WEEKEND ROUNDUP: April 9-11, 2021
EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ll continue to update this post with notable performances, so you’ll want to keep checking back!
How is it already April?
We’re afraid to blink, because it might be May.
From The USTFCCCA InfoZone: Meets & Results | Records & Lists
The collegiate outdoor track & field season is rolling along, so why not take a look at some of the biggest moments from the past weekend.
Ring The Bell For Karel Tilga
Georgia has had an incredible history of decathletes in recent memory.
Karel Tilga just shot to the top of the list this past weekend at the Spec Towns National Team Invitational and nearly topped the all-time collegiate chart in the multi, as well.
Tilga totaled 8484 points over the two-day affair, notching the second-best total in collegiate history behind Lindon Victor’s all-time best of 8539.
After putting up 4355 points in Day 1, Tilga registered 4129 more on Day 2. It turned out to be a balanced effort for Tilga, who only tallied more than 900 points in one event (long jump), but scored 800 or more in nine of the 10 (Tilga closed out the multi with 765 in the 1500 – 4:26.95).
Georgia athletes now comprise four of the top-8 spots on the all-time performers list in the decathlon: Karel Tilga is No. 2, followed by Maicel Uibo at No. 6, Johannes Erm at No. 7 and Devon Williams at No. 8.
Usoro Lands Third-Best Collegiate Triple Jump
The all-time collegiate triple jump chart isn’t safe around Ruth Usoro.
Usoro bounded to the third-best mark in collegiate history on Saturday at the Masked Rider Open. With a 2.0 m/s wind at her back – the strongest allowable for record purposes – Usoro landed at 14.50m (47-7), which made her the No. 2 performer in collegiate history behind Keturah Orji.
Kip-sang Solo To All-Time Mark
Eliud Kipsang of Alabama turned in an incredible solo effort at the Crimson Tide Invitational on Friday night.
The Kenyan freshman became the No. 7 performer in collegiate outdoor history over 1500 meters with his 3:36.00. What is even more impressive is that Kipsang did it virtually unopposed, winning by 10 seconds.
Kipsang hit the first split in 41.20, went through 700 meters in 1:40.76 (59.57), 1100 meters in 2:39.28 (58.52) and closed in 56.73.
This is only the fourth time since 1995 that a collegiate athlete has gone 3:36.00 or better in the 1500 during a collegiate outdoor season. Josh Kerr, who owns the collegiate outdoor record at 3:35.01, did it twice during his career (Kerr also sits at 3:35.99). Kyle Merber of Columbia is the other, going 3:35.59 for the now No. 3 performance back in 2012.
SEC Heptathlons Just Mean More
Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M and Anna Hall of Georgia starred in their 2021 heptathlon debuts.
Gittens opened up her outdoor campaign in the multi at the Texas A&M Team Invitational with a 6274 total to become the seventh-best performer in collegiate history. The Aggie standout compiled 3869 points through Day 1 and quickly added 1062 in the long jump (6.67m/21-10¾) to start Day 2. Gittens held steady from there with 631 points in the javelin (38.13m/125-1) and 712 points in the 800 (2:28.52) to wrap things up.
Hall cruised at the Spec Towns National Team Invitational, amassing 6200 points to become the 12th-best performer in collegiate history. A 3712-point total in Day 1 blossomed to 5245 after a javelin heave of 40.36m (132-5). Hall clocked a time of 2:10.69 in the 800 for 955 points. All told, it marked a near 200-point PR for Hall, who established her previous best back in 2019 when she set the national high school record at the Pan American U-20 Championships.