NCAA Championships, Des Moines, Iowa, June 8 - 11

The NCAA Championships get underway today in Des Moines, the home of the Drake Relays and Lolo Jones, running until Saturday and promise many fascinating, neck and neck contests across the track and the infield along with many world class performances.

If you like major surprises and shock results of any kind all along the line, then this is the place you've got to look at. The NCAAs never fail to deliver in that aspect! Actually, shake-ups seem to be the rule and normal results the exception so many times.

There are many spicy fields lined-up over four days of compact action and you can see for yourself in the starting-lists, doubling as results, below, as well as several British athletes seeking to make their mark in these championships like Tom Farrell and Chris O'Hare. So I am looking forward to the action over the next few days!

http://www.flashresults.com/2011_Meets/outdoor/06-08-NCAAChamps/Day1.htm

The strength in depth in the NCAA's always blows my mind. Look at the times in the womens 100 and particularly the men's 400: There's so many guys easily under 46 and this is still the prelims. Case in point as to why USA always has a
such a strong 4oo relay team.

I'll second that, BigJon, as I was particularly impressed to see Tony McQuay run a massive PB of 44.87 secs straight from the prelims, shattering his previous mark of 45.37, to set up a stirring tussle against Kirani James (GRN), who opted for a rather more conservative opener to his build-up to the final of 45.51 secs.

McQuay's time propelled him to equal fifth in the global-rankings and a mere hundredth behind the Grenadian's SB so the makings are there for a thrilling final between the two.

Nevertheless, Gil Roberts (USA) also set a SB of 45.22 secs in the heats while already sub 45 secs man Mike Berry and Joey Hughes progressed smoothly in 45.23 secs and 45.27 secs respectively and could pose serious questions on the duo of favourites.

It's indicative that the two fastest losers came in 45.29 secs, Bryan Miller and Joshua Mance both PB'ing, to provide a measure of the depth pooled together and the task at hand going into that final.

The women were no slouch either as Jessica Beard set a big SB of 51.24 to lead four more girls inside 52 secs, namely Diamond Dixon in 51.64 (PB), Joanna Atkins in 51.69 (SB), Shelise Williams in 51.84 (SB) and Ciara Short in 51.85 (PB) - all of them born around 1989 or thereabouts!

There were also two men inside 1:46 in the 800m heats with Charles Rock leading finalists in 1:45.77 and Willie Brown second fastest in 1:45.91, where the slowest fastest loser (Ryan Martin) made it in 1:46.29!

Scary isn't it?!

Let's have a quick look at what the British athletes did on the first day in Des Moines.

Try as he might, Tom Wade came three qualifying positions shy in the men's 3000m 'chase in 8:54.73 to end his campaign in a satisfactory way, having revised all his PBs across his CV this season.

Amy Harris shows still to struggle to take her new-found dash speed into her jumping and ended up a disappointing overall sixteenth at a windy 6.19m (2.6m/sec), with also a legal 6.17m (1.5m/sec). Tori Bowie and Ti'Anca Mock topped the qualifying list tied at 6.64m, a PB for both despite jumping into a headwind.

Tom Phillips ran 50.86 secs to wind up sixth in his heat to step out of the men's 400m hurdles as top-seeded Jeshua Anderson led qualifiers in 49.18 secs, Nigerian Amaechi Morton following in 49.31 (SB), while Ruth Senior finished night in 35:04.52 in the women's 10000m final, won by Juliet Bottorff in 34:25.86.

Chris O'Hare comfortably qualified for the men's 1500m final as he came third in his heat in 3:43.03, doubling as third fastest through overall.

But David Bishop had a bad day at the office, as he himself put it, to finish well off the pace in last in 3:52.30 in the other heat whereas Scot Kris Gauson did not complete his race - hope there is nothing wrong with him.

Hannah Brooks also progressed to the women's equivalent final by right in 4:18.94 as last automatic qualifier from her heat unlike Kirsty Legg who trailed ninth in 4:23.81 behind.

The star of a depleted second day, as the late events were helf off by a storm as I gather, was a girl that I've stressed a lot during the previous months, Kimberly Duncan, who stormed to a big PB of 22.39 secs (1.2m/sec) in the heats to go marginally second behind Allyson Felix in the global rankings!

Rakieem Salaam and Maurice Mitchell were fastest in 20.29 (1.2m/sec) and 20.39 (1.1m/sec) out of the men's 200m heats respectively as Estonian Marek Niit marginally improved his own national record to 20.43 secs - James Alaka couldn't make it through in 21.07 secs still troubled by his hamstring as I understand.

