Rising to the Top of Track and Field

Welcome to this journey around the country to see some of the best performances in the sport of track and field. This trip is free of charge. Buckle-up, as we speed through a review of the biggest and brightest performances of the past week in NCAA Divison I.

North Carolina A&T freshman Cambrea Sturgis rolled off a time of 11.24 in the 100-meter dash, on April 12, at the Aggie Invitational. Her time ranks eighth in the nation, and is the second fastest finish by a freshman this season, trailing only LSU freshman Sha'Carri Richardson's 11.17, recorded at the Texas Relays, March 27.

Another freshman, Abby Steiner of Kentucky, recorded the second best time in the nation when she ran 22.81 in the 200-meter dash at the Tennessee Relays, April 11. Steiner finished ahead of senior teammate Kianna Gray whose time of 22.87 currently sits as the fourth best finish in the country.

Alabama sophomore Daija Lampkin scored the fifth best time in the country in the 200-meter dash at 22.95, during the Crimson Tide Invitational, April 11. She placed first out of 25 competitors including her teammate sophomore Tamara Clark who ran 25.99 which is the ninth best time in nation.

South Carolina's Wadeline Jonathas is now second in the nation in the 400-meter dash with her performance at the Gamecock Invitational on April 13. The junior ran a second place time of 51.56, finishing just behind pro runner Jordan Lavender's 51.53. Jonathas trails senior Sharrika Barnett of Florida who holds the top collegiate time in the country after she ran 50.96 at the Florida Relays, March 28.

Junior Nia Akins of Penn ran a time of 2:03.76 in the 800-meter run, which is fourth in the nation at the Tennessee Relays, April 11. She's was the only runner at the meet that completed the 800 in under 2:04. Akins was the national runner-up in the event at this year's NCAA indoor championship meet.

Temple's Millie Howard scored a runner-up finish in the 1500-meter run at the Bison Outdoor Classic, April 13. She ran a time of 4:16.81, second to Anna Shields of NAIA program Point Park. Howard's time puts her fifth in the NCAA.

Faith Ross of Kentucky moved up to second in the nation in the 100-meter hurdles with a winning time of 12.89 at the Tennessee Relays. The junior finished ahead of Tennessee sophomore Alexis Duncan's 12.90, which is third in the nation, and her Kentucky teammate freshman Masai Russell's 13.02, now sixth in the country.

LSU's 400-meter relay squad of Tonea Marshall, Ariyonna Augustine, Rachel Misher, and Sha'Carri Richardson currently has the third fastest time in the country after their 43.47 first place finish at the Miami Hurricane Alumni Invitational, April 12.

Alabama's 400-meter relay foursome of Daija Lampkin, Krystal Sparling, Mauricia Prieto and Tamara Clark were victorious at the Crimson Tide Invitational, April 11, at 43.63, which is the sixth fastest time in the nation. Five days earlier Alabama's Lampkin, Prieto, Symone Darius and Clark recorded a time of 43.79, which is eighth in the country.

Kentucky's Ross, Steiner, Russell and Chloe Abbott were winners in the 1600-meter relay at the Tennessee Relays with a time of 3:30.81, good for fourth in the nation.

They finished in front of Tennessee's squad of Layla White, Martina Weil, Lenysse Dyer and Broolynn Broadwater whose 3:32.63 finish landed them in the sixth spot for the top times in the country.

Senior Andrea Johnson-Stapleton of BYU is now tied for second in the nation for the best leap in high jump competition. On April 12, she won at 1.85 meters at the Aggie Invitational. She's currently tied with Florida International senior Clarissa Cutliff who jumped the same height at the UCF Knights Invite on March 22. They both sit behind sophomore Tyra Gittens' leap of 1.87, recorded at the Texas Relays, March 27.

Mississippi State senior Logan Boss is sixth in the country with a jump of 1.83 at the Crimson Tide Invitational. Also the current SEC indoor high jump champ, Boss beat out 13 other competitors at the Crimson Tide Invitational where she was the only one to clear 5-feet-11.

On April 12, senior Sarea Alexander of Incarnate Word made her mark in both long jump and triple jump competitions at the UIW Invitational. She is now tied for first in the country in long jump at 6.60, and sixth in triple jump at 13.42.

Senior Portious Warren of Alabama has the second best shotput throw in the nation with her win at the Crimson Tide Invitational. She threw for 17.64 meters, and she sits behind Arizona State sophomore Samantha Noennig's throw of 17.81, recorded a day later at the Triton Invitational, April 12.

Alyssa Wilson, Sophomore of UCLA, is now second in the country in hammer throwing. She won the Rafer Johnson & Jackie Joyner-Kersee hammer competition with a throw of 70.63 meters, April 13. She trails Beatrice Llano of Arizona State who threw 71.43 at the ASU Invitational, March 22.

Finally Madison Wiltrout's javelin toss of 55.28 meters has her at seventh best in the nation. The North Carolina competitor has the best throw out of any freshman in the country as she passed Cal St. Northridge's Stella Weinberg. Her mark of 54.45, was recorded at the Stanford Invitational on March 29.