Outdoor track and field conference championships are wrapping up this weekend with the DI prelim selections coming up soon on May 19. There were great performances out of each conference as the competition heats up. Here are five of the best from this weekend.
1. Kentucky women's 4x400 breaks NCAA record
On Saturday night, Kentucky's Karimah Davis, Dajour Miles, Abby Steiner and Alexis Holmes put together the fastest women's 4x400 in NCAA history, running it in 3:21.93.
ICYMI: Our women's 4x400m relay of Karimah Davis, Dajour Miles, @abbysteiner1 and @trackqueenlex broke the collegiate record with a time of 3:21.93. 😼
— UK Track & Field (@KentuckyTrack) May 15, 2022
Still not over it.#UKTF x #SECTF
📺 @SECNetwork + pic.twitter.com/rnlCL2TfRY
All of the top three teams in the 4x400 broke the previous record set by Texas A&M last spring, but Kentucky beat out the Aggies by eight-hundredths of a second to set the new best time. The Wildcats ended up in fourth place overall in this year's women's outdoor championships final standings.
2. LSU's Favour Ofili outlasts Kentucky's Abby Steiner in 200m
Favour Ofili and Abby Steiner had an all-time face in the 200m. Ofili posted a time of 22.04 while Steiner followed inches behind at 22.07. Steiner got out to a great start, but around the 100m mark, Ofili gained a lead and was able to use that momentum to hold Steiner off.
🔥 @FavOfili IS ON FIRE 🔥
— LSU Track & Field (@LSUTrackField) May 15, 2022
That's her third event title of the day with a 22.04 for the win!! That breaks her own facility and SEC meet record!#GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/NiW19Kk1RC
Ofili cleaned up at the SEC outdoor championships with a first-place finish in the 100m (10.93) and 4x100 (42.59) to go along with her 200m win.
3. Texas' Julien Alfred breaks program record in 100m
In the 100m prelims of the Big 12 championships, Texas' Julien Alfred broke Carlette Guidry's program record for the fastest 100m dash with a time of 10.81. Guidry's record stood for 31 years before Alfred broke it.
We know you didn’t, but in case you missed it…
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) May 15, 2022
Watch Julien Alfred take down the Texas 31-year program record & run the No. 3 time in collegiate history at 10.81🔥 pic.twitter.com/KCBgb5wAk4
That time was also good enough to put Alfred at No. 3 all-time for fastest NCAA 100m just behind Sha'Carri Richardson (10.75).
4. Coastal Carolina's Melissa Jefferson blows by competition in 100m
Another name was added to the top 100m performances on Saturday. In the Sun Belt, Coastal Carolina's Melissa Jefferson ran it in 10.88 seconds in the finals. That was good enough for a personal best for the junior from Georgetown, South Carolina.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗪𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗡!@CoastalTFXC's Melissa Jefferson CRUSHES the 100 meter #SunBeltTF Championships record, and moves up to #3️⃣ on the @NCAA performance list in the process! pic.twitter.com/DjFqpiRKoM
— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) May 14, 2022
Jefferson was also a part of the 4x100 team that claimed first by setting a meet and Sun Belt record in the event with a time of 43.79.
5. Florida, and Arkansas claim SEC titles
The SEC is one of the most competitive conferences in the nation and it provided an exhilarating championship over the weekend. Florida won the women's title while Arkansas won the men's.
The Razorbacks were four points away from sweeping the men's and women's titles, but the Gators edged out Arkansas with a final tally of 107. A big piece of Florida's win was Jasmine Moore who took home first in both the long and triple jump. This was the seventh SEC title for UF women's outdoor track and field and its first since 2018.
IT’S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR 🗣 pic.twitter.com/taZshOyQf5
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) May 15, 2022
On the men's side, Arkansas put up 120 points to beat out Alabama and the rest of the SEC field. One spot in particular where the Razorbacks picked up a lot of points was the 5000m. There, Arkansas' Patrick Kiprop, Amon Kemboi and Emmanuel Cheboson finished first, second and third.
Check out all the results from the SEC championship here.
Arkansas Razorbacks SEC Outdoor title celebration ...
— Arkansas Track & Field (@RazorbackTF) May 15, 2022
🧊 Dump ice water on head coach
🕺 Do a little dance
🅰️ Throw some A's
🐗 Call the Hogs
🏆🏆🏆 2021-22 SEC Triple Crown
Wooo Pig Sooie! pic.twitter.com/bKcuwIHgYR