Keith Gerrard has put in a very good display as he came sixth in the men's 10000m, moved to the start of the schedule today after being held off by a storm late last night, setting 28:36.33, his second fastest time ever and not far off his recent PB of 28:27.03 at Stanford.

Winner of the race was Leonard Korir in 28:07.63 followed by Sam Chelanga in 28:12.18.

Ngonidzashe Makusha (ZIM) has stormed to a searing big PB and national record of 9.89 secs (1.3m/sec), his second such double in as many events, to claim the NCAA title over the dash from American Rakieem Salaam, who also ducked (first time) under 10 secs in 9.97 secs.

Maurice Mitchell (USA) was third in 10 secs dead (PB) to round out a top class trio on the podium.

The Zimbabwan looks in hot form as he had also flew to another national record of 8.40m in totally still conditions (0.0) in the long jump the previous night, backed up by a 8.36m (0.3m/sec) on the bounce, to defeat Damar Forbes (JAM) into runner-up at a huge PB of 8.23m (0.6m/sec) and Will Claye (USA), turning 20 on Monday, into third with 8.20m (0.4m/sec). Amazingly enough, all the top three best jumps arrived in the very same attempt (fourth)!

Candice McGrone (USA), on the other hand, was a rather surprise winner of the women's final in a big PB of 11.08 secs (1.5m/sec) pipping Kimberlyn Duncan by a mere hundredth of a second, a second PB in as many races during the champs from 11.22 secs. The latter will be the red hot favourite to overwhelm the 200m.

Jessica Young was third in 11.14 secs (PB) whereas English Gardner somewhat disappointed in seventh place in 11.25 secs, which isn't a bad time at all for an U20 still!

The men's 400m turned more than equal to anticipation, even if a considerable headwind up the back straight affected times to an extent, as four men fought it out hard down to the wire for the prize with pre-championships favourite Kirani James (GRN) snatching a tight win in 45.10 secs in the end.

Tony McQuay narrowly failed to apply the finishing touches to an upset, having run a PB of 44.87 secs in the heats, to come runner-up in 45.14 secs as new sub 45 man Mike Berry came third in 45.18 secs and Bahama's Demertrious Pinter fourth in 45.23 secs in a blanket finish.

Such was the depth of the race that Joey Hughes trailed home a distant fifth in 45.64 secs.

On the women's side, Jessica Beard turned a convincing champion in 51.10 secs as she saw off Joanna Atkins, second in 51.50 secs, and Diamond Dixon, a narrow third in 51.88 secs, in style.

There was a top notch, as well as fast, men's 800m as Robby Andrews, holding onto a World U20 bronze by the skin of his teeth against Niall Brooks last summer, timed a PB display of 1:44.71 to perfection to narrowly deny favourite Charles Jock, runner-up despite a PB of his own in 1:44.75.

Elijah Greer was third just outside 1:45 in a huge PB of 1:45.06 to underline the rising American challenge in the event.

The women's equivalent turned out even more nail-biting as Anna Kesserling (GER) outleaned Natalya Piliusina (LTU) by the narrowest of margins, clocking PBs of 2:02.15 and 2:02.16 respectively.

Hot favourite Jeshua Johnson was a runaway winner in 48.56 secs from Nigerian Amaechi Morton, setting 49.08 (SB), in the 400m hurdles where Ti'erra Brown and Turquoise Thompson offered the first act of drama of the afternoon as they came home tied in 55.65 secs, the first earning the nod on a photo-finish decision and the latter a PB.

A revamped Rory Fraser returned the best British performance on the last day of the NCAAs as he came a creditable sixth in the 5000m a mere 0.03 secs outside his PB in 13:39.40.

Yet, Tom Farrell had a very disappointing outing way back in 15th place in 14:00.24 and Ross Millington failed to complete a race won by Sam Chelanga in 13:29.30.

There was further disappointment as the main other medal hope, Chris O'Hare, fell well short of a top three placing in 11th in 3:47.61 over 1500m, yet Hannah Brooks performed a lot better to wind up sixth in 4:16.81 in the women's equivalent.

Kimberly Duncan turned equal to her preliminary promise as she rocketed to a world-leading PB of 22.24 secs in the women's 200m (1.5m/sec) drawing Jeneba Tarmoh along to second fastest in a big PB of 22.34 secs.

Maurice Mitchell crept under 20 secs in 19.99 in the men's version but was aided by an over the acceptable limit wind of 2.6m/sec.