New talent at NCAA championships
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In the wake of the youth brigade that salvaged the U.S. reputation in track and field at the 2004 Athens Olympics, another impressive wave of young talent will be on display this week at the NCAA championships.
Walter Dix, Wallace Spearmon, Kerron Clement, Marshevet Hooker, Shalonda Solomon and Tianna Madison – all freshmen or sophomores – bring some of the world’s best marks this season into the four days of competition that begin today at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium.
As often is the case, the men’s team competition is mostly a Southeastern Conference affair. Ever-powerful Arkansas is the favorite, with Florida State, Florida and LSU the leading challengers.
Defending women’s champion UCLA and Texas are among the contenders in a tight battle that could include Miami and South Carolina.
Dix, a 19-year-old freshman at Florida State, broke the American junior record in the 100 meters with a clocking of 10.06 seconds two weeks ago in a qualifying heat in the East Regional in New York City.
His chore got a lot easier when one of his main challengers, Mississippi State junior Steve Mullings, withdrew from the meet on Tuesday.
Mullings, who had the NCAA’s second-best time in the 100 and the fifth-best in the 200 this year, was barred from competition for two years by the Jamaican athletic federation last week. The penalty stems from a positive test for steroids at last year’s Jamaica championships.
He pulled out of the meet even though the ban does not apply to NCAA competition.
The 100 also will be without its defending champion, Tyson Gay of Arkansas, who was disqualified for a false start at the Mideast Regional.
Spearmon, an Arkansas sophomore, heads a 200 field that includes four of the world’s fastest five sprinters in the event this year. Spearmon’s 19.97 is tops in the world. Closely behind are LSU freshman Xavier Carter, who also plays football (20.02), Gay (20.10) and Dix (20.23).
Among the women, Hooker and Solomon are the rising young sprint stars in Sacramento.
Hooker, a sophomore at Texas, won Big 12 titles in the 100, 200 and long jump, then anchored the winning 400 relay team. She has the fastest time in the field in the 100 (11.12).
Solomon, the world junior 200 champion last year, has the fastest 200 mark in the meet (22.72).
In the field events, Tennessee sophomore Tianna Madison has the No. 3 mark in the world in the long jump, a personal-best 22 feet, 8 1/2 inches at the SEC championships.
As many as six teams could figure in the women’s competition, and Arkansas’ edge on paper in the men’s title chase is slim enough to make any stumble potentially fatal to its title hopes.
The outcome could come down to the final event.