In many ways these meets are also a preview of the USATF National championships and World Championships, as many of the top collegiate programs are peppered with elite, world class athletes. So let’s take a look at the top programs and athletes that will be on display this week. Following are the top ten men and women’s programs as ranked by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Top Ten Men Programs

1. Florida
2. Texas A&M
3. Oregon
4. Arkansas
5. Florida State
6. Southern California
7. LSU
8. Texas
9. Wisconsin
10. Nebraska

Top Ten Women’s Programs

1. Kansas
2. Texas A&M
3. Oregon
4. LSU
5. Florida
6. Arkansas
7. Arizona
8. Georgia
9. UCF
10. Arizona State

These should be the teams dominating the action at both the Regional meets and the National Championships. Of course, the key to the team titles are the individuals – and the collegiate ranks are full of outstanding individuals. Here are 10 athletes that I think bear watching as they and their teams attempt to become National Champions.

Bryshon Nellum (USC) – 200/400

Nellum’s story is known to all that follow the sport – accidental shooting; extensive surgeries; years of rehab. Now as a senior he enters the championship season as the top long sprinter in the collegiate ranks with SB’s of  20.23/44.79. He was California high school champion in both sprints in outstanding times and just won both titles in the Pac12 meet – so he knows what it takes to pull it off. I expect him to be in the mix in both.

Isiah Young (Ole Miss) – 100/200

Young was one of those "who is that" guys last year when he made the US Olympic team in the 200 meters. His performance in London showed his inexperience, but he’s returned this year looking like a veteran! He’s running confidently and enters Regionals as the collegiate leader in the 200 at  20.20. A match up between he and Nellum could be epic.

Casimir  Loxsom (Penn State) – 800

Loxsom is a strong finishing half miler that was on fire during the indoor season. Athletes from the Big 10 tend to get overlooked most of the season being in the cold climes of the North. Come big meet time and warm weather, the better athletes from up north tend to surprise a big. Loxsom doing well will not be a surprise however. He should be in the thick of things at Regionals and Nationals.

Jonathon Cabral (Oregon) – 110 Hurdles

This young sophomore doesn’t get a lot of headlines, but he should because all he seems to do is win. I got to watch him in high school here in Cali and he’s reminiscent of Liu Xiang – solid and tough around the finish line. And Oregon will need him to do well if they hope to challenge for the national championship. As a matter of fact this could be a key event with Florida Lovett and A&M’s Davis among the major contenders.

Erik Kynard (Kansas State) – High Jump

Kynard enters the competition as the Olympic silver medalist from London and the world leader in the event at 2.34m/7’8".  Yet he’ll have to jump as well as he did in London if he wants the NCAA title with the London bronze medalist (Derek Drouin, Indiana) ready to challenge. Kynard could lead the best had to head match up of the collegiate season.

Kimberlyn Duncan (LSU) – 100/200

Duncan was a finalist at last year’s Olympic Trials. She didn’t make the team but that no embarrassment given her competition included Allyson Felix, Camelita Jeter, and Sanya Richards Ross! Here her competition will be a bit more mortal and I’m curious to see if she can pull off the double. If she can get out of the blocks in the 100 perhaps she can.

Jordan Hasay (Oregon) – 10,000

Hasay is as tough they come and after spending her really career in the 1500 & 5000 she’s moving up to the 10,000. Oregon is always in the thick of the team title and Hasay is always in the thick of the competition. She’ll be looking to get their title rub kicked off so look for big things from Jordan.

Kori Carter (Stanford) – 100H/400H

Quiet as it’s kept, Carter has been the hottest collegiate hurdler over both barriers.  So hot that she defeated Olympic finalist Georgiann Moline in the longer race at the Pac12 Championships. That’s saying a lot because Moline is a certified stud! Carter has a legitimate shot at the double. And a rematch with Moline could be a highlight of the NCAA Championships.

Brigetta Barrett (Arizona) – High Jump

As with the men the high jump features an Olympic medalist in London silver medalist Barrett. She should have a fairly easy time here as no one else is in her class in the collegiate ranks. What will be interesting is whether or not she can top the 2.00m mark – something not yet done in collegiate competition.

Andrea Geubelle (Kansas) – Long Jump/Triple Jump

The best field event doubler in the collegiate ranks, Geubelle will be key to a run by Kansas at the national title. If they are going to hold off A&M, Oregon, LSU, Florida and company, Geubelle will need to come up big. She’s tough and should be up to the task but she’ll have tough competition. Then again most of the top teams on the women’s side are depending on athletes to score multiple points.

So there’s my preliminary look at the upcoming Regionals. Since the format has no finals – just two qualifying rounds that funnel into the NCAA Championship meet – there will be no competition for  Regional titles. A major flaw in the format if you ask me. As such however, there are no match ups to discuss. We can only watch and try and determine the health and fitness of the contenders as they qualify for Eugene.

I’ll look to handicap some events between the Regional meets and Eugene. Given the level of talent this year THAT should be a lot of fun. What events are you interested in seeing handicapped?

