TF2K22: Week One

Rocker clocks top hurdles time in opening weekend

Destinee Rocker ran the fastest 60-meter hurdles time in the NCAA at the Clemson Opener. She won the race in dominant fashion, finishing at 8.18. Georgia Tech's Taylor Grimes placed second at 8.36 and Antoinette Van de Merwe of Clemson was third finishing the race at 8.53.

Rocker, a senior who runs for South Carolina, has been one of the top hurdlers in the NCAA throughout her career. Last season she qualified for the NCAA indoor championship meet where she competed in the preliminary round of the 60-meter hurdles. In 2019 she competed for Colorado State she was the 2019 Mountain West indoor champ in the 60-meter hurdles. Later during the outdoor season she won the 100-meter hurdles and competed in the 100-meter hurdles preliminary round of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Kaylah Robinson ran the second fastest time (8.29) in the NCAA last weekend in the 60-meter hurdles. The Texas A&M senior took third at the Wooo Pig Classic hosted by Arkansas. She finished behind unattached competitors Daszay Freeman (8.14) and Yoveinny Mota (8.15). Robinson finished last season as a qualifier for the NCAA outdoor championship meet, where she competed in the 100-meter hurdles preliminaries.

Minnesota's Josephs runs top 400 time in South Dakota

Janielle Josephs ran 54.13 at the SDSU Holiday Open & Multi meet in Brookings, South Dakota to take a win and the 400 meters fastest time in the NCAA during the opening weekend of the season. A sophomore at Minnesota, Josephs is one of the top Big Ten sprinters in the 400 meters as she placed third in the conference indoor championships for two straight seasons.

South Carolina's Alysia Johnson recorded the second fastest time in the NCAA, running 54.52 with a win at the Clemson Opener. She placed ahead of Georgia State's Imani Flanagan's time of 55.59 and Clemson's Andrea Foster's finish of 55.71.

Acquah leads NCAA's top five long jumpers

Senior Deborah Acquah posted the best NCAA jump of the opening weekend. The Texas A&M star hit a winning mark of 6.34 at the Wooo Pig Classic. She placed ahead of TCU's Khyasia Caldwell's jump of 6.11, which was the third best long jump in the NCAA last weekend.

Air Force's Katie Thompson had the second best jump of the NCAA at the Air Force Holiday Open. She jumped 6.17 to win at her home meet ahead of Lauren Fowler's (New Mexico) second place mark of 5.78.

Cornell's Leone Farquharson jumped 6.09 to win at the Greg Page Relays 2021 meet, which was the fourth best jump of the weekend. She had a strong weekend at the meet held in Ithaca, New York, also capturing a win in the 60 meters.

Jahnelle Saunders of Hampton had the fifth best long jump mark in the NCAA, scoring a win at the Ivy & HBCU Challenge. Saunders won at 6.06, placing just ahead of teammate Amira Aduma (6.05). Saunders was impressive at her first collegiate meet winning the long jump and placing second in the high jump and 60-meter hurdles.

South Carolina Foursome takes Clemson Opener relay

Jahnile Register, Alysia Johnson, Stephanie Davis and Angel Frank won the Clemson Opener 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:37.52. That was the fastest time in the NCAA during the opening weekend. TCU's Tatianna Martinez, Jada Roundtree, Teleda Williams and Asiah Field had the second fastest time placing third behind two unattached squads at the Wooo Pig Classic at 3:40.39.

South Dakota's unit of Annalee Robinson, Moseiha Bridgen, Madison Jochum and Sara Reifenrath won the SDSU Holiday Open & Multi 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:44.07, which gave them the third best time in the NCAA last weekend.