Great Southwest Classic Preview

Great Southwest Classic
MileSplit Staff

GIRLS FIELD EVENTS



Throws

It is an exceptional year for Great Southwest Classic's throwing events. Colorado's Haley Showalter returns to defend her title and record-setting Hammer Throw (193'4") and also has her sights set on the Discus title that just eluded her last year. Showalter is also the leading entry (159'08") in that event, just an inch beyond Illinois' Kathleen Young's PR, and both girls rank in the country's top seven.

Inside the Stadium, Oregon's Rachel Yurkovich should see her 2005 record go bye-bye. The nation's second-and third-ranked Javelin throwers should give it a "go" when Missouri's Sophie Rivera (175'10") and Nebraska's Katelyn Gochenour (167'2") head down the runway. We hope to see these two reprise their competition next year, since both are only juniors.

The Shot Put features the two leading American high school girls: Missouri's Sophia Rivera (51'2") and Illinois' Young (50'10") who will be dueling for that prize at the south end of University Stadium.

Jumps

Jamaica's Tamara Moncrieffe has Triple Jump of 45'8 1/2" (13.92 meters) which places her in the Top Ten -- for women in the world this year, not just high schoolers. For last year's record by New Jersey's Keturah Orji to survive, Moncrieffe would really have an off day. If she has that off day, the title could slip away to her own teammate Latvia Coombs (12.46m). Texas' Felicienne Axel and Illinois' Lavaris Brown are the top American challengers.

Both ladies are at the head of the Long Jump class, with respective leaps of Moncrieffe (20'1"/6.10 m) and Coombs (18'8"/5.68m), but three Americans are close enough to grab the gold. Illinois' Brianna Driver, Colorado's Maya Evans, and Santa Fe's own Akeisha Ayanniyi are all hovering around twenty feet.

Another record in serious jeopardy is the Pole Vault, with Arkansas' Lexi Weeks (14'3") and Tori Weeks (14' 1/2") having exceeded the Classic record. These sisters come from the Arkansas vaulting academy run in a plane hangar by a former US Olympian and featured in the New York Times and other periodicals as the breeding ground for future champions. We may see a glimpse of the future here.

The High Jump will have a challenge measuring up to the deep fields in the other field events, since no contender seems likely to approach the meet record of six feet, held jointly by four athletes over three different years.

2015 Great Southwest Classic Previews:

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