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Preview - 10 Men's Storylines to Follow at Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike 2022

Published by
DyeStat.com   Apr 13th 2022, 5:17am
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By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 62nd Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike are scheduled for Wednesday, April 13 through Saturday, April 16 at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, Calif.

MT. SAC RELAYS LIVE WEBCAST INFO

Here are 10 storylines involving male athletes to follow at one of the nation’s most prestigious track and field competitions, which returns to the Mt. SAC campus for the first time since 2015:

Editor’s note: The following storylines do not include any of the events as part of the USATF Golden Games schedule, Saturday, April 16, which will be covered in a separate preview.

Bassitt prepared for another big battle

One of the most anticipated matchups of the meet is expected to take place Saturday in the men’s invitational elite 400-meter hurdles, with Ashland University standout Trevor Bassitt – the reigning USATF champion and World Indoor silver medalist in the 400 meters – looking to take aim at both the NCAA Division 2 record and all-time meet performance against a field of impressive professional competitors.

Bassitt, who boasts a personal-best 48.80 seconds, is pursuing the Division 2 record of 48.48 achieved in 2004 by Saint Augustine’s Bershawn Jackson.

The meet record has stood even longer, with Great Britain’s Chris Rawlinson running 48.49 in 2002.

Only one athlete has produced a sub-49 performance at the Mt. SAC since 2005, with Michael Tinsley clocking 48.83 in 2012.

Rai Benjamin achieved the stadium record of 47.13 at the USATF Golden Games last year.

Bassitt, who finished eighth last year at the Olympic Trials despite a foot injury, is scheduled to compete against fellow sub-49 competitors David Kendziera, Aldrich Bailey, Khallifah Rosser and Amere Lattin from the United States, along with Japan’s Takatoshi Abe.

Leonardo Ledgister, a Jamaican athlete competing for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, is also entered, along with Eric Cray of the Philippines and British athlete Efekemo Okoro.

Rosser is the last Division 2 athlete to win at the Mt. SAC Relays, clocking 49.27 in 2016.

A dynamic decathlon duel

The first two days of competition Wednesday and Thursday are largely devoted to the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon, showcasing one of the most consistent American professional multi-event athletes and the reigning NCAA Division 1 Indoor men’s heptathlon champion from Arkansas.

Ayden Owens, the national record holder for Puerto Rico in the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon, will look to surpass his personal-best 8,238 points representing the Razorbacks in a matchup with Hakim McMorris of Cal.

The meet record of 8,727 points established by Dave Johnson has stood since 1992.

Owens is also pursuing the absolute collegiate all-time mark of 8,539 points achieved in 2017 by Texas A&M’s Lindon Victor. The wind-legal collegiate record is 8,484 points was set last year by Karel Tilga of Georgia.

The qualifying standard for the World Championships is 8,350 points.

Georgia’s Kyle Garland produced the collegiate leading mark April 7-8 at the Tennessee Relays.

Owens is scheduled to be joined by Arkansas teammates Daniel Spejcher and Noah Swaby in a field that is also expected to include Texas Tech’s Gary Haasbroek and Denim Rogers, Washington’s Oliver Thorner and Jami Schlueter, Iowa’s Austin West, Marquette’s Joseph Keys, Texas-Arlington’s Lucas Van Klaveren and Abilene Christian’s JJ Ply.

Minnesota’s Luca Wieland accumulated 8,201 points in 2017 in the last decathlon held at the Mt. SAC Relays, becoming the first athlete to surpass the 8,000-point mark since 1999.

Jager looks to clear big career barrier

Despite being the American record holder and having run the fastest 3,000-meter steeplechase in meet history, Nike Bowerman Track Club athlete Evan Jager has not completed his signature event since 2018.

Jager, who ran 8:00.45 in 2015, was part of the pacing for teammate Sean McGorty last year at the USATF Golden Games, but did not finish the race.

His last completed 3,000 steeplechase race on American soil was at the 2018 USATF Championships in Iowa, and the last time he finished the event came later that summer in Zurich, Switzerland.

Jager, 33, is entered in the men’s invitational elite 3,000 steeplechase Thursday, with his meet record of 8:26.14 from 2012 still standing.

McGorty clocked the facility record of 8:20.77 in his appearance at Hilmer Lodge Stadium last year.

Japanese Olympian Ryoma Aoki is also entered, along with British athlete and ASICS representative Zak Seddon, Welsh competitor Jonathan Hopkins and American Craig Nowak, racing for Union Athletics Club, as well as Craig Huff of the HOKA Aggies.