One running event that hit on all cylinders however, was the men’s 400 as both LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James showed up to compete. Both men took it out down the backstretch and add they headed around the second bend, James began to seriously work, emerging with a slight lead that he increased with each stride up the straight, and crossed the line powerfully in 44.02! Merritt finished second in 44.60 – a mark that on any other occasion this time of year would guarantee victory. Yet all Merritt got was a good look at James running up the track!

A bit early for WR predictions as I’ve seen some saying on Twitter this morning. But certainly we will see multiple 43s from James this year! I was struck by two things watching Kirani today. One is that he is no longer a " kid". He’s now a mature young man who’s grown into his body a la Usain Bolt a few years ago. The second was the length and majesty of his stride, as his race is very similar to one Alberto Juantorena – El Caballo.

James eaked out the win in Daegu with Merritt having only a couple races under his belt. He won in London with Merritt sidelined to injury. He won here in dominating fashion, with Merritt coming in sharp and running well. One can say what they want about the previous two seasons, but James is now emerging as "The Man" and Merritt is now where Wariner was when he emerged – in the position of having to not fend off, but get back ahead of! This matchup could be one of the best on the track this year.

A couple other key matchups were marred by injuries – and maybe that’s what put a damper on Shanghai for me. In the women’s 100 Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce nailed the start as usual. Forcing the field, lead by Carmelita Jeter, to play catch up. It didn’t happen today as SAFP took the win and WL from Jeter with her 10.93. The strain of playing catch up being a bit much, as Jeter (11.08) pulled up late race with Okagbare (11.00) also edging past. Jeter was taken off on a stretcher. Hopefully it’s not too serious.

The other matchup that never materialized was in the men’s 110 hurdles as Aries Merritt never cleared the first hurdle – running up to it and pushing it with his hands. Not sure what his issue was – hope to hear soon. Meanwhile, back in the race, Jason Richardson nailed the start, got out front, and held off a fast closing field to win in 13.23. Ryan Wilson closed best at 13.25. I’m still waiting to see if David Oliver (13.36) can get back to 2010 form – so far this year it’s not looking like it.

We also got an injury in the men’s deuce as Wallace Spearmon seemed to pull up coming off the turn. Another week have to wait on and see what the problem is. Jason Young lead of the turn but couldn’t hold of the closing rush of Warren Weir (20.18) and Justin Gatlin (20.21).

The women’s 400 hurdles looked to have a strong matchup on paper, but Zuzana Hejnova dominated the race while running a WL 53.79. And Asbel Kiprop " dominated" one of the weirdest 1500s I’ve ever seen. Kiprop don’t seem to be very interested in running this race from the start – and " went to sleep" on the third lap. He reengaged on the final lap however, and out kicked the field down the final stretch for the 3:32.39 victory.

Some of the day’s best action took place on the field. Unfortunately telecasts spend very little time on the field events, do much gets missed. Yelena Isinbayeva waited until late to join the pole vault competition, then casually won at 4.70m/15’5". Isi looks to be "back" from her sabbatical and ready to defend, Could be a long season for some pole vaulters.

Perhaps the most surprising result of the day was in the men’s long jump. An event that was already up in the air before the competition began was thrown another loop as Li Jinzhe took the WL at 8.34m/27’4.5". In the process he defeated the likes of Olympic champ Rutherford; former champions Saladino & Phillips; and major contenders Watt and Makusha. Right now this is anyone’s event.

All in all a solid meet. We get another shot at spectacular this week with the New York stop up next!

Men’s 110 Hurdles

Aries Merritt, David Oliver, Jason Richardson

This is one of those wonderful events where the best compete head to head quite often – and the anticipation never drops. That said, this trio could end up being the threesome that represents the US in Moscow, and Shanghai could be the start of several meetings between these men on the season. Oliver needs a good race here as Merritt and Richardson pretty much dominated the event last year, Merritt having one of the best seasons ever. Look for something under 13.10 here given solid conditions.

Men’s 200

Justin Gatlin, Darvis Patton, Wallace Spearmon, Warren Weir, Jason Young

No Bolt, Blake or Gay – the current Holy Trinity of the sprints – but this still shapes up add one of the most important  sprints matchups of the early season. Three reasons. One, Patton and Gatlin used to be outstanding 200 runners before focusing on the 100.This field will be a good test to see if they "still have it" in this event. Two, Weir and Young – asking with Nickel Ashmeade – are vying for the third spot on the Jamaican team in this discipline. Both will be looking for an edge in Shanghai. Three, Spearmon needs too start separating himself from the pack if he goes to challenge for a medal this summer.

Men’s 400

Kirani James, LaShawn Merritt, Jonathon Borlee, Lalonde Gordon

The last two Olympic and World champions go head to head very early this year – and I’m not complaining. James currently leads the world at 44.73. Merritt has shown that his speed is sharp with a 20.23 deuce. Healthy Merritt has consistently been the world best, but the last two seasons have found him hurt or recovering from injury at championship time. Take nothing from James as Merritt would have had to be at his best to win either title, but its nice to see both men pong the track and healthy. So, let’s see who takes round one.

