Day One: A Cardinal Act!
Stanford’s Robinson and Hicks Author 1-2 10K Sweep
Undaunted by the Austin heat and humidity, the very best collegiate men on the track and in the field showed their greatness in Day One of the 2023 NCAA Track & Field Championships.
The men took center stage on the first day of this 4-day championship gathering that was dominated by field event finals, multi-events, and semifinals on the track. The evening closed with the only opening day track event final: the men’s 10,000-meter run. Not surprisingly, the field of 24 answered the opening gun with a cautious shuffle, resulting in Gonzaga’s James Mwaura charging to the front and grabbing the early lead. A periodic change in leadership followed, including Alabama’s Victor Kiprop and Ok State’s Isai Rodriguez.
After passing 5000 meters in an easy 14:10, the lead pack had assembled a crowd of 11. With 8 laps remaining, Harvard’s Graham Blanks moved up to 3rd and looked ready for more. With 2 kilos remaining and Kiprop back in the lead, the front pack had dwindled to 9 as the leaders prepared for a furious charge to the finish.
With 3 laps to go, Rodriguez and Mwaura moved back into the lead as the pace quickened. But then a surprise took place as Stanford’s Ky Robinson and then teammate Charles Hicks unleashed the quickest pace of the evening with 2 laps to go. The race to the finish was on, but the Stanford Cardinal was not to be caught, as Robinson (28:10.96) and Hicks (28:12.20) covered the final circuit in 54 and 55 seconds, respectively. The top 8 point-getters all raced the final lap with sub-60-second closings.
Trackside Tidbits
mPV: The anticipated showdown between Princeton’s reigning NCAA outdoor pole vault champion, Sondre Guttormsen, and Texas Tech’s Zach Bradford never materialized. At the event’s conclusion, the top 8 performers were bunched in a clearance traffic jam as only 4 inches separated the top 8 athletes. Alabama’s Kyle Rademeyer and Akron’s Hunter Garretson had the highest clearances (5.70m/18’8¼”) to finish 1-2.
mHT: In one of the most exciting events of the day, Harvard’s Kenneth Ikeji (77.92m/255-8) was the surprise victor, relegating the favorites – Minnesota’s Kostas Zaltos (76.33m/250-5) and Arizona’s…
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