Below is an excerpt from the Lap Count newsletter, posted with permission. Kyle Merber’s Lap Count newsletter both entertains and enlightens fans about athletes and happenings in our sport.
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From the Lap Count Newsletter
If there is one thing I love, it’s when major track meets compete for the attention of athletes and fans – my favorite example being Penn vs. Drake. Well, the Texas Relays vs. Florida Relays weekend also serves to keep us on our toes (who’s racing where?!) and slightly let down (why can’t the best people all be at one meet, ever?!). But despite all that, both events always do put on a hell of a show.
Last year, I gave a brief history of the Texas Relays, which started in 1925. Fourteen years later, just as Europe was really starting to heat up, coach Percy Beard of the University of Florida decided to create his own relay meet rather than have his whole team ride their horses up to Philadelphia (that’s how people traveled then, right?).
Twelve years before Bill Bowerman was using a waffle iron to make a shoe, ol’ Percy, who had a background in civil engineering, created the world’s first-ever all-weather running track that debuted at the 1959 event. In fairness, the only weather that it was ever needed for was unbearably humid and chaffe-inducingly hot.
Let’s look at the major highlights to see who wins the hypothetical dual meet match-up. (I always hate just listing off the results in this newsletter because that’s not really the purpose of this whole thing. But here we are…)
Texas Relays:
- Kentucky’s Masai Russell set a new NCAA 100mH record of 12.36.
- The Texas women broke three NCAA records: 4×100 (42.00), 4×200 (1:28.05), and SMR (3:36.10) – as someone who has benefited greatly in life from a record-breaking performance in a rarely-contested relay event, this hits close to home.
- Angelo State’s Oussama El Bouchayby ran the second fastest 800m in DII history to surprise Bryce Hoppel winning in 1:45.31 – move over Los Lonely Boys, there’s a new star in San Angelo, Texas!
- Gabby Thomas doubled up victories in the 100m (11.09) and 200m (22.46).
- Ole Miss’ McKenzie Long ran 10.80 (+3.5). Her personal best was 11.49 previously, though she did walk away with a wind-legal 11.00. I’m tempted to deduct points here – if you’re a sprint-focused meet, it’s a real bummer if half the times don’t count.
- Texas’ Leo Neugebauer crushed the decathlon with 8476 points, a MR.
- LSU’s Michaela Rose split a 1:58.40 on the 4×800 all by herself!
- The Georgia men ran 2:58.82 for a new 4×400 meet record with a sub-44 split (not official) by Matt Boling and an incredible pass-back from Will Sumner on the final straightaway. I’m sure this was electric to experience in-person.
- Texas Tech’s Terrence Jones ran a world leading 20.05 (+2.0).
- The men’s US all-star team ran 38.08 in the 4×100 and the women ran 41.75 — great signs for August!
- Val Allman opened up her season with a world leading 67.90 MR in the disc
Florida Relays:
- Erriyon Knighton won the 100m in 9.98 (+2.1).
- High school senior Issam Asinga ran 10.10 (+1.0).
- Anna Hall won the high jump (1.89m), 800m (2:03.23), and the 400mH (54.94).
- Rai Benjamin won the 400m in 44.94.
- Steven Gardiner won the 200m in 20.14.
Texas takes this one. But this weekend saw a lot of the stars open up their outdoor seasons hidden on a relay during a busy college meet. While both meets had their share of stellar performances, they amounted to a pre-season scrimmage for the likes of Noah Lyles, Christian Coleman, Aleia Hobbs, or Sha’Carri Richardson.
