Track & Field 2k21: Cincinnati hosts Nikoloff Invite

The Oliver Nikoloff Invitational takes place this weekend at the University of Cincinnati. Last season the meet didn't take place due to the cancellation of the NCAA outdoor season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Let's take a look at some of the events that will occur at Gettler Stadium.

100-Meter Dash

Above: Caisja Chandler

The 100-meter dash has three separate heats. Heat one features the fastest sprinters. Cincinnati's Caisja Chandler's personal best time is 11.30. She ran that time at the American Athletic Conference's outdoor championships in 2019. That finish is the school record as well.

Below: Haisha Bisiolu

Her former teammate Haisha Bisiolu will be competing unattached. In 2019 she won the 100 meters in the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational with a time of 11.79. In 2017 Bisiolu won the event for the first time at the meet at 11.99.

Below: Savannah Nevels

Two other competitors in the field of 22 sprinters to watch are Olivia Bechtel of Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green's Savannah Nevels. Bechtel started the outdoor season with a win in the 100 meters at the Blizzard Buster hosted by Miami. She finished at 11.88. Her personal best time was 11.87, recorded during the 2019 season. Nevels ran her personal best time of 11.96 at the Blizzard Buster as well. She finished third at that meet.

200-Meter Dash

Below: Olivia Bechtel

Here is another event where Caisja Chandler enters as the leading lady. In 2020, she became an All-American in the 200 meters. In this field of 24, Chandler has the best personal time of 22.97, which is also a school record. Cincinnati's Tiona Lattimore has the second fastest time entering the meet at 23.54, that she recorded during the 2018 season. Olivia Bechtel has the next best time at 23.88, which she ran at this season's Raleigh Relays.

Pole Vault

Above: Rachel Coghill

This field of seven only includes vaulters from Cincinnati and Dayton. UC's Rachel Coghill is the top performer with a mark of 4.05. The senior has won in four of five meets in 2021. During the indoor season she took victories in the McCravy Green Invitational, H-Town SpeedCity Series II, H-Town SpeedCity Series III and University of Akron Campbell Invitational meets. Cincinnati's Lily Bunse and Dayton's Taylor Robertson come in with the second and third best marks at 3.90 and 3.76 respectively.

3,000 Steeplechase

Above: Laura Taborda

Eastern Kentucky has the top three runners among the nine competitors. Laura Taborda has the best incoming time of 10:20. The native of Portugal is having her first outdoor collegiate season. She competed in the steeplechase at the Under-23 European Track & Field Championships. Her teammates Anouk Van Gils and Saskia Pingpank both enter the meet with the second best times of 10:50. Pingpank is from Germany and has competed in the Germany Under-20 Championships. Van Gils is from the Netherlands where she won the Under-20 steeplechase championships.

100-Meter Hurdles

Cincinnati's Victoria Abunaw enters with the top personal time of 13.77. She closed her indoor season with a win in the 60-meter hurdles at the University of Akron Campbell Invitational. It was her first victory as since her win at the 2019 Hoosier Open. Her teammate Calista Manns has the second best time at 13.99 of the 15 competitors.

Shot Put

Malin Smith of Cincinnati has the top throw coming into the weekend. She threw 16.17 during indoor season at the South Carolina Invitational. Zaresha Neal enters the event with the second best throw of 16.02, that she made when she won the GVSU Big Meet during indoor season. Neal started her outdoor season with a win at the Blizzard Buster where she threw 15.62. She placed second at the Mid American Indoor Track & Field Championships with a throw of 15.99.

Long Jump

Below: Kayla Thompson

The top jumper entering into the competition is Miami's Meg Wilson. The freshman placed third at the GVSU Big Meet with a jump of 5.79 during the indoor season. Northern Kentucky's Kayla Thompson jumped a personal best 5.67 at the 2018 when she placed fourth at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational. She competed at the 2019 meet as well but fouled on each jump.