The Warm-Up Lap: Loaded SEC Championships Headline Final Regular Season Weekend

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The Warm-Up Lap: Loaded SEC Championships Headline Final Regular Season Weekend
May 15, 2014


NEW ORLEANS – Even on a weekend brimming with top-shelf Division I outdoor track & field conference championship meets, one in particular stands out among the rest.

Seventeen top-25 teams, with six in the top five between men and women. Two defending national men’s team co-champions. Both current No. 1 teams. Eighteen individuals or relay teams atop the national descending order lists. Eight members of the Watch Lists for The Bowerman Trophy, collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor.

All that only scratches the surface of what is expected to unfold this Thursday through Sunday at the SEC Championships in Lexington, Ky. – this week’s USTFCCCA National Meet of the Week.

MORE INFO



DI | DII | DIII | NAIA

THIS WEEKEND’S MEETS
U20 Collegiate Bests
Outdoor Football Player Bests
Collegiate Event Summary
All-College Leaders
Weekend Broadcasts
Top 10 Teams in Action
DI



Before delving too deeply into the details of SECs, it should be noted that there are other exceptional conference meets taking place around the nation this weekend.

Defending indoor men’s and women’s national champions Oregon – both ranked No. 3 – will take on a strong field at the Pac-12 Championships this Saturday and Sunday in Pullman, Wash., while the No. 2 Texas women, along with the No. 5 Oklahoma State and No. 6 Texas Tech men, are the top-ranked teams entering the Big 12 Championships this Friday through Sunday in Lubbock, Texas.

A full listing of this weekend’s Division I conference championships action can be found below, along with a listing of where each top-10 team will be competing.

An overall list of meets around the country this weekend — including high school championships and professional meets — can be found on the USTFCCCA InfoZone This Weekend’s Meets page.

Outside of Division I, the regular season has drawn to a conclusion in Division II, with accepted entries into the national championships in Allendale, Mich., on May 22-24 having been announced Tuesday afternoon.

The NAIA regular season is also in the books, with accepted entries to be posted Friday by 11 a.m. ET.

Division III, however, has until Friday to record any last-chance performances at 11 approved meets around the nation. Accepted entries will be released Sunday by 9 a.m. ET.

Pre-championships USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings, based solely on entries into their respective championship meets, will be out Monday for both Divisions II and III, and the NAIA.

USTFCCCA InfoZone: Broadcast Schedule
Thursday, May 15, 2014
10:30 AM ET CHSAA Championships (Colorado)
(Lakewood, Colo.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
12:00 PM ET SEC Outdoor Championships
(Lexington, Ky.) WEB:Kentucky LIVE
8:00 PM ET /
5:00 PM PT NJCAA Outdoor Championships
(Mesa, Ariz.) WEB:NJCAAtv.com LIVE
10:30 PM ET /
7:30 PM PT Oxy High Performance
(Eagle Rock, Calif.) WEB:USATF.tv LIVE

Friday, May 16, 2014
10:00 AM ET UHSAA Outdoor Championships
(Provo, Utah) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
10:00 AM ET NMAA Outdoor Championships (Class 3A-5A)
(Albuquerque, N.M.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
10:15 AM ET CHSAA Championships (Colorado)
(Lakewood, Colo.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
12:00 PM ET SEC Outdoor Championships
(Lexington, Ky.) WEB:Kentucky LIVE
3:00 PM ET /
1:00 PM MT Mountain West Outdoor Championships
(Laramie, Wyo.) WEB:Mountain West LIVE
3:00 PM ET DIAA Outdoor Championships
(Wyoming, Del.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
6:30 PM ET SCHSL (S.C. HS) Championships
(Columbia, S.C.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
8:00 PM ET /
5:00 PM PT NJCAA Outdoor Championships
(Mesa, Ariz.) WEB:NJCAAtv.com LIVE

