There is no word to describe the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Riveting, historical, and exhilarating would be the best descriptors, but none truly grasp the championships complete aura.
The championships produced several national records and became the perfect storybook ending for many athletes. While everyone fought their hardest, some storylines deserve special recognition.
McKenzie Long Accomplishes The Triple Crown
McKenzie Long started her triple crown run in the 4x100-meter relay. Her teammates Akilah Lewis, a world championship qualifier, Gabrielle Mathews, an All-American in the 400-meter hurdles, and Jahniya Bowers, the senior and newly crowned national champion, worked together effortlessly to rewrite the Ole Miss history books. These four women broke their school record during the preliminary rounds on Thursday. They went on to win the finals and become the first squad in Ole Miss history to win the national title.
Shortly after, Long lined up for the 100-meter dash. All eyes were on the 60-meter national champion Brianna Lyston from LSU. Jaydyn Mays and Rosemary Chukwuma were two other women with a strong chance of winning the national crown. Although Mays and Lyston got the best of Long during the first phases of the race, she found another gear and surged to her second victory of the day, running 10.82 seconds.
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She only had one more event to win to become a three-time national champion. Long showed her dominance in the 200-meter dash during the SEC championships, where she won the event for the second year in a row and ran the world lead at the time. Long fought alongside the U20 American record holder and indoor national champion Jameesia Ford. Much like the 100-meter dash, Long found more in her tank and pushed past her competition to run 21.83. Only Abby Steiner has run faster in NCAA history.
Unfortunately, earlier this year, Long unexpectedly lost her mother. Battling the pain of losing a parent and striving for athletic success was and currently is a difficult path for her to face. Despite the tough times, she's made it her mission to continue improving on her accomplishments with a strong support system in her corner.
Long has always been in the conversation when it came to national championship success. However, she just needed the perfect moment to execute her dreams. Accomplishing the triple crown at her final meet as a Rebel was the perfect way to end her collegiate career.
Grace Stark and Parker Valby Earn 30 Points For The Florida Gators
A comeback story to remember came from Florida Gator Grace Stark. In March 2022, Stark tied the previous collegiate record in the 60-meter hurdles. Later that season, Stark fell at the SEC Championships, resulting in her needing two surgeries. She found her way back on the track a year later but could not quite reach the form she had been in previously. However, her resiliency paid off in several ways this season. She won the indoor and outdoor SEC titles in the hurdles and became the 60-meter hurdle national champion. Stark had a storybook ending to her season where she won the outdoor national title and had a new personal best of 12.47 seconds.
Stanford was prepared to showcase their supremacy during the 800-meter final. Most fans had their eyes on Michaela Rose, the number two all-time runner in NCAA history. Spectators also felt Sanu Jallow had a solid chance to defeat Rose if the opportunity presented itself. However, sophom*ores Roisin Willis and Juliette Whittaker showed they were the ones to watch. Whittaker ran a tactical race and stuck by Rose's side until she was prepared to kick for the win. Willis sat in the back majority of the race but took a wide swing on the final stretch to take down everyone and snag second place.
This is not the first time Whittaker and Willis went 1-2 at the national championship. During the 2023 indoor championship, Willis became the national champion in the event while Whittaker followed closely and earned second. Both women were freshmen at the time.
Parker Valby from Florida showed herself to be the best NCAA distance runner since Katelyn Touhy. Valby earned gold medals in 10k and 5k during the championship. In the 5k, she broke the collegiate record, running 14:52.18, about two-tenths off the Olympic qualifying standard.
Arkansas Shatters NCAA Ceiling In The 400-Meter Dash
It has been a well-known fact all season that the Arkansas Razorbacks had the best 400-meter squad in the country. Their team had four women with personal bests better than 50 seconds. Not too long ago, a 50-second 400-meter time could win a national championship title. However, the Razorbacks have made it clear that those days are over.
Arkansas occupied four out of nine lanes in the women's 400-meter final. These women were lucky enough to be seeded next to each other in the competition. As unbelievable as it was to watch, fans fully expected Arkansas to do a first through fourth-place sweep. Only a few schools and events in NCAA history have swept the podium in a singular event. Arkansas became the next school added to this list.
