TF2K22: Diggs gets 400 Gold

The NCAA indoor championship for track and field took place March 11-12 at the Metro CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama. Here is a look at a few of the highlights from the meet.

Coastal Carolina's Melissa Jefferson won her first NCAA championship when she took the 60 meters crown at 7.09 seconds, March 12. The day before she came in second in the opening and round at 7.10 as Alfred Julien of Texas clocked in with the fastest time of the NCAA at 7.04. In the final Jefferson edged out Kentucky's Abby Steiner at 7.10 and Oregon's Jadyn Mays who won the bronze at 7.11.

Jefferson entered the meet as the champion of the 60 meters and 200 meters in the Sun Belt Conference. On her Instagram post showing her with her first place trophy, Jefferson said, "A Day I'll never forget. God you're awesome. I'm a national champion."

Lamara Distin of Texas A&M held off her former teammate to win the high jump on day two of the NCAA championship meet. Distin jumped 1.92 meters holding off Tyra Gittens who now competes at Texas. Gittens jumped 1.89 to win the silver medal, after taking the high jump championship at last year's NCAA indoor championships when she competed at Texas A&M. Distin was the only competitor to make all of her jumps from 1.78 meters to 1.89 meters. Gittens cleared her final jump at 1.89 meters to make it to the final two. She was unable to clear 1.92 meters, while Distin advanced on her final attempt at the height to win the competition.

Distin competed in high jump at six meets this year, winning all but one.

Florida's Talitha Diggs overcame several threats to capture the 400 meters. Diggs finished the final round at 50.98 seconds, outlasting Texas' Kennedy Simon who was the runner-up at 51.46 seconds and her teammate Olympian Stacey Ann Williams who was third at 51.49 seconds.

Diggs outperformed other talented sprinters in the race which included Kentucky's Alexis Holmes who was fourth, Britton Wilson of Arkansas who finished sixth and Charokee Young of Texas A&M, who placed seventh.

Over her career Diggs has been a threat to win the 400 meters during indoor and outdoor seasons. She placed third during her freshman season last year at the NCAA indoor championships. At last year's outdoor championship she was the runner-up.

Arkansas won the 1,600-meter relay at the NCAA indoor championship meet. Rosey Effiong, Jayla Hollis, Shafiqua Maloney & Britton Wilson became national champions finishing ahead of Texas and Kentucky who placed second and third respectively.

Effiong, a tw0-time SEC indoor 1,600-meter relay champ competed at the NCAA indoor meet for the second time in her career as she placed seventh in last year's 400 meters final. Hollis, who captured her first SEC 1,600-meter relay gold, this year also made it back the NCAA indoor championships after competing in the 200 meters prelim round last season.

Maloney was a member of last year's SEC championship 1,600-meter relay and competed at the 2021 NCAA indoor meet in the 800 meters and 1,600-meter relay where she scored two third place finishes.

Wilson, a transfer student from Tennessee, helped Arkansas win its SEC 1,600-meter relay gold during her first season in the program. She made a return trip to the NCAA indoor championships after competing in the prelim round of the 1,600-meter relay last year while still at Tennessee.

Colorado's Micaela Degenero won the mile at a career best time of 4:33.92. She finished ahead of Ole Miss' Sintayehu Vissa and Cincinnati's Ellie Leather who clocked in at 4:35.40 and 4:35.62 respectively.