By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 40th edition of the NCAA Women’s Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., with the heptathlon slated for Friday and Saturday.

It marks the second year in a row and 14th overall time the event will be held in Oregon to decide the women’s individual, relay and team titles.

Here are 10 storylines to follow in the women’s meet:

Ready for a relay encore

Perhaps the most compelling storyline of the four-day event might just be in the final event Saturday, when not only the women’s team title could be decided, but perhaps another collegiate record could be produced in the 4x400-meter relay.

The four fastest schools in history – Kentucky, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Texas – could all be squaring off, each having produced a quartet that has run under 3 minutes, 23 seconds this season.

The last time Kentucky, Texas A&M and Arkansas matched up May 14 at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Oxford, Miss., the trio accounted for three of the four fastest collegiate all-time marks in one race.

Kentucky’s lineup of Karimah Davis, Dajour Miles, Abby Steiner and Alexis Holmes ran 3:21.93 to edge Texas A&M (3:22.01) and Arkansas (3:22.55). Texas ran 3:22.94 on March 26 at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin.

Texas A&M entered the season boasting the previous collegiate record of 3:22.34 at last year’s NCAA Division 1 Championships and is returning Jamaican athlete Charokee Young along with Tierra Robinson-Jones from that lineup.

Arkansas boasts Britton Wilson on its anchor, with the championship favorite in the 400-meter hurdles having achieved a 48.60-second closing split for the Razorbacks, the fastest in the field. Wilson also anchored Arkansas’ indoor collegiate record 3:24.09 in February at the SEC Championships at Texas A&M.

Texas has Jamaican competitor Stacey Ann Williams and Kennedy Simon, both top contenders for the 400-meter crown, scheduled to compete on its relay.

Rogers aims to nail down another hammer crown

Camryn Rogers, the Canadian and collegiate record holder in the women’s hammer throw representing Cal, already boasts the top five performances in NCAA history.

She will attempt to join Florence Ezeh of Southern Methodist as the only female competitors to capture three consecutive championships in the first final scheduled Thursday.

Ezeh, representing Togo, triumphed in 1999-2001. Rogers, who produced a mark of 250-10 (76.46m) at the West Regional on May 26 in Arkansas, is the fourth female competitor since Ezeh to win two in a row.

Rogers prevailed in 2019 in Austin, Texas, then captured her second career championship last year in Oregon.

Sheila Hudson is the only other Cal athlete in program history to win three championships in any event, securing women’s triple jump titles in 1987, 1988 and 1990.

Rogers could also be joined on the podium by teammate Anna Purchase, which would mark the first time in program history Cal has a pair of All-America first-team athletes in the women’s hammer throw. It would also mark the first time since USC in 2012 that one school had two competitors finish in the top eight in the women’s hammer throw final.

Alyssa Wilson from Texas State is the No. 4 competitor in collegiate history at 240-2 (73.20m), Beatrice Llano of Arizona is No. 9 at 234-4 (71.43m) and Purchase is No. 13 at 231-9 (70.63m). Jillian Shippee of North Carolina is the only other finalist to surpass the 70-meter mark and ranks No. 19 all-time at 229-11 (70.07m).

Showdown for sprint supremacy

The women’s 200-meter final Saturday might not be as deep as the 100-meter championship, but it is expected to showcase two of the top competitors in NCAA history in collegiate outdoor record holder Favour Ofili of LSU squaring off against Division 1 indoor all-time performer and American record holder Abby Steiner of Kentucky.

Ofili, representing Nigeria, ran a wind-legal 21.96 in April at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Fla., to eclipse the 2017 collegiate record of 22.02 achieved by Kyra Jefferson of Florida.

Steiner ran a wind-aided 22.01 effort May 28 at the East Regionals in Bloomington, Ind., and also boasts a wind-legal performance of 22.05 on April 22 at the Kentucky Invitational. She also achieved the collegiate and American indoor records in February at Texas A&M by clocking 22.09.

Ofili prevailed in both the 100 and 200 finals against Steiner on May 14 at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Oxford, Miss.

Steiner ran the fastest overall 200 time at the East Regionals, with Ofili clocking a wind-legal 22.08. Ofili ran 11.02 in the 100 and Steiner clocked 11.04, although they never squared off once in Indiana.