Men’s Long Jump

Ngoni Makusha, Dwight Phillips, Irving Saladino, Mitchell Watt, Greg Rutherford

This could be one of the most interesting competitions of the meet.  The long jump has seen better days.  Currently if you can jump close to 27 feet you’re a major contender.  That’s a long way from the days when it took 28 feet to be in contention for a title. This event is waiting for someone to step up and take over, and this meet has a unique combination of old and new.  Phillips And Saladino have both won titles and jumped over 28 feet.  Rutherford won In London but only needed to edge over 27 feet. Makusha has outstanding speed and may yet get out to 28 feet. Watt has touched 28 but seems to be missing something in the big ones. There are several others that could be in contention in this wide open event, so important for someone in this group to begin to assert themselves.

Women’s 100

Carmelita Jeter, Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, Blessing Okagbare, Jeneba Tarmoh

Unlike the men, the two fastest women on the planet have no problem going head to head often – thank you – men take note. Shanghai will feature there written for the first time in 2013, with both coming of impressive victories. SAFP with an easy 200 win, Jeter a world leading 10.92. Their races tend to be classic starter vs finisher type events with the best execution usually winning big!  Both women are running well so look for something fast! Planner could challenge and play spoiler if either falters. Tarmoh should be interesting. She looked ready fire the big time until the controversy over her photo finish with Felix – she hasn’t been the same since. She could use a competitive race here.

Women’s 400 Hurdles

Lashinda Demus, Zuzana Hejnova, Kaliese Spencer

We don’t often get to are Demus this early, so this could be a treat. Especially with a couple of very talented young ladies in the field. Spencer has run under 53 seconds in the event and has very good flat 400 speed. Hejnova is another talent who’s been improving rapidly and is near breaking 53 herself. These three women should be at the heart of the event in Moscow, so it’s nice to get an early look at them. Demus is part of the old guard of the event, so she’ll have to hold off the youngsters – which is why in actually surprised to see her in competition this soon. She must be ready, and that means trouble for the kids.

There are several other events that catch my eye. Like the high jump with Jesse Williams & Robbie Grabarz; the women’s 800 with Pamela Jelimo & Janeth Jepkoskgei; and the steeple with Brimin Kipruto & Paul Koech.  Another trio of what should be some great head to head match ups. All in all this is looking like a great follow up to the opener in Doha.

So set your clock for an early rise – 5am here on the West Coast – get your breakfast together, and prepare for more outstanding track and field!

This was conference weekend, and all across the country the chase for NCAA titles began. From the Pac12 on the west coast to the SEC on the east coast, young college stars went head to head for team titles before heading to the regional meets.

For my money the best of these, in a weekend full of outstanding performers was Bryshon Nellum of USC who turned in an outstanding 20.23 (1.5)/44.76 long sprint double before leading his teammates to victory in the 4×4 relay. Nellum’s marks make him #5/#3 respectively in the world, and both are PRs – his second 200 PR of the year. More impressive however, is that it marks a complete comeback for the former high school star, who after being shot in his legs as a college freshman suffered through surgeries & rehab before finding enough form late last year to run his way onto the Olympic team.

Now he’s just turned in a sprint double worthy of Danny Everett, LaShawn Merritt, or Michael Johnson – a trio of the sport’s all time best – and the season is still young! Nellum definitely bears watching. In part because he’s a great story, but largely because he’s a fantastic talent. A talent who’s already shown the perseverance necessary to achieve great things. I think we may see the beginning of those things this year!

Nellum’s marks made the Pac12 look like the formidable sprint conference that it once was "back in the day". Mike Berry’s (OR) runner-up 45.14 in the quarter certainly helped the cause. So did the 10.07 (1.6) 100 win for Nellum’s USC teammate Beejay Lee. The pair brings back memories of the days of Clancy Edwards and James Sanford when SC was a major national power in the sprints.

Given good health all around, the sprinters of the Pac12 will get a shot at the current collegiate sprint capitol, the SEC. The SEC sprint winners this weekend – Diondre Batson (10.12), Isaiah Young (20.20), Deon Lendore (45.02), Kimberlyn Duncan (11.32/22.35), and Regina George (51.74) match up very well with their west coast counter parts. I enjoy the distances, and there will be done hot distance traces at not the regional and NCAA championship meets, but great speed match ups have a way of spicing up a meet at any level – and this year’s collegiate championship meets are shaping up to be a real speed fest!

Speaking of speed, Tyson Gay took a serious spin over half lap – something we haven’t seen since July 2010, and yes I know he ran a lone deuce last year in 20.21 – and came away with a swift 19.79 (2.5). I hate to sound excited, but it’s nice to see a real threat to Jamaican dominance in the sprints. No event is fun when you know the outcome beforehand – especially the sprints. I dare say that part of the excitement of the sprints is the unpredictability of the events. The sport benefits greatly from a healthy Tyson Gay and the prospect of a true international sprint rivalry.

And on the topic of international competition, next up, Shanghai!