The new Jamaican national record holder, Nickisha Pryce, led their sweep. The senior was close to breaking her country's record several weeks ago at the SEC Championships. She made it her mission at Hayward Field to secure 10 points for her team and become the fastest woman in Jamaican and NCAA history, running 48.89 seconds. Her time bested the previous collegiate record from her former teammate Britton Wilson by over two-tenths of a second. It also lowered the Jamaican record by almost half a second.
The silver medal went to Kaylyn Brown, the 19-year-old freshman. Brown ran 49.13 seconds, which equaled the previous collegiate record. Amber Anning finished third, running 49.59 seconds, which is close to her personal best. Rosey Effiong secured the fourth place spot, running a personal best of 49.72 seconds.
To top it off, Isabella Whittaker, the fifth-place finisher from UPenn, will be transferring to Arkansas in the fall.
Arkansas completed their historical run at the end of the day during the 4x400-meter relay. During the West Regional qualifiers, the quartet broke the collegiate record and ran 3:21.92. They shattered that record by 4 seconds at the NCAA championships and ran 3:17.98. Their time was 6 seconds faster than the second-place team.
Division II and Division III Transfers Takeover The Division I National Championships
When people think of divisions in the NCAA, many believe that Division I athletes are the best. While this statement has statistical truth, some from other divisions transcend this sentiment. This year, it was Shane Cohen and Cheickna Traore.
Shane Cohen was an athlete at the University of Tampa before transferring to Virginia. While competing at Tampa, Cohen was a Division II All-American in the 800-meters in 2022. Shane Cohen was running consistently well during his final meets of the season this year; however, many fans expected Sam Whitmarsh from Texas A&M to win the game. Cohen sat in the back of the pack for most of the 800-meter final. He found a second gear and worked through the tough crowd of competitors. His efforts gained him his first national title at his first DI nationals. Whitmarsh fought well and narrowly earned silver.
Cheickna Traore was a DIII athlete at Ramapo. Traore was the DIII national champion and record holder in the 200-meter before he transferred to Penn State. He adjusted well to the competitive environment and went on a mission to win his first national title as a DI athlete. Traore ran a personal best during the East Regional qualifiers and rewrote history in several books. He became the first Ivory Coast man to run under 20 seconds, earning him a national record. This also made him the fastest man in Penn State history. He used these accomplishments to boost his confidence during the 200-meter final at the championships. He is now Penn State's first-ever national champion in the event.
Caleb Dean Runs Second Fastest Time in NCAA History; Florida Gator Men Win National Title
Caleb Dean did not let injuries stop him from becoming one of the fastest men in the NCAA for the 400-meter hurdles. Dean limited his competition opportunities to nurse an injury throughout the season. While this happened, spectators focused on 2023 national champion Chris Robinson and Tennessee's Clement Ducos. These men developed a rivalry throughout the year, constantly going back and forth during each race they had together.
As expected, Robison and Ducos ran well during the preliminary rounds, but Dean blew the competition out of the water. He ran 48.05, which was a personal best for him and the fastest time of the day on Wednesday. When the finals happened on Friday, Ducos pulled up due to a hamstring cramp. Robinson ran extremely well, but Dean was unstoppable. Dean ran 47.23 seconds, which is number two all-time in NCAA history. Only Rai Benjamin has run faster as a collegiate.
The men's 4x400-meter relay did not disappoint. Three teams went under 2:59 in hopes of winning a national title. However, only one team reigned victorious; Texas A&M. The Aggie quartet of Jevon O'Bryant, Cutler Zamzow, Kimar Farquharson, and Auhmad Robinson ran 2:58.37. Their anchor leg, Robinson, ran with a chip on his shoulder. Although he placed top three in the 400-meter final, he was unfortunately disqualified. Robinson used that to fuel his fire for a national title and split 43.20 seconds to solidify the Aggie's win. Robinson has a strong history of running that fast on relays. When he competed for Stephen F. Austin several years ago, he ran a split that was only ever bested by Michael Norman in the NCAA history books at the time and helped his team go from the middle of the pack to second place.
Arkansas fought hard for their silver trophy. Their relay was anchored by James Benson II, who ran a split faster than Robinson at 43.17 seconds. This became the fastest relay split in NCAA history.
Florida's squad placed third, adding six points to their overall team score. For Florida to clinch the national team title, they needed to place third or better in the relay. Their six points moved the team total up to 41, which earned them the team title by one point. Auburn placed second as a team with 40 points.
