Texas' Julien Alfred wins NCAA women's 100-meter title; Longhorns capture 4x100-meter relay
EUGENE, Ore. — Texas' Julien Alfred blazed to victory in the 100 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on a soggy Saturday at Hayward Field, helping the Longhorns to a runner-up finish in the team standings.
Alfred won in 11.014 seconds, narrowly holding off Oregon's Kemba Nelson in 11.020. Alfred set the collegiate record in the 60 earlier this year. She also was part of the 4x100 relay team with Rhasidat Adeleke, Kevona Davis and Kynnedy Flannel that took gold in 42.42, tying the fourth-fastest time in school history. That quartet has the five best times in UT history, including the school record of 42.34 set in the semifinals.
UT's 4x400 relay team of Rhasidat Adeleke, Kennedy Simon, Alfred and Stace Ann Williams captured silver with a time of 3:23.35, and Simon took bronze in the 400 with a time of 50.69.
Florida sophomore Talitha Diggs, daughter of four-time Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs, won the 400 in a personal best 49.99.
Texas' total of 64 points allowed the team to match its second place in the NCAA Indoor Championships. Florida won the women's team title with 74 points, a day after the Gators claimed the men's championship with Texas second. Florida's women also won the NCAA Indoor team title, and Texas won the men's Indoor crown.
Kentucky's Abby Steiner set a collegiate record in the 200 meters. Steiner was focused until the finish, when she raised her arms and smiled broadly. Her time of 21.80 seconds bested LSU sophomore Favour Ofili's record of 21.96 set this year. Ofili was second behind Steiner.
“We just took what’s happened this whole season as learning experiences. Every race is an opportunity to learn from it and fix certain parts of my 200. So I think it all came together at the right moment,” said Steiner, who also had the best time in the world this season.
More: Having won four NCAA national titles, Texas will clinch 2nd straight Directors’ Cup title
BYU's Kristie Schoffield also ran a personal-best 2:01.09 in the 800, raising her hands to her mouth in surprise when she saw her time. She postponed a television interview to go hug her mother in the stands.
Ole Miss sophomore Sintayehu Vissa won the 1,500 in 4:09.42. BYU senior Courtney Wayment built a big lead and won the steeplechase in 9:16 flat, a college and meet record.
“The plan was to rely on my fitness and then all the things that I have done to get to this moment.” said Wayment, who shaved eight seconds off the college record. “If anyone is going to come with me, then I'll just put my foot on the gas a little bit more.”
LSU’s Alia Armstrong hit the first hurdle but went on to win the 100 hurdles in 12.57, holding off a late surge from USC's Jasmine Jones. Britton Wilson of Arkansas won the 400 hurdles in 53.86.
North Carolina State’s Katelyn Tuohy defended her title in the 5,000, winning in 15:18.39.
“My last 100 meters was so hard, I was practically crawling it in,” Tuohy said. “But I was fortunate enough to have a big enough gap before then so I was able to hold on.”
Kentucky won the 1,600 relay in 3:22.55.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas sprinter Julie Alfred wins 100-meter race at NCAA track meet