Perhaps the best of these was Brittney Reese’s 7.25m/23’9” leap in the long jump. Reese’s mark was a WL, PR, and moved her ever to within .07m of 24 feet – a mark reached by only seven women in history. Personally I think Reese has the talent to jump 25 feet if she ever became technically proficient. In Doha she had two fouls before leaping 7.10m, the big jump and then two more fouls after. I would think that when she gets truly consistent and solid with her technique that we will see something rather Beamonesque from this talented jumper.

But Reese wasn’t the only athlete hitting something special, as shot putter Ryan Whiting threw a HUGE 22.28m/73’1.25”. That’s up there with names like Randy Barnes, Brian Oldfield, and Ulf Timmerman – some of the giants of the sport (pun intended). It also moves Whiting from promising up and comer to serious contender in the event – and quite possibly the next dominant force in the shot put!

Yet as awesome as these performances were, perhaps the best on the day, they were among ten world leaders and some outstanding competition. For example, there was the women’s 1500. The field that lined up for this one contained several women that have run under 4:00 in the event. Who knew that we would see three perform at that level this early in the season? And not just sub-4 but well under, as Abebe Aregawi and Genzebe Dibaba locked up over the final lap with Aregawi breaking her down on her way to a stunning 3:56.60 ahead of Faith Kipyegon (3:56.99) and Dibaba (3:57.54).

Then there was David Rudisha who makes running the half mile look like a Sunday stroll. He politely followed the pace maker who screamed out in 49.0, then routinely took command of the race and simply stayed in front of everyone else. Young Mohammed Aman – who has twice found a way to beat Rudisha – tried to pressure the WR holder, but was held off as Rudisha crossed the line in 1:43.87 – looking like he had just finished a light training run.

Similarly Asbel Kiprop seemed to be in control of the men’s 1500 over his final lap – which he took in 54.6! Tall and lithe like Rudisha, Kiprop never seems to stress or strain, but rather increases speed almost without appearing to do so. He made his 3:31.13 look like a routine run and leaving me wondering just how fast he can go. It’s been a while since we’ve had the mystique of a miler chasing after a record.

Perhaps my favorite race of the day, however, was the women’s 400. With Allyson Felix, Christine Ohuruogo and Amantle Montsho on the track things promised to be interesting – and the race didn’t disappoint. Felix took things out fairly hard around the track with Montsho holding close. Then a funny thing happened on the way to the finish line, Montsho out finished Felix down the stretch! She crossed the line in 49.88 to take the world lead as Felix finished a strong second in 50.19 with Ohuruogu (50.53) and Francena McCorory (50.58) also finishing well. Many complained about Felix’ showing, but given that she is a sprinter first these days – she ran the 100 last week – I think that this bodes well for her deuce this season. And everyone needs to keep an eye on Ohuruogu if she’s running this well this early.

All in all this was an outstanding meet and a great way to get the season rolling. Next stop on the DL is Shanghai. Before that however, there is lots of collegiate conference action going on this weekend. Check out the global leaders set in Doha.

Yearly Leaders in Doha

While I have many issues with the way the DL has been set up – chief among them the lack of promised head to heads with the upper tier elite sprinters – this series of meets does run through some of the sport’s best venues. Which combined with the elite athletes that do show up at each meet is enough to ensure that we get some of the best performances of the year outside of the Games and Worlds! And after all that’s what this sport is after, outstanding performances.

Personally, I’m more into the matchups, because history shows that when you get the best together, performances will follow! That said, let’s take an early look at some events taking place in Doha that I feel have some outstanding early season matchups – and should produce some great performances.

Women’s Long Jump

Britney Reese, Janay Deloach, Blessing Okagbare, Whitney Gipson

Britney Reese is the reigning queen of the long jump winning the Olympic title in London last year. My gut says that she’s going to get some serious challenges this year. Janay Deloach had an outstanding indoor season both long jumping and running the hurdles – and it’s her improvement in the hurdles that has me thinking she could pose a stronger threat to Reese this year – because speed goes with the horizontal jumps like peas and carrots. Speed is also why I like Blessing Okagbare’s chances here, because last year her speed carried her to the 100 final in London. This group of women competing in Doha have the skills necessary to get this event out to 23 feet early this season.

Women’s 400

Allyson Felix, Christine Ohuruogu, Amantle Montsho, Natasha Hastings

This has the potential to be one of the most exciting events of the meet. Let’s start with Felix who is the sprints most versatile female. Personally I think this could be her best event should she ever focus here. Winning in Doha will not be easy as she’ll be going up against multiple gold medalist Ohuruogu who has already run 50.58 this year – stellar for someone who doesn’t peak until the majors. Even better so far is Montsho who opened up at 50.14 – so this race could go under 50! Adding more fuel to the fire should be Hastings who ran 50.88 indoors. Felix is the key however. If she’s close at 300, she wins – and there’s a definite sub 50 possibility.