The World Championship standard is 8:22.0, with Jager showing encouraging signs about his fitness during the indoor season Feb. 12 by clocking 13:13.23 in the 5,000 meters at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.

The collegiate-leading mark this season is 8:34.37 by Oklahoma State’s Ryan Smeeton, with Brigham Young’s Garrett Marsing, Arkansas State’s Bennett Pascoe, Washington’s Joe Waskom, Washington State teammates Colton Johnsen and Kelvin Limo, along with the Michigan pair of Christian Hubaker and Joost Plaetinck expected to race.

Potential for high jump history

The last time the meet was held at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in 2015, the meet record in the men’s high jump was established, with China’s Guowei Zhang clearing 7-8.50 (2.35m).

The showdown Saturday in the men’s invitational elite high jump has plenty of promise, with American standouts Shelby McEwen and Trey Culver looking to not only surpass their shared personal-best marks of 7-7.75 (2.33m), but also challenge the all-time meet performance.

Randall Cunningham II, representing Nike and the Nevada Gazelles, is also scheduled to compete, along with former NCAA Division 2 All-American at Chico State, Tyler Arroyo, as well as Erick Portillo from Mexico.

The World Championships standard is 7-7.75, with the collegiate-leading mark produced this season by Oklahoma’s Vernon Turner at 7-6.50 (2.30m).

Leading the college entries is USC All-American Earnie Sears III, in addition to South Florida’s Romaine Beckford, Long Beach State’s Jason Smith, Washington State’s Mitch Jacobson and UCLA’s Sean Lee, along with Texas Tech teammates Caleb Wilborn and Jack Scarborough.

Seeking brand supremacy in 1,500

The men’s invitational elite 1,500 meters Saturday is expected to showcase a pair of Nike Oregon Track Club Elite standouts in Vincent Ciattei and Will Paulson taking on Nike Bowerman Track Club teammates Josh Thompson and Amos Bartelsmeyer.

All four athletes have run sub-3:36 in their careers, and have the potential to challenge the 2011 meet record of 3:35.70 achieved by Russell Brown.

The World Championship standard is also in play at 3:35.0, with the stadium record achieved last year at the USATF Golden Games, as Australia’s Oliver Hoare clocked 3:33.19.

Bartelsmeyer, representing Germany, was runner-up in windy conditions April 9 at the USATF Bermuda Games in 3:45.35.

Adding depth to the field are Americans Dillon Maggard and Izaic Yorks, along with Canadian competitors Cameron Proceviat and Kevin Robertson, in addition to British athlete James Heneghan.

Michigan teammates Tom Dodd and Nick Foster are also expected to join the field, as well as Air Force standout Sam Gilman.

Keeping up with Jones’ schedule

Texas standout Jonathan Jones is scheduled to compete Friday in the collegiate and open section of the 400 meters, followed by the 800 meters Saturday in the USATF Golden Games.

Jones, representing Barbados, ran 44.63 in 2019 to produce a national record, then added another in the 800 by clocking 1:45.83 on March 24 at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Jones has the potential to challenge the stadium record of 44.40 produced last year at the USATF Golden Games by Michael Norman. But Norman’s 2019 meet record of 43.45 at El Camino College in 2019 remains one of the most impressive performances in Mt. SAC Relays history.

Jones is expected to square off against Ricardo dos Santos, an Olympian from Portugal representing PUMA, along with Dominican standout Lidio Feliz.

Iowa’s Jenoah McKiver and Wayne Lawrence, Jr., USC’s Johnnie Blockburger, UCLA’s Ismail Turner and Texas teammate Brian Herron are also entered in the last section along with Jones, as all athletes are focused on securing the World Championships standard of 44.90.

Justin Robinson of Arizona State, who ran 44.84 in 2019 for a World Under-18 all-time best effort, is scheduled to compete in the seventh of eight sections.

A dress rehearsal for the real thing

Although Wesley Kiptoo began the week still listed on Iowa State’s roster, the 2021 NCAA Division 1 indoor 5,000-meter champion will officially be making his professional debut Friday representing HOKA NAZ Elite in the men’s invitational elite event of the same distance.

Kiptoo, who confirmed the decision Friday to pursue professional opportunities and train with coach Ben Rosario, has run 13:14.74 indoors and 13:21.02 outdoors, and is looking to secure the World Championships standard of 13:13.50.

