PREVIEW | Aussies set for NCAA Indoor Championships

The renowned collegiate system of the NCAA in the United States has long served as a stepping stone for young athletes transitioning to the senior ranks, with 12 Australians qualifying for this weekend’s NCAA Indoor Championships – including a number one seed.

For many, qualifying has previously been considered a formality, but there is no denying that it is now an achievement in itself – with the standard of the NCAA being raised so significantly that some athletes who failed to make the top-16 still qualified for the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

Lauren Ryan (Florida State) holds the number one seed in the Women’s 3000m bout with a time of 8:47.88 and is largely considered the woman to beat, but the 23-year-old Australian is embracing the pressure.

“Being the number one seed obviously carries pressure and expectation, but at the same time this is my first NCAA track nationals which can play into my favour – I guess I’m a bit naïve,” Ryan said.

The competition sets up a big year for the emerging middle-distance star who is taking every opportunity in her stride towards becoming a regular in senior Australian outfits, beginning with the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 11-12), World Athletics Indoor Championships (March 18-20), and Australian Track and Field Championships (March 26 – April 3).

“NCAA’s is the pinnacle of under-23 sport which is why there are a lot of internationals from Europe and Australia here. The competition level is at a really high standard and it’s an opportunity to bridge the gap between the junior and senior ranks,” Ryan said.

“I was really devastated after missing the Olympic team last year, so I didn’t want to turn down an opportunity to compete the World Indoor Championships as well – there is so much benefit to come from gaining experience on the world stage. That’s ultimately what we work towards every day.”

20-year-old Ky Robinson (Stanford) has taken then NCAA by storm in recent months, running a scorching 13:21.85 over 5000m to be ranked fourth heading into the national final – a time that places him on the brink of the upper echelon of Australian middle-distance men.

Previously regarded as a promising Queensland junior, Robinson has thrived both on and off the track under the renowned Stanford regime to emerge as a genuine contender to don the green and gold at major championships – originally forging his craft in the steeplechase before exploring his options over 5000m.

Imogen Barrett (Florida) has enjoyed a sublime start to the year on the indoor collegiate circuit, with her personal best of 2:03.39 in the 800m enough to punch her ticket to the Alabama for the national championships.

Hailing from the same college as where Genevieve Gregson learned her craft, Barrett will be looking to add to the history of Australian success for the Gators when she toes the line over four laps – with her first task being to navigate the preliminary round.

Former Australian Under 20 representative Amelia Mazza-Downie (New Mexico) secured one of the final spots in qualifying for the Women’s 5000m, with her time of 15:49.82 enough to earn her a station on the starting line amongst a field of talented women.

Mazza-Downie finished in sixth place of the Women’s 3000m at the 2018 World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Finland, demonstrating just how good the 22-year-old is when fit and firing.

Ruby Smee (San Francisco) will complete a two-pronged Australian attack, joining Mazza-Downie as a qualifier in the event with her early-season showing of 15:36.04 outdoors. The Tasmanian has proven to be a model of consistency in the NCAA and reaped the rewards of her strong aerobic base in the cross country season, a trend that she will be looking to continue in Birmingham this weekend.

Former Australian Under 20 representative and World Junior medallist Gary Haasbroek (Texas Tech) has forced his way into discussions in the Men’s Heptathlon, scoring a qualifying performance of 5833 in the refined indoor format.

Haasbroek finished in second place of the 2018 World Under 20 Championships behind now Olympic bronze medallist Ash Moloney, with his versatility placing him in good stead to lodge his case in the heptathlon.

The Australian duo of Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin) and Adam Spencer (Wisconsin) are set to form two legs of the Distance Medley Relay for Wisconsin, whilst Ollie Raimond (Michigan), Duncan Miller (Princeton), Izzi Thornton-Bott (Oregon) and Carley Thomas (Washington) will all compete for their respective colleges.

The event consists of four legs – 1200m, 400m, 800m, and 1600m.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 11/03/2022