Men’s 100

Justin Gatlin, Nesta Carter, Mike Rodgers

This race lacks the "star power" of Bolt, Blake and Gay, but it’s quite possibly one of the more significant short dashes of the early season in my humble opinion. Why? Because I think it’s going to go a long way towards determining if we have a Big 3, or a Big 4 this year. Gatlin medalled in London, ran 9.79 and was consistent in the lower 9.8 range. Carter has a 9.78 from Rieti (specious track IMHO) but nothing to back it up .. Rodgers appeared ready for a breakthrough last year before injury struck but has looked hot early. One of these men needs to go sub10, and do so significantly. If so, we could have a Big 4 this year in the 100. And this is the track to do it. Gatlin tan 9.77 here back in ’06 before the time out, and Olusoji Fasuba set the African Record at 9.85 – so we know the surface is fast. We’ll see what these sprinters do Friday.

Men’s 800

David Rudisha, Mohammed Aman, Timothy Kitum, Andrew Osagie

Over the last few seasons, whenever Rudisha steps on the track headlines follow as his "slow" races tend to go in 1:43! This one should be swift with Olympians Kitum (1:42.53), Aman (1:42.53), and Osagei (1:43.77) having the speed to fuel a fast race. Of course pace is never an issue in a Rudisha race because he’s more than happy to take the race out and set the pace – and that’s what I’m expecting in Doha. The fact that he has suitable competition should just fuel that intent. I’m hoping to see a sub 50 opening lap given Rudisha recently ran 45.5 in the 400. If that happens 1:41.xx is possible.

Men’s 1500

Asbel Kiprop, Silas Kiplagat, Daniel Komen, Gehremedhin Mekonnen

This race is full of fast athletes, the best of whom on the clock are Kiprop (3:28.88), Komen (3:29.02), and Kiplagat (3:29.27). Half the athletes in this field are what I call time trial runners – athletes who are quite proficient in running great times on the circuit. Then there is the foursome above, who are also skilled racers. My guess is we get a great second half with a final lap showdown between Kiprop and Kiplagat – and something south of 3:33. Kiprop and Kiplagat are arguably the two best milers out there right now and their races seem very personal to them. Look for another personal battle in Doha.

I like to focus on match ups because for me that’s the fun part of the sport – stirring head to head competition. But as always Doha will also showcase some outstanding individuals. Two athletes they breast keeping an eye on:

Christian Taylor (Triple Jump) – Taylor is on the verge of making this event his own. In an event full of talent, Taylor continues to find ways to win and jump far.

Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce (200) – SAFP has become one of the best short doublers out there. We’ll get a good look at her fitness in this deuce.

Like I said, it’s finally feeling like track season!

On the heels of a trio of 45 second quarters – two open and one relay – Tyson opened sharp. Sharp enough that we should be able to stop talking about injuries with Tyson and get back to focusing on a true American rivalry with Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. No disrespect to the other top American sprinters – Justin Gatlin,  Mike Rodgers, Walter Dix, Ryan Bailey, et  al – but right now only Tyson has shown that he can run in that 9.6x zone,which is where the medals  could go In Moscow. As a matter of fact, if we can get the trio Of Gay  Bolt, & Blake to Moscow healthy, we could see something like the Berlin final – and personally I think this will be one of the few real shots at Bolt’s world record.

I’ll also throw out there that Tyson Gay in PR form on the third leg of the 4×1 a) makes the US sub 37, b) keeps that lead Gatlin gave him, and makes for an interesting anchor with Bolt now chasing Bailey. Now THAT’s entertaining track and field!

Kingston wasn’t all about Tyson however, as several athletes stepped their games up significantly. If the women’s100 was any kind of preview, the event is going to be HOT. Billed per race as a matchup between Allyson Felix and Veronica Campbell Brown, they did not disappoint with VCB running a year leading 11.01 (0.0) with Felix at 11.13. Who would’ve thought that this time of the year three other women would squeeze their way between them. But that’s what Kelly Ann Baptiste ( 11.05), Carrie Russell (11.08), and Murielle Ahoure (11.11) did. A very hot early season race without several of the events top stars including Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce and Carmelita Jeter!

In other action Ryan Whiting threw the shot 21.74m / 71′ 4" for a world lead, as he’s beginning to look like the youngster they’d ready to step in fit some of the aging stars of the shot. Tony McQuay toured one lap in 45.15 to serve notice that he will be a factor once again. While Dawn Harper (12.62 / 0.8) and Nickel Ashmeade (20.00 / -0.3) had swift wins against significant competition.

Kingston was certainly the best meet of the weekend, but other significant marks were turned in. Galen Rupp continues to impress as he ripped 3000 meters in 7:46.34 at the Oregon Twilight meet. Rupp has been tearing it up all year long starting indoors. He’s already run 3:34.78 / 3:50.92 indoors as well as a faster 3000 (7:30.16 AR). I’m going to stuck my neck out there and say he’s going to set at least one AR outdoors this year – and will again be a major factor at Worlds. He’s the new Pre. He’s not as brash or outgoing. Nor is his racing as " exciting". But he is as consistently fast, and the lead dog in the US running stable. He’s “The Man” of US distance running and the leader of the current renaissance above one lap!