He should have plenty of competition from Roots Running Project professional Frank Lara, who boasts a personal-best 13:27.20, along with Under Armour competitors Jacob Thompson and Biya Simbassa, the latter producing a lifetime-best 13:19.12 effort.

Lara will have the support of Roots Running Project teammates Sydney Gidabuday and Austen Dalquist, with a quartet of Hansons-Brooks ODP competitors also entered in Zach Panning, Alec Sandusky, JP Flavin and Daniel Soto.

Oklahoma State’s Alex Maier, Shea Foster and Isai Rodriguez are also scheduled to race, along with Brigham Young’s Casey Clinger and Brandon Garnica, Air Force’s Sam Gilman, Minnesota’s Alec Basten, Washington State’s Colton Johnsen, Michigan’s Devin Meyrer and Colorado School of Mines’ Jake Mitchem, already the NCAA Division 2 leader this season in the 3,000 steeplechase at 8:37.87.

The meet and stadium records of 13:11.37 produced by Mexico’s Juan Barrios have stood since 2007.

Another measuring stick for Holland

Following a runner-up performance March 25 at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and a victory April 1 at the Hayward Premiere, Zach Holland of Umpqua Community College in Oregon will have another big opportunity Friday in the collegiate and open javelin competition.

Holland leads all collegiate throwers with his 258-6 (78.80m) effort at Texas Relays that helped him place second behind American professional Curtis Thompson. He has surpassed 240 feet in two other competitions this season.

Holland is scheduled to square off against former Utah State and Mississippi State All-American Sindri Gudmundsson, an Icelandic athlete representing Velaasa with a personal-best 265-5 (80.91m), along with American professional competitors Nicholas Howe and Sam Hardin.

Oregon athletes Ty Hampton and Dalton Rasmussen are also entered, in addition to James McNaney of Rice, all of whom have surpassed 225 feet (68.58m).

Breaux Greer still boasts the meet and stadium records of 287-6 (87.65m) from 2005, with the World Championship standard at 278-10 (85.00m).

Hoping to rule the runway

The men’s invitational elite long jump competition Saturday features six entries who have surpassed the 8-meter mark during their careers, including three athletes with connections to the Arkansas program.

Laquan Nairn, a former Arkansas standout representing the Bahamas, achieved a national indoor record by jumping 26-10 (8.18m) on Feb. 18. He produced a wind-aided mark April 8 at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville with a 26-7.75 (8.12m) performance.

John Baker and Ryan Brown are also entered for the Razorbacks, in addition to Carter Shell of Arkansas State.

Abraham Seaneke, representing Ghana and West Texas Elite, is also scheduled to compete, as well as Dhanuskah Sandaruwan, an athlete from Sri Lanka who earned NCAA Division 2 All-America honors at West Texas A&M.

Will Williams, a former Division 1 All-American at Texas A&M, is competing for Winners Circle, with Long Beach State standout Jason Smith also entered, along with Texas teammates Leo Neugebauer and Stacy Brown, Jr.

Jarvis Gotch was the last athlete to produce a 27-foot performance at the 2018 Mt. SAC Relays with his leap of 27-1.50 (8.27m). Carl Lewis still holds the meet and stadium records of 28-5 (8.66m) from 1987.

Going out with a bang

The final men’s invitational elite event on the track Saturday will be the 4x400-meter relay and it has the potential to be one of the most exciting in meet history, especially considering the depth of impressive college programs.

Houston and Iowa, the top two teams in the last men’s 4x400 relay contested at the Mt. SAC Relays in 2019, have returned, along with Arkansas, Arizona State, UCLA, Colorado and Arizona.

Houston is bidding to become the first men’s college program to win two straight 4x400 titles since USC in 2010-11.

Iowa has never secured a Mt. SAC Relays 4x400 crown, with Arizona State celebrating its last victory in 1963, Arizona in 1973 and UCLA in 1988.

The men’s invitational elite 4x100 should be highlighted by a potential showdown involving Houston, Texas, Oregon, USC, UCLA and HSI International, which hasn’t prevailed at the Mt. SAC Relays since capturing four consecutive titles from 2010-13.

Texas held off Houston and USC at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with a 38.87 performance, and ranks No. 2 among collegiate programs this season, with Iowa at No. 4 with a 39.03 effort.

Houston ran faster than Arkansas in the 4x400 at Texas Relays, but Iowa, Arizona State and Colorado have all run faster than both programs this season.



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