Catching Up on Outdoors

The National Championships are done, the recaps are complete, and we have fully digested what the indoor season has given us. However, during those two awkward weeks of transitioning between seasons, there were a handful of interesting performances and headlines that caught our attention. We catch you up on everything that's happened below...

BYU highlights strong steeplechase openers

It's no secret that the Cougars from BYU are, without question, the greatest steeplechase team in the country. Sure enough, they extended their reputation by placing three men under the 9 minute barrier at the Willie Williams Classic. They also had a fourth runner (Porter Reddish) finish with a time of 9:03.

Matt Owens highlighted BYU's collective effort with a monster time of 8:50. That result would have put him at #23 on the 2018 NCAA leaderboard. Of course, Owens personal best of 8:36 tells us that this is just the beginning of what will likely be another huge season for the redshirt sophomore. After gaining some valuable experience on the national stage in 2018, Owens will want to fight for a national title this spring.

Close behind Owens in a time of 8:52 was teammate Jacob Heslington, a key steeplechase veteran who continues to put himself at the top of the nation in this event. In 2019, this redshirt junior will use his years of experience to secure an All-American finish that has eluded him over the past few seasons.

Despite the mass number of top-tier steeplechasers, there always seems to be a young rising star that finds his way into BYU's group of steeplechase studs. This year, that runner seems to be true freshman Kenneth Rooks who ran 8:59 in his outdoor debut. It's still too early to establish expectations for this youngster, but this is a nice start to his season.

The 9:03 from Porter Reddish is respectable, but he owns a PR of 8:50. He'll be back in the steeplechase conversation later this season. As for the rest of this team, we haven't even talked about other sub-nine BYU steeplechasers like Clayson Shumway, Daniel Carney, Garrett Marsing, Cade Perry, and Alex Hedquist. Expect to see those names popping up at the top of the NCAA leaderboard later this season.

Ellsworth, Webb, Sharon capitalize on indoor fitness

Sticking with BYU, Lauren Ellsworth ran the NCAA #1 time of 2:06 this past weekend which essentially matches her indoor personal best from this past indoor season. Hopefully she can continue to carry her momentum into May. Luckily for her, the top women for 800 meters in the NCAA are almost all in the east region. In fact, seven of the eight All-Americans from the indoor national meet reside in the eastern half of the country. That has to provide a lot of comfort for the half-mile specialists out west.

As for Skylyn Webb and Bailey Sharon, they went head-to-head at the CSU-Pueblo Early Bird Invite which resulted in converted times of 2:07 and 2:08 with Webb getting the win. This isn't necessarily a surprising result for Webb, but you have to be encouraged by the fact that Sharon was able to keep things close and push her to the line. She may not have won, but a close runner-up finish to one of the greatest D2 800 meter runners of all time has to feel good.

Bartlett, Warren post strong double

In the spring of 2018, we saw a lot of great performances from Georgia Tech's Avery Bartlett. The mid-distance stud established a reputation for having a wicked kick while also being able to stay competitive when moving up in distance to the 1500. Now, the Yellow Jacket veteran is back after narrowly missing the national meet during indoors. His 1:51/3:54 double isn't mind-boggling, but it is a good sign for someone who has thrived on the outdoor oval.

As for Calahan Warren, the Division Two star made a quick return to the track and was likely fueled by missing an All-American spot at Nationals despite owning a 4:05 mile PR. His 1:50/3:48 double may be one of the more impressive doubles you see in Division Two this season.

Early season times don't mean a ton, but I'm a fan of athletes who can display range as well as the ability to double (it bodes well for running trials). Expect big performances from these two come April and May.

Hayley Jackson continues solid 2018-2019 campaign

West Virginia is a respectable distance program that doesn't often get the attention it might deserve. Maybe Hayley Jackson will change that. The redshirt freshman has posted some very solid results in the 2018-2019 academic calendar with an 8th place finish in the BIG 12 Cross Country Championships as well as a personal best of 4:43 in the mile this past winter. Her winning time of 4:23 in the 1500 at the Charlotte 49er Classic isn't anything crazy fast, but it does show you that she is consistent and still capable of running something truly competitive later in the season.

Corcoran, Noble return to competition

California's Garrett Corcoran is one of the forgotten stars of the NCAA who still deserves attention as a national contender. With personal bests of 3:59, 7:52, and 13:54, Corcoran is arguably one of the most well-rounded distance runners that the country has to offer. With a plethora of experience in championship settings, the Cal veteran has a chance to do something special in his final season with the Golden Bears. He started off his season with a 3:44 win and although it's nothing special, it's a nice reminder to the rest of the nation that Corcoran can be a problem for his competitors.

After making headlines during cross country with a handful of wicked fast times and redshirting indoors, Christian Noble made a statement in his outdoor debut. The Lee (Tenn.) star recorded a huge time of 9:00 for the steeplechase, a result that would've ranked #15 in the nation last year. When you consider it's only March, you have to be impressed with that performance. With enough chances, Noble could become a national title contender in this event by the time May rolls around...