Saturday, May 17, 2014
8:00 AM ET Manchester Great CityGames
(Manchester, England) WEB:USATF.tv LIVE
9:00 AM ET SCHSL (S.C. HS) Championships
(Columbia, S.C.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
10:00 AM ET NMAA Outdoor Championships (Class 3A-5A)
(Albuquerque, N.M.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
10:30 AM ET UHSAA Outdoor Championships
(Provo, Utah) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
11:00 AM ET DIAA Outdoor Championships
(Wyoming, Del.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
11:30 AM ET CHSAA Championships (Colorado)
(Lakewood, Colo.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
2:00 PM ET /
12:00 PM MT Mountain West Outdoor Championships
(Laramie, Wyo.) WEB:Mountain West LIVE
3:40 PM ET SEC Outdoor Championships
(Lexington, Ky.) WEB:ESPN3 LIVE
5:20 PM ET AAA (Ark. HS) Meet of Champions
(Heber Springs, Ark.) WEB:NFHS LIVE
sub. Required
8:00 PM ET /
5:00 PM PT NJCAA Outdoor Championships
(Mesa, Ariz.) WEB:NJCAAtv.com LIVE

Sunday, May 18, 2014
1:50 PM ET SEC Outdoor Championships
(Lexington, Ky.) WEB:ESPN3 LIVE

SEC Championships
Thu. May 15 – Sun. May 18 | Lexington, Ky. – Host: Kentucky
LIVE RESULTS | Meet Home | Meet Schedule

THU:12:00 PM ET SEC Outdoor Championships
(Lexington, Ky.) WEB:Kentucky LIVE
FRI:12:00 PM ET SEC Outdoor Championships
(Lexington, Ky.) WEB:Kentucky LIVE
SAT:3:40 PM ET SEC Outdoor Championships
(Lexington, Ky.) WEB:ESPN3 LIVE
SUN:1:50 PM ET SEC Outdoor Championships
(Lexington, Ky.) WEB:ESPN3 LIVE

Where to begin with the SEC Championships? So many plot lines, so many match-ups. How about the ranked teams involved?

MEN’S TOP 25 WOMEN’S TOP 25
1. Florida 1. Florida
2. Texas A&M 4. Texas A&M
4. Arkansas 5. Georgia
7. Georgia 6. Kentucky
9. LSU 7. LSU
11. Alabama 8. Arkansas
18. Mississippi 13. Missouri
19. Kentucky 19. Mississippi State
21. Tennessee

In many ways, the meet is setting up to be a dress rehearsal for the national championships in Eugene, Ore., on June 11-14. Six of the top eight women’s teams in the USTFCCCA National Team Computer rankings, including No. 1 Florida, will be duking it out for the league crown, while the always-intense rivalry between the defending men’s national team co-champion No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Texas A&M headlines a men’s field with six top-11 teams.

But while it may feel like a national championship-caliber meet, the results of this meet over this past decade have been anything but predictive of NCAA finish – adding yet another wrinkle to the rivalries between these top-flight programs later this summer in Eugene.

Not counting vacated NCAA titles, only four women’s teams (2013 Texas A&M, 2007/2008 LSU and 2005 South Carolina) have won the SEC crown and went on to finish the highest of SEC teams at NCAAs with only LSU in 2008 winning both.

Men’s SEC winners have fared even more poorly at NCAAs over the past 10 years (not counting vacated titles), without a team winning both the SEC and NCAA title even though the past five NCAA champions have come from the SEC.

Historical NCAA implications aside, this meet promises to excite in virtually every single event.

Though every event has the potential to be a must-see event, here are a few individuals to watch (by event with national rank):

