NCAA Men’s 4 x 100 — An Upset… Not

THE OPENING RACE of the men’s final day was thrilling, featured a huge upset, and had big team title implications. But as will happen in relays, appearances were not what they seemed.

Texas Tech’s foursome of Adam Clayton, Courtney Lindsey, Don’dre Swint, and Terrence Jones got the stick around first, putting paid to any thoughts that LSU’s favored Collegiate Record quartet (37.90 at the SEC) was invincible. But within minutes, word came down that Clayton and Lindsey’s pass happened beyond the zone, erasing Tech’s 37.93 and lifting LSU’s 38.05 to the top of the podium.

The first clue should have been that LSU’s pass from Brandon Hicklin to Dorian Camel came noticeably earlier than the Clayton/Lindsey connection, despite running even with Tech.

Then Camel and Lindsey matched strides down the backstretch, passing simultaneously in the second exchange.

It was Swint’s third leg that opened up the advantage for Tech, as he mastered the curve far quicker than LSU’s Da’Marcus Fleming and executed a perfect pass to Red Raider anchor Jones. That gap opened even more when LSU’s pass was just slightly off, with Godson Oghenebrume needing a minor look-back. In full flight, Jones held that edge down the stretch and even had time for a stare-down of his rival at the finish line.

But LSU had the last laugh and the gold after the video review.

Fleming was straightforward about the Tigers’ late-recognized win. “It wasn’t our best race,” he said. “It was fast, but it wasn’t our best. We will take the win, and we will come back faster and stronger. It’s fun and it’s competition. We’re just having fun, and we love it.”

Florida’s 3rd-place 38.26 was then elevated to silver. While those 2 extra points didn’t make the full difference for the Gators’ team title defense, it did give them a little more breathing room.

The victory markedly improved upon last year’s showing for the Tigers, when their own out-of-zone problems at the East Regional kept their 4×1 from even getting to the final meet.

MEN’S 4×1 RESULTS

FINAL (June 09)

1. LSU 38.05 (4 C, 2 NCAA)

(Brandon Hicklin, Dorian Camel, Da’Marcus Fleming, Godson Oghenebrume’);

2. Florida 38.26 (10 NCAA)

(Ryan Willie, Jacory Patterson, PJ Austin, Robert Gregory);

3. Florida State 38.29

(Taylor Banks, Ismael Kone’, Amir Willis,…