By Gary Smith, TrackAlerts.com contributor
Arkansas freshman Omar McLeod won the men’s 60m hurdles at the NCAA Division 1 2014 Indoor Track and Field Championship here at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Saturday.
McLeod, one of Jamaica’s young bright talents, clocked 7.58 seconds, the same time as Florida’s Eddie Lovett, to win the event after he out leaned the UFL senior on the line.
Trinidad & Tobago's Wayne Davis II, representing Texas A&M, was third in 7.61.
The women’s race was equally as close, with Sharika Nelvis of Arkansas State winning the title, after a photo finish separated her and Baylor senior Tiffani McReynolds, with the pair both running 7.93.
Third place went to Jasmin Stowers of LSU, although she and fourth place finisher, Kendra Harrison of Kentucky, ran 7.94.
Another Jamaican Remona Burchell ran a record-setting 7.11 in the finals of the 60 meters, edging Kentucky’s Dezerea Bryant (7.12) at the finish line and earning the first indoor title by an Alabama woman in any event since Flora Hyacinth won the triple jump in 1989. Burchell, formerly of Herbert Morrison Technical, also became the sixth woman in school history to win an individual indoor national championship. Along with being a new school record, Burchell’s time of 7.11 is the second-best collegiate time in history.
“Remona has continued to get better week in and week out.” Alabama head coach Dan Waters said. “For her to be on this stage and run the race that she ran, it shows the type of competitor she is. We knew she had this potential when we signed her. For her to break the school record today, this was validation of her hard work, dedication and effort.”
Burchell’s title gave the program its second individual championship of the weekend after senior Diondre Batson won the men’s 200-meter dash championship on Friday.
The men’s event went to Dentarius Locke of Florida State in 6.52.
The senior finished ahead of Arizona State’s Ryan Milus (6.57) and Alabama’s Diondre Batson (6.58).
In other results, UTEP’s Anthony Rotich ran a 27.95 last lap on his way to winning the men’s mile in 4:02.54, and in the process handed Arizona’s Lawi Lalang a second defeat in back-to-back finals at these championships.
Lalang, who was hoping to win an historic 1600, 3000m and 5000m triple indoor crown, was second in 4:02.81. The Arizona senior was also beaten in the 5,000m on Friday night.
Mac Fleet of Oregon took third in the mile with 4:02.96.