Performing well in Tokyo was high jumper Anna Chicherova who cleared 1.92m / 6′ 3.5" – a nice opening season mark. Important because I’m expecting this event to be very deep this year with several 2 meter jumpers in the mix. Chicherova has been the lead dog in the event recently, but Blanka Vlasic should be healthy this year and Ariane Friedrich should be back to form. Throw in Chaunte Lowe, Brigetta Barrett, Svetlana Shkolina, and Ruth Betia and this’d could be one of the year’s best events.

Things should really start rolling now because the Diamond League starts this Friday! We get Doha this Friday followed by Shanghai a week later. Preliminary line ups show the following hot matchups on tap:

Doha Diamond League – May 11

• Rudisha v Aman – 1500
• Felix v Montsho – 400
• Dibaba v Aregawei – 1500
• Cantwell v Majewski – SP

Shanghai Diamond League – May 18

• Jeter v SAFP- 100
• Williams v Grabarz – HJ
• Kiplagat v Kiprop. – 1500

So the first set of preliminary bouts are just about done. Along with the DL we’ll also be getting college conference competition, followed by Regionals, and Nationals – and US and other National Championships don’t be far behind. Track season is finally here!

Things started off on a down note with word that Yohan Blake won’t be competing until the Jamaican championships in June. The cramp he suffered last week turned out to be a tear, so no more racing til then. Of course the way the top sprinters compete we won’t be missing much in terms of head to head competition, but it could affect his sharpness at Trials. He does have a bye to Moscow in the 100, we’ll see if he makes the squad for the deuce.

That said, there were several outstanding performances over the weekend. The lions share coming at the Mt SAC Relays with world leaders and solid performances coming in a variety of events. Here are my highlights from a weekend that saw a plethora or early season PRs. Either this season is going to be blazing fast or some people are going to fade. I hope it’s the former.

Mt SAC

Ashton Eaton 20.76 PR (1.8), 13.37 – You heard it here first, Eaton is going to scare 9,100 points this year! He was 61 points short in horrible conditions last year in Eugene – that’s not too hard to make up. Liking at his marks here plus his recent 400 PR and overall outstanding spring and I believe this young man CAN score 9,100.

Will Leer 13:21.55 PR, WL – Nice PR for a miler. He could be the next globally competitive American miler.

Brenda Martinez 4:04.86 PR, WL – Outstanding early season run for Martinez. She’s got great late race speed. If she can stay with the likes of Simpson, Rowbury and Uceny over the first two laps, she could wreak havoc and become a contender.

Bryshon Nellum 20.49 (2.9) – Bryshon is getting his speed back! This was windy but near his HS best of 20.43. I expect a new PR this year in both long sprints. And I won’t be surprised to see him on the plane to Moscow.

Georganne Moline 23.37 (1.0) – Moline is working on her speed and I like that. She’s already tough in the stretch, now she’s trying to get closer to use that strength. I see her close to 53.00 this year.

Laura Roesler 2:01.75 – Nice to see another young middle distance runner begin to develop. Roesler is coming along nicely. Could she join the sub 2:00 club this year?

Team Jet 41.79 – Mandy White, Carmelita Jeter, Lauren Williams, Blessing Okagbare – What amounts to a pick up team turns sub42! And before this meet I’d never heard of Mandy White. Got comparison, the Jamaican NR set last year in London is 41.70! These women were rolling. Will we see another sub 41.00 this year?

Mike Rodgers 10.04 WL & Ryan Bailey 10.18 (-0.4) – Nice opening races for both men. Especially Rodgers who’s season ended in injury last year. If both men can improve their PRs this year (9.85/9.88 respectively) we’re that much stronger in the sprint game where sub 9.80 is now a requirement to medal.

English Gardener 11.00 (1.8) WL & Mandy White 11.07 (1.2) – All I can say is WOW.Gardener almost became the year’s first sub 11. Of course she’s run 11.03 so not completely unexpected, just how early she’s done it. White sent me to the archives. Her best before the start of the year – 11.44. She opened on Apr 6 st 11.40, now 11.07! Uh, put her on your watch list!

Blessing Okagbare 22.31 (1.3) WL – Okagbare’s run is a PR by .31! Could a 100 best, currently 10.92 be far behind?

Erik Kynard 2.34m/7’8" WL PR – Nice PR for Kynard who I consider one of the most talented (natural) jumpers out there.

LSU

Natoya Goule 2:00.76 PR, WL – Including indoors, this is Goule’s third PR race in a row! Clearly she’s headed for sub 2:00 this year.

Deon Lendore 45.00 PR – Lendore has been hot all year – and it’s only April. Sterling relay legs indoors and now an early season PR and Lenore is looking like a potential Moscow finalist.

Aries Merritt 13.37 (-0.2) – A ho hum race for Merritt at this point, but you have Rio keep an eye on the WR holder.

Texas A&M

Ameer Webb 20.59 (-3.6) -  Not too many athletes can run a deuce this week into this strong a wind. Webb just keeps tempting that her could be the next great long sprinter to arrive on the scene.

