NCAA Track and Field Championships 2023
AUSTIN, TEXAS – As hot as the temperatures were outside, the times and marks as this past weekend’s NCAA Track and Field Championships 2023 were hotter.
After a grueling four days in the Texas heat, the Florida men and Texas women raced their way to the team championships in thrilling fashion. Let’s take a look at how both the Gator and Longhorn squads landed themselves titles.
Men’s Events: Florida Gators Claim Back-to-Back Titles
For the Florida Gators of Coach Mike Holloway, the title chase went all the way to the final event, the 4×400 relay, before claiming the first back-to-back titles since the Gators did it back in 2016-17.
Holloway’s Gators wasted nary a minute, as they immediately won the day’s first event, the 4×100 relay, en route to racking up 57 points, which was four better than runner up, Arkansas. The Gators also received a great individual performance in the 400 meter dash as Emmanuel Bamidele won the lap dash in 44.24. That time marks the fastest American time run this year.
Florida also closed the meet in a grandioso way, as they claimed the event and team title on the 1600 meter relay in a collegiate record time of 2:57.74.
The marquee race of the NCAA Track and Field Championships 2023 belonged to the men’s 100 meter dash where Texas Tech’s Courtney Lindsey raced to a time of 9.89, outdistancing Godson Broome (LSU) and Shaun Maswanganyi (Houston).
If there was one athlete that continued making a name for himself it was Georgia freshman Will Sumner, who thrilled the crowd in Austin to an amazing 1:44.26 in the 800 meter run, running away from the rest of the field.
Women’s Events: Texas Longhorns and Julien Alfred Shine
With names like Abby Steiner and Athing Mu off to the professional ranks, many wondered who was going to carry the torch of amazing American sprinters in the NCAA Track and Field Championships 2023. Enter Julien Alfred. Claiming two sprint golds in the 100 (10.72) and 200 (21.73), she propelled her team to NCAA Team gold. The Longhorns has claimed the team title with three events left in the meet, outlasting the Razorbacks of Arkansas.
Helping Alfred was an upset victory by Rhasidat Adeleke of Texas, who claimed the lap victory over perceived favorite Britton Wilson of Arkansas. Adeleke, who is fairly new to the 400 meter dash ran one of the top times in the world, 49.20.
Other noteworthy performances included Ackera Nugent’s (Arkansas) blistering 12.25 in the 100 meter hurdles. Despite being wind-aided, it was an all conditions record. Savannah Sutherland of Michigan was an unexpected winner in the 400 hurdles (54.45), as she downed Masai Russell of Kentucky and the aforementioned Wilson, who tried to pull off the improbable 400/400 Hurdle double.
In the field, Florida’s Jasmine Moore claimed yet another national title, as she marked the sand in the triple jump at 14.78 meters (48 ft. 6 in.)
What’s Next: Shift from Collegiate Athletic Competitions to Global Glory
Many of the country’s best collegiate athletes competing at the NCAA Track and Field Championships 2023 will now turn their attention to the US Championships at Oregon’s historic Hayward Field, with the goal being to claim a spot on the United States’ team to compete at the World Championships during the last week of August in Budapest, Hungary.