Men’s 200 Women’s 200 Women’s Long Jump
#1 Dukes (Florida)* #2 Jefferson (Florida) #1 Emanuel (LSU)
#2 Ernest (LSU) #3 Ekpone (TAMU) #2 Porter (Georgia)
#2 Hardy Jr (TAMU) #7 Brown (TAMU)* #4 Farquharson (Miss St)
Batson (Alabama)
Indoor Nat’l Champ #9 Bryant (Kentucky)*
Indoor Nat’l Champ
Men’s Discus
Men’s 400
Women’s 1500 #1 Evans (Kentucky)*
#1 Lendore (TAMU)*
Indoor Nat’l Champ #1 Brown (Arkansas) #3 Bailey (Tennessee)
#2 Hall (Florida) #2 McGee (Florida) #4 Brown (LSU)
#4 Graham Jr. (Florida) #3 Strausa (Florida)
#5 Scott (Arkansas) Men’s Triple Jump
Men’s 800 #7 Hamilton (Georgia) #2 May (Arkansas)
#1 McBride (Miss St.)* #4 Young (Ole Miss)
#4 Obinwa (Florida) Women’s 100H #7 Dendy (Florida)
#5 Rono (Arkansas) #2 Harrison (Kentucky)*
#7 Grethen (Georgia) #3 Stowers (LSU) Women’s Shot Put
#9 Arroyo (Florida) #6 Owens (Florida)
#1 Peoples (Missouri)*
#10 Neal (Kentucky) #2 Rushin (Missouri)
Women’s 400H #7 Bliss (LSU)
Men’s 110H #2 Little (TAMU) #9 Muzaric (Auburn)
#1 Davis II (TAMU)*
Defending Nat’l Champ #3 Harrison (Kentucky)*
#6 Lovett (Florida) #5 Tracey (LSU) Women’s Heptathlon
#1 Williams (Georgia)*
Indoor Hept Champ
Men’s Pole Vault Women’s Javelin
#1 Kendricks (Ole Miss)*
Defending Nat’l Champ #2 Vucenovic (Florida) Men’s Decathlon
#7 Blankenship (Tenn.) #3 Jones (Georgia)
Defending Nat’l Champ #1 Scantling (Georgia)
#11 Irwin (Arkansas)
Two-time Indoor Champ #4 Nukker (Florida) #2 Uibo (Georgia)

*The Bowerman Watch List (or also receiving votes)


And that’s without even mentioning the relays. The 4×400 rivalry between top-ranked Florida and No. 2 Texas A&M is perhaps the most intense in the nation, regardless of event. With Florida’s Arman Hall and Texas A&M’s Deon Lendore set to duel on the anchor leg with the potential for an SEC title on the line and LSU’s indoor champion squad also in the field, an already excellent meet could very well finish with fireworks.

Both top-ranked 4×100 squads — the Florida men and Texas A&M women — are in action with multiple top-10 squads also on the start lists.

You can see the full TFRRS performance list for the conference here.

THIS WEEKEND’S DIV. I CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Click on each conference logo to be directed to more info about the meet.

The full listing of Division I conference championships can be foundhere.


Atlantic Sun
May 16 – 17 Big 12
May 16 – 18 Big Sky
May 14 – 17 Big Ten
May 16-18


Big West
May 16 – 17 Conference USA
May 15 – 18 MAC
May 15 – 17 MVC
May 16 – 18

Mountain West
May 14 – 17 Pac-12
May 17 – 18 SEC
May 15 – 18


Summit League
May 15 – 17 WAC
May 14 – 17


DIVISION I TOP 10
MEN’S TOP 10

1. Florida SEC Outdoor Championships
2. Texas A&M SEC Outdoor Championships
3. Oregon Pac-12 Championships
4. Arkansas SEC Outdoor Championships
5. Oklahoma State Big 12 Outdoor Championships
6. Texas Tech Big 12 Outdoor Championships
7. Georgia SEC Outdoor Championships
8. BYU Georgia Tech Invitational
9. LSU SEC Outdoor Championships
10. Texas Big 12 Outdoor Championships
WOMEN’S TOP 10


1. Florida SEC Outdoor Championships
2. Texas Big 12 Outdoor Championships
3. Oregon Pac-12 Championships
4. Texas A&M SEC Outdoor Championships
5. Georgia SEC Outdoor Championships
6. Kentucky SEC Outdoor Championships
7. LSU SEC Outdoor Championships
8. Arkansas SEC Outdoor Championships
9. Florida State Georgia Tech Invitational
10. Stanford Pac-12 Championships








U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
1100 Poydras Street, Suite 1750
New Orleans, LA 70163

Contact: Kyle Terwillegar
Communications Assistant
kyle@ustfccca.org
(504) 599-8905