Alabama’s Tamara Clark ran the fastest all-conditions 200 in collegiate history when she clocked a wind-aided 21.89 last year.

Ofili and Steiner are among 10 qualifiers in the 100 to have produced sub-11 performances under all-conditions.

JuJu Alfred and Kevona Davis of Texas, Melissa Jefferson of Coastal Carolina, along with Ofili and Steiner have achieved the feat with wind-legal efforts. USC’s Celera Barnes, Texas Tech’s Rosemary Chukwuma, Arkansas’ Jada Baylark, Cal’s Ezinne Abba and Oregon’s Kemba Nelson have achieved wind-aided marks.

Alfred, representing Saint Lucia, is the No. 3 all-time wind-legal collegiate competitor at 10.81. She also boasts a wind-aided performance of 10.80, which ranks as the fifth-fastest all-conditions performance in NCAA history.

Wolfpack hunting for historic 5,000 showcase

North Carolina State became the first women’s program in NCAA Division 1 history to have five athletes qualify for the championship in any outdoor event, with Katelyn Tuohy, Savannah Shaw, Samantha Bush, Hannah Steelman and Marlee Starliper all advancing to race in the 5,000 meters.

Brigham Young had six male athletes compete in the 10,000-meter final in 2019 in Austin, Texas, with three individuals earning All-America first-team honors, including champion Clayton Young.

BYU is also the only program to have five athletes earn All-America first-team recognition in one championship in the same year, with the Cougars placing five competitors in the top seven of the men’s decathlon in 1975.

Washington State swept the top three spots in the men’s 5,000 in 1976, with Indiana having three competitors finish in the top four in the men’s 5,000 in 1936.

The Oregon men twice placed three athletes in the top four of the men’s 5,000 final in 2014 and 2015.

No women’s team has ever produced three All-America first-team performers in the 5,000 final in the same year. Colorado was the last program to have two first-team All-Americans in the 5,000 in 2019.

Elly Henes won the 5,000 last year for North Carolina State, 30 years after her mother and coach Laurie (Gomez) Henes captured the title in 1991 for the Wolfpack.

Oklahoma is the last women’s team to produce a pair of teammates winning 5,000 titles in consecutive years, with Monique Ecker prevailing in 1992 and Kay Gooch capturing the crown in 1993.

Colorado has three finalists in Abby Nichols, Emily Covert and India Johnson, with New Mexico also producing three qualifiers in Gracelyn Larkin, Amelia Mazza-Downie and Emma Heckel.

Alabama has a pair of finalists in Mercy Chelangat and Amaris Tyynismaa, with Arkansas producing a pair of qualifiers in Lauren Gregory and Isabel Van Camp.

Tuohy is the No. 8 all-time NCAA outdoor performer at 15:14.61, Nichols is No. 9 at 15:15.95 and Chelangat is 11th at 15:17.28. Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State, the reigning Division 1 indoor 3,000-meter champion, ranks No. 22 in collegiate outdoor history at 15:21.47. 

Moore in search of more memorable runway moments

Jasmine Moore was instrumental in March in Florida capturing its first women’s indoor team title since 1992 by sweeping the long jump and triple jump titles.

Moore will play a significant role again Thursday and Saturday if the Gators are to win their first women’s outdoor championship in program history.

The U.S. Olympian is attempting to become only the second female athlete in NCAA history, joining Sheila Hudson of Cal in 1990, to produce a sweep of both horizontal jumps at the indoor and outdoor championship meets in the same year.

Moore was the first women’s competitor to achieve the indoor double since Kansas’ Andrea Geubelle in 2013. She is seeking the first outdoor sweep since fellow U.S. Olympian and former Georgia standout Keturah Orji secured both championships in 2018.

Ruth Usoro of Texas Tech, representing Nigeria, won both the indoor and outdoor triple jump crowns last year and has qualified for the long jump and triple jump finals in Oregon, along with teammate Ruta Lasmane of Latvia.

Texas’ Ackelia Smith, representing Jamaica, and Georgia’s Titiana Marsh also qualified for both long jump and triple jump finals.

