#NCAATF: What To Watch On Saturday
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
What to watch at Saturday's session of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Under the meet's new format, this fourth and final day of the championship will feature the conclusion to women's events, with the team title and 14 event finals on the line.
Live stream: ESPN3, 1:30 p.m. PT
Broadcast windows: ESPN2, 2-4:30 p.m. PT
THE SCHEDULE (Oregon entrants)
1:30 p.m.: High jump (Lauren Crockett)
1:35 p.m.: Discus
2 p.m.: Triple jump
2:05 p.m.: 4x100 relay (Oregon)
2:15 p.m.: 1,500 meters (Nikki Hiltz)
2:27 p.m.: 3,000 steeplechase
2:45 p.m.: 100 hurdles
2:55 p.m.: 100 meters (Jenna Prandini)
3:05 p.m.: 400 meters
3:20 p.m.: 800 meters (Raevyn Rogers)
3:30 p.m.: 400 hurdles
3:40 p.m.: 200 meters (Prandini)
4 p.m.: 5,000 (Molly Grabill)
4:20 p.m.: 4x400 relay
The Big Stories for the Ducks: The host school enters today with a lead in the team race, thanks to largely unexpected points from Molly Grabill and Waverly Neer in the 10,000 on Thursday. To keep that lead today, the Ducks could use a few more surprise points like those — and they'll definitely need a big day from Jenna Prandini. The junior sprinter will run three times in less than two hours, beginning with the 4x100 relay. Prandini is a contender to win any race she enters, and USC's Andre De Grasse showed Friday in the men's session that a 100-200 double remains possible even under the rigorous new meet format. The sprints will be keys to the team race, too; among Prandini's competitors will be two runners from Texas A&M in each sprint, with the Aggies' Aaliyah Brown also in both finals. She edged Prandini for the 200 title last year.
Not to be Overlooked: The day begins for Oregon with Lauren Crockett in the first scheduled event, the high jump. She and 800 runner Raevyn Rogers are in a similar situation to that of Johnathan Cabral and Marcus Chambers on Friday — they figure to pick up a point or two each, but could turbo-charge Oregon's title hopes by busting the form chart. Cabral and Chambers did that by taking second in the 110 hurdles and 400, respectively. Crockett could not only help Oregon's hopes, she could steal some points from fellow team title contender Georgia, which has three high jump entries, and Florida, whose Taylor Burke is also looking to pick up a point or two. It's the same story for Rogers, who can help her team by outdueling Claudia Francis of Florida and Chrishuna Williams of Arkansas. Oregon's wild cards are Grabill again, in the 5,000, and Nikki Hiltz in the 1,500; Hiltz was one of the last qualifiers for her race, but that was the case for the NCAA Indoor mile too, and she ended up scoring a point. Doing so again would be most welcome for the Ducks.
What to Watch Elsewhere: As mentioned, the teams to watch are A&M, Florida, Arkansas and Georgia. A&M will look for big points in the discus from defending champ Shelbi Vaughan, along with its sprinters, who have won six of the last seven 4x100 finals. The Aggies also have the defending champ in the 400 hurdles, Shamier Little. Georgia boasts its big contingent in the high jump and also triple jump favorite Keturah Orji. The triple is also a spotlight event for Florida, whose Ciarra Brewer is a contender. The Gators will also field Bridgette Owens, who will try to keep Kentucky's Kendra Harrison from winning another 100 hurdles race at Hayward Field, after Harrison won the Pepsi Invitational; and Florida's Kyra Jefferson has a chance to win the 200. For Arkansas, Dominique Scott looks to improve on her second-place finish in the 10,000 by winning the 5k, and Taylor Ellis-Watson will score in the 400. Deserving of mention is Arizona State's Shelby Houlihan, a big favorite in the 1,500.
Editor, GoDucks.com
What to watch at Saturday's session of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Under the meet's new format, this fourth and final day of the championship will feature the conclusion to women's events, with the team title and 14 event finals on the line.
Live stream: ESPN3, 1:30 p.m. PT
Broadcast windows: ESPN2, 2-4:30 p.m. PT
THE SCHEDULE (Oregon entrants)
1:30 p.m.: High jump (Lauren Crockett)
1:35 p.m.: Discus
2 p.m.: Triple jump
2:05 p.m.: 4x100 relay (Oregon)
2:15 p.m.: 1,500 meters (Nikki Hiltz)
2:27 p.m.: 3,000 steeplechase
2:45 p.m.: 100 hurdles
2:55 p.m.: 100 meters (Jenna Prandini)
3:05 p.m.: 400 meters
3:20 p.m.: 800 meters (Raevyn Rogers)
3:30 p.m.: 400 hurdles
3:40 p.m.: 200 meters (Prandini)
4 p.m.: 5,000 (Molly Grabill)
4:20 p.m.: 4x400 relay
The Big Stories for the Ducks: The host school enters today with a lead in the team race, thanks to largely unexpected points from Molly Grabill and Waverly Neer in the 10,000 on Thursday. To keep that lead today, the Ducks could use a few more surprise points like those — and they'll definitely need a big day from Jenna Prandini. The junior sprinter will run three times in less than two hours, beginning with the 4x100 relay. Prandini is a contender to win any race she enters, and USC's Andre De Grasse showed Friday in the men's session that a 100-200 double remains possible even under the rigorous new meet format. The sprints will be keys to the team race, too; among Prandini's competitors will be two runners from Texas A&M in each sprint, with the Aggies' Aaliyah Brown also in both finals. She edged Prandini for the 200 title last year.
Not to be Overlooked: The day begins for Oregon with Lauren Crockett in the first scheduled event, the high jump. She and 800 runner Raevyn Rogers are in a similar situation to that of Johnathan Cabral and Marcus Chambers on Friday — they figure to pick up a point or two each, but could turbo-charge Oregon's title hopes by busting the form chart. Cabral and Chambers did that by taking second in the 110 hurdles and 400, respectively. Crockett could not only help Oregon's hopes, she could steal some points from fellow team title contender Georgia, which has three high jump entries, and Florida, whose Taylor Burke is also looking to pick up a point or two. It's the same story for Rogers, who can help her team by outdueling Claudia Francis of Florida and Chrishuna Williams of Arkansas. Oregon's wild cards are Grabill again, in the 5,000, and Nikki Hiltz in the 1,500; Hiltz was one of the last qualifiers for her race, but that was the case for the NCAA Indoor mile too, and she ended up scoring a point. Doing so again would be most welcome for the Ducks.
What to Watch Elsewhere: As mentioned, the teams to watch are A&M, Florida, Arkansas and Georgia. A&M will look for big points in the discus from defending champ Shelbi Vaughan, along with its sprinters, who have won six of the last seven 4x100 finals. The Aggies also have the defending champ in the 400 hurdles, Shamier Little. Georgia boasts its big contingent in the high jump and also triple jump favorite Keturah Orji. The triple is also a spotlight event for Florida, whose Ciarra Brewer is a contender. The Gators will also field Bridgette Owens, who will try to keep Kentucky's Kendra Harrison from winning another 100 hurdles race at Hayward Field, after Harrison won the Pepsi Invitational; and Florida's Kyra Jefferson has a chance to win the 200. For Arkansas, Dominique Scott looks to improve on her second-place finish in the 10,000 by winning the 5k, and Taylor Ellis-Watson will score in the 400. Deserving of mention is Arizona State's Shelby Houlihan, a big favorite in the 1,500.
