Christian Coleman of Tennessee should be a stand out in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
EUGENE, Ore. — TrackTown USA is a happening place this week, as the 2017 NCAA outdoor track and field championships kick off Wednesday at Hayward Field.
The men’s events begin the four-day event, with field event finals, the 10,000-meter final and semifinals for many races.
RELATED: 10 things to know about the outdoor track and field championships
| WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| TRACK EVENTS | |||
| TIME (PT) | EVENT | ROUND | DIVISION |
| 4:32 p.m. | 4x100 Meter Relay | Semifinal | Men |
| 4:46 p.m. | 1500 Meters | Semifinal | Men |
| 5:02 p.m. | 3000 Meter Steeplechase | Semifinal | Men |
| 5:32 p.m. | 110 Meter Hurdles | Semifinal | Men |
| 5:46 p.m. | 100 Meters | Semifinal | Men |
| 6:00 p.m. | 400 Meters | Semifinal | Men |
| 6:14 p.m. | 800 Meters | Semifinal | Men |
| 6:30 p.m. | 400 Meter Hurdles | Semifinal | Men |
| 6:44 p.m. | 200 Meters | Semifinal | Men |
| 6:56 p.m. | 400 Meters | Decathlon | Men |
| 7:08 p.m. | 10,000 Meters | Final | Men |
| 7:48 p.m. | 4x400 Meter Relay | Semifinal | Men |
| FIELD EVENTS | |||
| TIME (PT) | EVENT | ROUND | DIVISION |
| 2:00 p.m. | Hammer Throw | Final | Men |
| 5:00 p.m. | Pole Vault | Final | Men |
| 5:45 p.m. | Javelin Throw | Final | Men |
| 6:00 p.m. | Long Jump | Final | Men |
| 6:40 p.m. | Shot Put | Final | Men |
| COMBINED EVENTS | |||
| TIME (PT) | EVENT | ROUND | DIVISION |
| 12:30 p.m. | 100 Meters | Decathlon | Men |
| 1:10 p.m. | Long Jump | Decathlon | Men |
| 2:25 p.m. | Shot Put | Decathlon | Men |
| 3:40 p.m. | High Jump | Decathlon | Men |
| 6:56 p.m. | 400 Meters | Decathlon | Men |
1. Who will finally take the 10k crown?
It won’t be Edward Cheserek, that’s for certain. Cheserek, one of the most decorated athletes in NCAA track and field history, won the last three 10K races at Hayward Field. He took the title in 2014 — his freshman year — and kicked to the front each of the last two years. Cheserek’s freshman teammate Tanner Anderson is seeded third (29 seconds, 52.26 seconds) but look for Tulsa’s Marc Scott to make a push for a title. He’s seeded first overall and finished third in the 3k at the indoor championships in March. Alabama’s Alfred Chelanga has the nation’s top collegiate time this season.
2. Need for speed
The 100- and 200-meter dash is often a crowd favorite for track fans. The crowd at Hayward Field will get a glimpse of Friday’s final with semifinal action on Wednesday. Tennessee’s Christian Coleman has had an epic season so far, creating quite a stir and adding his name to the Bowerman Watch List. The SEC named him its runner of the year, and Coleman won the 60 and 200 at the NCAA indoor championship in March. He tied the collegiate record in the 60, running in 6.45 seconds. What can he do outdoors?
3. Field takes center stage
There are five titles up for grabs on Wednesday as shot put, javelin throw, long jump, hammer throw and pole vault champions will all be crowned. Names to know: Christopher Nilsen from South Dakota won the indoor title in March for pole vault. Nilsen, just a freshman, should be fun to watch on the big stage. Oregon’s Cody Danielson will be competing in the javelin and will contend for points for the Ducks despite sustaining a finger injury that resulted in him losing parts of two fingers on his non-throwing hand in March.