Moore is supported by Florida teammate Claire Bryant in the long jump final, along with fellow Gators Natricia Hooper and Alissa Braxton in the triple jump championship.

Aquilla, Van Klinken seeking different double features

Ohio State’s Adelaide Aquilla had her pursuit of a third career NCAA women’s shot put title halted in March when Jorinde Van Klinken of Arizona State, the reigning Division 1 discus throw champion, captured the indoor shot put crown at the CrossPlex in Birmingham.

Aquilla is still attempting to become the first female athlete to repeat as the outdoor shot put winner since Raven Saunders achieved the feat for Southern Illinois and Ole Miss in 2015-16, but her biggest challenge remains the Dutch standout Van Klinken.

Aquilla is the No. 4 all-time collegiate outdoor competitor at 62-8.75 (19.12m) from last season. She has produced the top NCAA mark this year at 62-7.75 (19.09m).

Van Klinken, who won the indoor title with a 62-7.25 (19.08m) performance, ranks No. 12 in collegiate outdoor history at 61-6.25 (18.75m).

Maggie Ewen and Samantha Noennig captured the two outdoor shot put titles before Aquilla in 2018 and 2019. Aquilla would be the first Ohio State female competitor to win multiple Division 1 outdoor championships in any event.

Van Klinken is not only looking to become the first back-to-back discus winner since Shelbi Vaughan of Texas A&M in 2014-15, but also trying to follow Ewen’s 2018 performance by sweeping the discus and shot put in the same championship meet.

Van Klinken ranks No. 4 in collegiate history at 213-4 (65.01m), but also achieved the Dutch national record last year with a mark of 230-4 (70.22m) at the USATF Throws Festival in Tucson that would also surpass the top collegiate all-time effort of 221-5 (67.48m) achieved in 1981 by Arizona’s Meg Ritchie.

Wayment knows the way to storybook steeplechase ending

Courtney Wayment has been motivated in her final season at Brigham Young by two experiences from last year, both fourth-place finishes at championship events.

The first came when Air Force’s Mahala Norris surged ahead of the field over the final barrier and captured the Division 1 title in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:31.79, stunning Auburn’s Joyce Kimeli (9:31.84), Washington’s Katie Rainsberger (9:32.12) and Wayment (9:32.93).

The other came at the Olympic Trials, when Wayment clocked 9:23.09 in the steeplechase final, a performance that would have eclipsed the collegiate record had it occurred during the NCAA season, but also left her one spot outside of representing the U.S. in Tokyo.

Wayment ran 9:26.88 to win the 62nd Mt. SAC Relays in April, prevailing against Val Constien (9:31.20), the third-place finisher at the Olympic Trials.

Wayment is hoping those past opportunities will not only provide wisdom in pursuit of her first career steeplechase crown, but also inspire her to challenge the NCAA record of 9:24.41 set in 2016 by New Mexico’s Courtney Frerichs.

Colorado graduate Jenny Simpson boasts the top performance by a collegiate competitor at any point during the year, running 9:12.50 at the 2009 World Championships in Germany. Wayment boasts the No. 6 all-time effort by a collegiate athlete in any race throughout the year.

BYU won the first three Division 1 women’s steeplechase championships with Elizabeth Jackson in 2001, Michaela Manova in 2002 and Kassi Andersen in 2003 and hasn’t secured the title since.

West Virginia’s Ceili McCabe and Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich, who finished sixth and 10th, respectively, in last year’s final, are also returning.

McCabe, representing Canada, ranks as the No. 9 performer in collegiate history at 9:32.14, with New Mexico’s Elise Thorner – an athlete from Great Britain – ranking 10th at 9:32.42.

Hurdling highlight reel

It is difficult to determine which women’s hurdling final Saturday has the potential to produce the most exciting finish, but both the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles fields are among the deepest in collegiate history.

Kentucky’s Masai Russell, Texas A&M’s Deshae Wise and Coastal Carolina’s Shani’a Bellamy have qualified for both events and are surrounded by exceptional challengers.

Russell and Wise were part of the most memorable 400 hurdles race this season May 14 at the Southeastern Conference Championships, with Arkansas’ Britton Wilson ascending to the No. 6 all-time collegiate competitor at 53.75 seconds.

