships as the favorite to win the 10,000-meter title. That’s what happens when you run the event’s second-fastest mark in collegiate history of 26:53.84 back in March at The TEN.
Well, Samuel lived up to the hype – and overcame a fall, not a stumble – with 900 meters to go to take top individual honors at Hayward Field. Samuel kicked past Victor Kiprop of Alabama down the stretch and stopped the clock at 28:07.82 for the second-fastest winning mark since 2013.
Neugebauer Opens Hot In The Decathlon
Defending decathlon champion Leo Neugebauer of Texas had a sensational start to defending his title – and perhaps breaking his collegiate record of 8836 set last year.
He was best in the field in three of Day 1’s five events, scoring 4685 points – the highest ever by a collegian – to build a 257-point lead over Mississippi State’s Peyton Bair, who got Day 1 rocking with a dec meet record in the 100 (10.30, bettering the 10.37 by Oregon’s Ashton Eaton in 2010).
Neugebauer is 94 points ahead of the pace he set in last year’s meet, projecting him to 8930. His Day 1 included a decathlon CR in the shot put with a heave of 17.46m (57-3½). He had the previous best at 17.26m (56-7½).