Day 1 Highlights from the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships Friday, March 3 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Abby Steiner heads into the 200m final with the fastest qualifying time of 22.45 in the 200m heats. Steiner set the collegiate and the US indoor record clocking 22.09 last February. Only Jamaican legend Merlene Ottey ran faster in history when she set the world indoor record of 21.87 in Liévin in 1993. Favour Ofili ran the second fastest time with 22.66.
Men’s long jump final:
Wayne Pinnock won the men’s long jump with 7.92m beating Carey McLeod by just one cm. Matthew Boling finished third with 7.86m in the fifth round improving his seventh place from last year’s edition of the NCAA Indoor Championships. After two jumps Boling set his indoor PB in the 60 metres heats clocking 6.56 to qualify automatically for the final. Boling edged out Rikkoi Brathwaite with the same time.
Favour Ashe from Nigeria won the first heat with 6.51 beating Lawrence Johnson (6.57) and Kasaun James (6.59).
Micah Williams and Terrence Jones, who entered these championships with their PBs of 6.48 and 6.45, were disqualified for a false start.
After completing the long jump competition Boling took to lane six to run the 200 metres heats and secured his spot in the final with the fastest time of 20.42. Javonte Harding clocked the second fastest time in the heats with 20.51.
Women’s 60 metres heats:
Julien Alfred from Santa Lucia broke the collegiate indoor record clocking 7.04 in the heats of the women’s 60 metres of the NCAA Division 1 Finals Indoor Championships in Birmingham (Alabama). Only Poland’s Ewa Swoboda ran faster this year setting the world seasonal best with 6.99 at last week’s Polish Indoor Championships in Torun.
Alfred entered the NCAA Finals with a previous PB of 7.12. Coastal Carolina’s Melissa Jefferson set a lifetime best of 7.10.
Jady Mays of Oregon set the seventh fastest time in collegiate history with 7.09 to win the second heat ahead of Abby Steiner, who got through to the final in 7.14. African 200m indoor record holder Favour Ofili got through to the final as a fastest loser with 7.18, the time needed to qualify for the final.
Grace Stark of Florida won the third heat in 7.10.
Double European Under 20 champion Rhasidat Adeleke finished third in the second heat improving the Irish indoor record to 7.17.
Alia Armstrong did not get through to the final by just 0.003 after clocking 7.18 in the heat. Jamaica’s Kemba Nelson, who won the NCAA Finals last year with the previous NCAA record of 7.05, did not advance to the final after clocking 7.21 in her heat.
Men’s 60 metres hurdles heats:
Florida State’s Trey Cunningham leads the qualifiers in the men’s 60 metres hurdles clocking 7.50 in his heat.
Defending Champion Micah Williams and world-leader Terrence Jones both both were disqualified for false-starting in the heats.
Men’s pole vault final:
Sondre Guttormsen from Norway won the men’s pole vault with 5.75m. Zach McWorther took second place with 5.70m beating Clayton Fritch on countback. Simen Guttormsen, brother of Sondre, finished fourth with 5.60m.
Men’s 5000 metres final:
Abdihamid Nur of Northern Arizona won the men’s 5000 metres title breaking the NCAA indoor record in the 5000 metres with 13.19.01. Ky Robinson finished second with 13:20.17. Nico Young took third place edging Adriaan Wildschutt with the same time of 13:21.23. The top four finishers ran faster than the NCAA Indoor Championships record of 13.23.77 set by Wesley Kiptoo last year.
Women’s 5000 metres:
Courtney Wayment ran the final 200 metres in 32.31 to win the 5000 metres in 15:30.17 ahead of Kathelyn Tuohy (15:30.63) and Mercy Chelangat (15:31.06).
Men’s mile heats:
Six men ran sub-4 minutes in the men’s mile heats. Jonathan Davis lead the qualifiers with 3:57.04. Pre-event favourite Morgan Beadlescomb ran the second fastest time with 3:57.10.
Women’s mile heats:
Italy’s Sintayeu Vissa set the fastest time of all qualifiers clocking an indoor PB with 4:33.13. Emily Mackay did not advance to the final after finishing first in the second heat in 4:36.34.