Florida’s Anna Hall clocked 55.36, with Russell taking third in 55.44 and Wise finishing fourth in 55.99.

The last NCAA Division 1 final to produce at least four athletes running sub-56 was in 2016 in Oregon, with six competitors achieving the feat that year.

That number could be matched Saturday, with Arizona’s Shannon Meisberger and Duke’s Lauren Hoffman also expected to be part of the championship field.

The 100 hurdles lineup is also exceptional, led by LSU’s Alia Armstrong, Texas Tech’s Demisha Roswell, Baylor’s Ackera Nugent and Texas A&M’s Kaylah Robinson, all of whom have produced sub-12.50 performances under all conditions.

Paula Salmon of North Carolina A&T, Rayniah Jones of Central Florida and Russell have all run under 12.80 this season under all conditions.

Roswell and Nugent, both representing Jamaica, are responsible for the only 100 hurdles race in collegiate history with multiple competitors producing wind-legal performances under 12.50 with their memorable matchup May 15 at the Big 12 Championships at Texas Tech that saw Roswell prevail by a 12.44 to 12.45 margin.

Armstrong and Robinson both achieved wind-aided sub-12.50 efforts in the same race in March at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Pole vault final promises plenty of intrigue

The women’s pole vault championship Thursday not only showcases reigning NCAA indoor winner Rachel Baxter of Virginia Tech, along with 2021 indoor and outdoor champion Lisa Gunnarsson of LSU, but a pair of sisters from High Point, teammates from Louisville and the top six competitors from the Division 1 indoor final in March at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.

Gunnarsson, representing Sweden, boasts the top mark this season at 15-3 (4.65m) from the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in March in Austin, with Louisville’s Gabriela Leon the only female athlete to achieve a pair of 15-foot clearances this spring, including her 15-1.50 (4.61m) performance in April at the Clark Wood Invitational that makes her one of 10 women’s vaulters in collegiate outdoor history to reach that height.

Baxter, who cleared 15-1.75 (4.62m) indoors, and Virginia Tech teammate Julia Fixsen took two of the top three spots at the Division 1 indoor championship. Sydney Horn of High Point, the indoor runner-up, will be joined in Oregon by sister Mackenize Horn, and Leon will be supported by 2021 outdoor finalist and teammate Aliyah Welter.

Oklahoma’s Olivia Lueking, fourth at the indoor final, is also part of the field, along with the Arkansas trio of Amanda Fassold, Bailee McCorkle and Mackenzie Hayward, as well as South Dakota teammates Marleen Mulla and Jaidyn Garrett.

Michigan State’s Sophia Franklin, who finished eighth outdoors last year and 12th at the indoor final in March, has also qualified, along with East Carolina’s Sommer Knight, the third-place performer last year in Oregon, in addition to Texas Tech’s Chloe Wall, who was 10th at the indoor championship in Alabama.

A mighty haul for Hall

Florida’s Anna Hall is expected to take on one of the most ambitious schedules in meet history in an attempt to help the Gators capture their first women’s outdoor championship in program history.

Hall, the U.S. outdoor champion in the heptathlon, is entered in the two-day, seven-event competition, in addition to being scheduled to race in the 400-meter hurdles as well as being listed as a member of Florida’s 4x400-meter relay.

The schedule breakdown would have Hall competing in the 400 hurdles and potentially 4x400 semifinals Thursday, followed by the opening day of the heptathlon Friday, which consists of the 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200 meters.

Hall could face a Saturday schedule that includes not only the 400 hurdles and 4x400 relay finals, but also the heptathlon long jump, javelin throw and 800 meters.

Nevada-Reno’s Nicola Ader, representing Germany, was the last female athlete to take on the heptathlon schedule, plus two additional competitions, when she entered the long jump and high jump finals in 2019 in Austin, Texas. Ader is only scheduled to compete in the heptathlon Friday and Saturday.

Texas State’s Alyssa Wilson and Debbie Ajagbe of Miami (Florida) have both qualified for the discus throw, hammer throw and shot put finals.

Texas’ JuJu Alfred, LSU’s Favour Ofili, Kentucky’s Abby Steiner and Ohio State’s Yanique Dayle could all potentially run in four finals Saturday with the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, along with the 100 and 200.