Tom Jones Invitational

Justin Gatlin 10.05 (0.8) – Gatlin is back to making it look easy. Question is can he drop his PR enough to improve on last year’s bronze in London?

Tony McQuay 45.88, Tyson Gay 45.96 – I hear the wind was rough in this race. Knowing that and that McQuay recently went 10.22 in the 100 tells me this race was slower on the clock than it could have been. So a solid race for Mc Quay who could be becoming one of those consistent national team members. Coming on the heels of his 45.6 lead off at the Florida Relays, I’d say Tyson Gay is close to his early season ’09 form. Let’s see where that leads.

VCB 22.18 (2.6) – Windy, but as usual we see that Veronica Campbell Brown is still as competitive as ever. So ladies beware.

ACC

Dentarius Locke 10.08 (1.6) – Locke ran this in his heart then won the final at 10.13. Potentially one of the next wave of young US sprinters.

James Harris 45.25 – Another young quartermiler performing very well early. I said a couple weeks ago to keep your eye on the 400 – this race is going to be HOT!

Kansas

Michael Tinsley 48.77 WL – Tinsley "emerged" last year after several years of being close. This year he comes out early and set a WL. This event should be VERY competitive at nationals this year and Tinsley should be in the mix.

MJ Classic

David Verburg 45.56 over Jeremy Warner 45.72 – Very early seasonbut just not used to seeing a "fit" Wariner get beat. Good race for Verburg but Wariner’s supposed to repel that! I need to see more of both men.

That was a nice way for things to hear up. This week should get all the way turn’t up with the Penn Relays on tap! One of the most recognizable events in the US we get publicity, TV, and lots of stars! There will be other meets this weekend, but this is the one that matters!

The Hitler lead Games of 1936. Olympic boycotts in 1980 & 1984.   The hostage crisis in 1972. The bombing in Atlanta in 1996. All examples of the negativity and tragedy that can occur when politics rears it’s ugly head into the world of sport.

I’m not going to dwell on Boston and the obvious. Clearly the act of violence was senseless. These were not soldiers involved in war. Nor politicians involved in the legislative process that often leads to war and conflict. These were athletes and fans. Regular people, looking to enjoy one of the world’s great sporting events. People used as pawns to gain attention and attempt to create fear in others.

My prayers go out to the families of those that died, and for the swift recovery of the injured. I hope to see Boston run again next year bigger and better. May the rest of this year’s events, both on the roads and the track, go off without a hitch. And the joy of the world’s greatest sport show those who would do evil that we are used to fight and struggle – after all we fight for attention daily! We survived Hitler, the Iron Curtain, and terrorist bombs before, and this too shall pass.

So, as we’ve taken a day or two to gather and reflect in the past, it is once again time to move forward. With that,I want to take a quick look at the good I saw this past week and where things seem to be headed.

One of the big stories so far has been the sprinting of Doc Patton – with much buzz generated by his 9.75w a couple weeks ago. Personally I’m as impressed with this past weekend 10.09 as it came AGAINST a -2.0 headwind. Clearly Doc is in sub 10 shape and looks ready to drop his PR (9.89) this year. The question in my mind is if he can do this when it matters, because we can always use another sprinter in the battle against Jamaica.

On that note, we got an unexpected world leader from Alabama sprinter Diondre Batson as he sped 10.06 (+1.9) to win in Athens Georgia. This time last year Batson was running against junior college competition and looking for a qualifier to get into the Trials. Now he’s looking like a major contender for the NCAA sprints – we’ll see after that.

Speaking of Jamaican sprinters, Olympic bronze medalist Warren Weir went 20.33 into a -1.5 headwind in Kingston. Expect him to be under 20.00 soon. Kirani James is already sub 45 as the Olympic champion ran 44.72 in Nassau, to equal last years opener that lead to his first sub 44 and Olympic gold.

James has set the bar early, in an event that I think is going to be a very competitive event this year. Youngsters like Josh Mance, Bryshon Nellum, Najee Glass, David Verburg, and Arman Hall are all running well early. Even decathlete Ashton Eaton has gotten into the act with  a PR 45.64 – I’m sensing a potential increase in his WR this year. Something tells me this could be the years hot event – and with it the 4×4! Keep an eye on this year’s NCAA 4×4, it should be a barn burner.

Actually let me say the 400 will be one of the years hot events, as the Pre Classic announced a lineup for the 800 that mirrors the London Olympic final – and that group produced the greatest half mile race in history! This race should set the tone for a stellar season in the 800, and that event alone could make Pre the preeminent meet of the year (yes there’s a pun in there).

Of course THE preeminent meet every four years is the Olympic Trials and word out this week is that once again Eugene will be host to the Trials in 2016. Saying anything about Eugene is always a touchy subject as it’s the designated pet of Nike, however I have to agree with Kevin Mangan of Running Network when he says that this actually hurts the sport. I will give my own feelings later in greater detail, but I’m against the move we’ve seen in the last couple of decades of creating "permanent" hosts for major track meets at all levels from high school state meets to the Trials. We are a sport that needs exposure and this doesn’t accomplish that.

