Walter Dix figured to occupy center stage at these NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and he’s on track to do just that. But Friday night, the Florida State sprinter had some unexpected company in the spotlight.
Dix won the men’s 100 meters in a blazing 9.93 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year and the best ever by a U.S. collegian. Ninety minutes earlier, Dix broke the 4 x 100 relay open with a tremendous second leg as Florida State took his lead and won handily.
Coupled with his collegiate-record 19.63 in the 200 meters at last month’s East Regionals, Dix has arrived as a collegiate sprinter of historic significance. He’ll be an overwhelming favorite in this morning’s 200 final. How fast might he run this time?
“We’ll see,” said Dix, who has already run seven races in three days. “Hopefully, I have some more gas in the legs.”
With that, Dix turned the accelerator over to a couple of remarkable distance runners. In the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Michigan senior Anna Willard raced to victory in a collegiate-record time of 9:38.08, breaking the previous mark of 9:39.95 set by Friday’s runner-up, Lindsey Anderson of Weber State.
In terms of shock value, Michelle Sikes took first place Friday night. The Wake Forest senior was first in the women’s 5,000 meters, setting an NCAA meet record and collegiate best with her 15:16.76 clocking, but sometimes the clock doesn’t tell the whole story.
To win her first national collegiate title, Sikes had to beat Texas Tech’s Sally Kipyego. Kipyego. Kipyego, the winner of Thursday night’s 10,000 meters, was attempting to become the first Division I track/cross country athlete ever to win five individual national titles in one school year. Kipyego already had one cross country title, two indoor titles and one outdoor title.
Kipyego led with about 500 meters left in Friday’s 5,000, but as Dix might say, Sikes had more gas in the legs and won by more than seven seconds.
“It’s incredible,” Sikes said. “I’ve dreamed about this for a whole year, and this was my last chance to do it. I believed I could do it.”
senior Jenny Dahlgren, the collegiate record holder in the women’s hammer, set the first NCAA meet record of these championships when she threw 232 feet on her final throw to win her second straight title. Brittany Riley of Southern Illinois finished second at 227-4.
“I was shaking before each of one my throws, telling myself, “Don’t be a wimp,”” Dahlgren said. “The crowd was great today, and I’m really, really thrilled to win an NCAA title and break a meet record during the last collegiate meet of my career.”
The men’s 100 final figured to be a close race between Dix and LSU sophomore Trindon Holliday, the fastest qualifier at 10.02. Holliday led Dix out of the blocks Friday night, but the Florida State flash pulled away powerfully in the final 60 meters. Holliday was second in 10.06.
“I’m glad I had competition,” Dix said. “I’m happy. If I hadn’t celebrated early, I could have set a record, but that’s OK. I’ll get it in Osaka at the World Championships.”
Arizona State’s Jacquelyn Johnson became the first three-time winner of the heptathlon, winning her third title with a personal-best score of 5,984 points. Johnson’s win gave the Sun Devils 10 valuable points in the women’s team battle.
“It’s good for me, but it’s even better for my team right now,” Johnson said. “We’re going for it.”
The Sun Devils lead the team race with 38 points and appear to be well positioned to add the outdoor title to the NCAA indoor championship they won in March. Florida State leads the men’s scoring with 34 points and has two favorites running today – Dix in the 200 and Ricardo Chambers in the 400.
The winners in the men’s 110-meter high hurdles and the women’s 100 hurdles ran the fastest races of their lives to claim their first national titles. Auburn junior Tyron Adkins clocked 13.42 to win the men’s race, and Michigan sophomore Tiffany Ofili sped to a 12.80 victory in the women’s hurdles.
In the men’s high jump, Scott Sellers of Kansas State won with a leap of 7-7¼. Destinee Hooker of Texas won her second straight title in the women’s high jump, clearing 6-3½.
Saturday’s wrap-up features 17 finals. Highlights include the men’s 1,500, pitting Lopez Lomong of Northern Arizona against Leonel Manzano of Texas, and the women’s 800. Cal’s Alyssa Johnson, the NCAA indoor champion, will be challenged in the 800 by Michigan’s Katie Erdman, Oregon’s Rebekah Noble and Minnesota’s Heather Dorniden.
But the last word will probably belong to Dix. If he wins the 200, he’ll become the first male sprinter since San Jose State’s John Carlos in 1969 to win the 100, 200 and sprint relay at the same NCAA Championships.
It’ll be his eighth race in four days, but Dix already has five NCAA individual titles to his name.
Story by Bob Burns
Picture by Kirby Lee
