The holiday season is over and the NCAA indoor track and field season is about to get into full swing. But before the new year begins, let’s take a look back at the first month of the season and some moments you may have missed.
Women’s 5K college record and other all-time records
The first women’s college record of the season was set by Doris Lemgaard of the University of Alabama in the Boston University Sharon Colyer-Danville season opener. Lemgaard finished in 14 minutes, 52.57 seconds, breaking Parker Valby’s record. After winning the individual cross country title, she performed well in both indoor openers.
In the same race, Florida’s Hilda Oremomoi set the third-fastest time of all time, finishing in 14 minutes, 52.84 seconds. If that wasn’t enough, New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei ran 15:00.36 in the same race. Before December 7th, this would have been the third-highest record in history.
🏃Other college track & field🏃
Best 3K college race ever
North Carolina’s Ethan Strand set his own college record in the men’s 3,000 meters at the Sharon Colyer Danville Opening Day. Strand ran the race in 7 minutes, 30.15 seconds, which placed him fourth all-time in the U.S. in all conditions and second among Americans in the event indoors.
The strands weren’t the only thing that made this lace special. Teammate Parker Wolf finished in 7:30.23, Yaseen Abdalla of Arkansas State finished in 7:34.17 and Gary Martin of Virginia finished in 7:36.09. All four finished under the previous college record of 7:36.42.
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Depart vigorously
Elite collegiate distance runner Graham Blanks recently announced he was turning pro, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t step foot on the track during the indoor season. Blanks ran the 5,000 meters in Harvard’s final collegiate race, the Sharon Colyer Danville Opener. He set the second-fastest time of all time, finishing in 12 minutes, 59.89 seconds, winning by 10 seconds.
Impressive opening round of women’s high jump
Nebraska’s Jenna Rogers set a personal best in the season-opening high jump at the 2024 Husker Holiday Open by breaking 1.91 meters. That mark currently leads the NCAA, and she is the only one to ever break the 6-foot mark.
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New students arrive on the scene
Penn State freshman sprinter Ajani Dwyer burst onto the NCAA track and field scene at the Bison opener. Dwyer ran 60 meters in 6.55 seconds after running 6.60 seconds in qualifying. Dwyer’s 6.55 seconds is the fastest time in the country this year, and his 6.60 is the third fastest time. It was a great start for the No. 1 55-meter sprinter in the 2024 recruiting class.
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the champion is back
Ole Miss’ Tariq Robinson-O’Hagan showed no signs of slowing down in the season opener after sweeping the shot put titles in 2024. The defending champion opened the 2024 Birmingham Indoor Icebreaker with a throw of 20.30 meters and three landings in the series. Throw over 20 meters. Robinson-O’Hagan’s pitch was his best pitch since 2008 before January.
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Pair of 300m openers
Although the 300 meters is not an event run at the NCAA Championships, when the event is run it typically produces some fast times each year. To start this season, two athletes have set new records.
First, we saw Virginia Tech’s Judson Lincoln IV at Clemson’s opener. Lincoln finished the 300-meter dash in 32.37 seconds, fourth place all-time. A week later, at the 2024 Blue Demon Holiday Invite, Purdue’s Cameron Miller ran the event’s sixth-best time, finishing in 32.43 seconds.