The Trials are an Olympic cycle away however, so that’s putting the cart before the horse. More relevant we  have a pretty good weekend on tap in just a few days as this weekend starts with MtSAC and includes meets in Eugene, Austin, Gainesville, Waco, Baton Rouge and Pullman. I still have to check lineups and heat sheets, but there’s got to be some serious times/marks in there somewhere. See you in a few days.

Florida Relays

Octavious Freeman (UCF) 11.02 (+1.2) – Freeman nearly became the year’s first sub 11. A hot PR so early in the season, says sub11 could be just around the bend. It looks like having a training partner at her level is passing dividends.

Aaron Brown (USC) & Darrell Wesh (VaTech) 10.15 (+2.1) – With the wind barely over the allowable, these were great times for both young men.

Tony McQuay (US) 10.22 (+1.3) – I watched this race and all I could say was WOW, because this kid is a quartermiler by trade! You couldn’t tell midway through this race however. He looked good, real good, with possibly better things ahead.

Bryshon Nellum (USC) 45.54 / Najee Glass (FL) 45.71 / David Verburg (Geo Mason) 45.76 / Josh Mance (US) 45.76 / Arman Hall (FL) 45.83 – This was possibly a preview of the NCAA final – in April no less. All these kids looked good, and Nellum looked like the kid everyone was excited about in high school. And speaking of high school, that’s where the Florida pair was this time last year  in high school! This event is going to be hit on the collegiate scene.

David Oliver 13.48 /Jeff Porter 13.50 (+1.0) – Two of America’s best hurdlers opened up with solid if not spectacular performances. Both looked healthy, and good health is going took be very important in this event with Aries Merritt setting new standards of excellence last year and Jason Richardson not very far behind.

Johnny Dutch 49.09 – Nice to see Dutch open up well in his pet event with this world leading effort. Looks like he should be a major factor this year.

Gainesville Elite 38.52 (Mike Rodgers come from behind) Star Athletics 38.59 (Gatlin backstretch) – This event had progressed to the point where these times are the equivalent of very good collegiate sprinting. That said, there were two things that I found impressive. One was the Justin Gatlin backstretch run that opened up a serious lead for Star Athletics. Bodes well for the backstretch of the US international squad where Gatlin ran backstretch in London. Even more impressive however, was Mike Rodgers coming from behind to snatch victory for the Gainesville Elite squad! If he continues to run like that he could force a change somewhere on a squad that ran the #2 time ever last year.

One Goal Athletics 3:24.58, Florida 3:27.43, Texas 3:27.97 – Very fast running for so early in the year for all three of these women squads. Look for Florida and Texas to create some fireworks at the NCAA Championships.

Adidas 3:02.80 (Tyson Gay lead off w McQuay & Wariner) – McQuay and Wariner solid as usual. The story here was the leadoff leg turned in by Tyson Gay. Haven’t find a split but definitely looked to be somewhere in the 45-high/46-low range. Now we’ll see what this year’s times look like with a full season of background training behind him.

Jim Click Invitational

Justin Austin (IA) 20.55 (-1.5) – #2 time in the world early on. What’s impressive however is that it’s near his PR (20.46) and done into a headwind. Could be someone to watch.

Iowa 39.35 – Fairly impressive early session mark. Will Iowa be an NCAA factor in the short relay?

Cory Carter (Stan) 54.71, Georgianne Moline 54.98 – A PR and WL for Carter as well as the win over Moline! Could we be liking at the next hour American duo over this distance?

Auburn Invitational

Spencer Adams 13.40 (-0.2) – #2 time in the world currently, but more importantly a potential breakthrough add it’s only .01 off his PR. Another to watch during the early season.

UCLA / TCU / LSU

Charles Silmon (TCU) 10.25 (-1.2) – Looks like Silmon may indeed be in breakthrough mode following up last week’s windy sub10 with this wind negative 10.2! Now if err can get a refund legal race to compare.

Jason Richardson (US) 13.47 (+1.5) – Nice opener for the Olympic silver medallist.

Natoya Goule (LSU) 2:01.18 – A world leading PR for the Jamaican who appears to be ready to give her country another mid distance threat to go with Kenia Sinclair.

Crimson Tide Invitational

Diondre Batson (AL) 20.61(0.0) – A local NorCal product that I think bears watching. A nice early season time and only .1 of his PR. Great JC season last year – similar to Ryan Bailey in JC.

Brannon Kidder (PennSt) 1:47.71 – Freshman that looked really good early on during the indoor season. With Loxsom as a teammate he could have a rapid progression.

Alabama 39.17 – Another very good early season relay mark. NCAA’s could be very hot this year in this event.

Next Week’s Top Meets

Expect more fireworks this coming weekend. Look to the south for most of the action and look to the speed events early in the season for the hottest Acton.

Sea Ray Relays – Knoxville

McDonnell Invitational – Fayetteville

Seminole Invitational – Tallahassee

Ole Miss Invitational – Oxford

Texas Invitational – Austin

UTEP Invitational  – ElPaso