Arkansas, Auburn Lead NCAA Indoor Championships After Day One

Things could change with a full slate of events scheduled for Saturday.

Written by: Matt Fitzgerald

The element of team competition gives the NCAA track and field championships, indoors and outdoors, a layer of excitement that is not matched at the elite level. The relays especially bring the excitement of team competition to a fever pitch. A pair of thrilling distance medley relays highlighted day one of competition at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted in Fayetteville, Ark. Oregon freshman Jordan Hasay blazed a 4:32.55 mile anchor split in a desperate bid to catch Tennessee anchor Brittany Sheffey, but came up just short. Hasay had already run a 4:41 mile earlier in the day to advance to the final of the women’s mile competition.

The men’s DMR presented an even more spectacular come-from-behind bid, this one successful. Oregon senior received the baton for the anchor leg mile in 10th place. Fortunately for him, the race turned tactical ahead of him and he was able to catch and pass everyone on the strength of  a 4:01.23 split.

The only individual distance event finals run on day one were the men’s and women’s 5000m. On the men’s side, Northern Arizona senior David McNeill claimed the victory in 13:36.41. The women’s race was won easily by Iowa State senior Lisa Koll in 15:39.65.

For more: NCAA Championships Web site

[sgi:MattFitzgerald]