Ohio State’s Adelaide Aquilla claims the NCAA Championship shot put title on Thursday. Photo by Logan Hannigan-Downs

By Joe Zochert

Day 2 of the 100th NCAA Track and Field Championships was a day full of great performances at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon as two college records were broken on Thursday night.

Hammer Thrown Full Circle

California’s Camryn Rogers won her third consecutive NCAA hammer throw title on Thursday. The senior defended her title over a field where the top-six finishers all achieved personal bests on the day.

Over her five years at Cal, Rogers has seen firsthand how the throwing events have evolved at the collegiate level thanks to great athletes like Brooke Anderson, Valerie Allman and Janeah Stewart.

“It's been incredible to witness history being made by all of them and then also as I've gotten older to be a part of that history,” she said. “You're able to learn so much from every single person and from every single experience.”

The 2020 Olympic finalist plans to compete at the World Championships later this summer in Eugene and cherishes the opportunity to represent Canada at Hayward Field.

“It's always an honor to represent Canada and be a part of Team Canada,” she said.

“Hayward is a very special place and always has been. It carries an energy with it that just really gets you going once you're out there on a track on the run-up and in the circle. So I'm excited very, very excited.”

Her win also comes with a little nugget of history attached to it. In 1922, California’s John Merchant won Cal’s first NCAA title in the hammer throw.

“So it's kind of cool to look back at that history,” she said about this full-circle win. “It shows the history that I think hammer throwing has at Cal and the future of hammer throwing at Cal as well.”

No Rain on Leon’s Parade

In her last collegiate meet, Louisville’s Gabriela Leon captured her first NCAA pole vault title, clearing 4.60m (15-1) and outlasting Arkansas’ Amanda Fassold, who vaulted a personal best of 4.55m (14-11).

Even with a light drizzle of rain during the competition, Leon had trust in the work that she has put in this season.

“It's just about being confident and being able to make that bar you know, I've been over 4.60m one other time this year and have been over 4.55m two other times this year,” she said.

“So knowing that I had that under my belt and that I'm able to jump it in practice and being confident that I can make that bar is really the game plan for it.”

With her first NCAA title won, the senior recognized the support from family, coaches and friends over her athletic career.

“I'm just so grateful to get this win for everyone around me and that they can celebrate with me, because although I showed it they put just as much work into me as I put on the track, too.”

BYU’s Javelin Champion

BYU’s Ashton Riner got the victory in the javelin, throwing 58.24m (191-1) on her first attempt of the meet. The senior beat out Nebraska’s Maddie Harris, who placed second with 57.69m (189-3).

“It feels pretty good, but I was pushing for a little more,” Riner said, who had her eyes set on getting an NCAA record. “I wish I executed a little better.”

With her collegiate season over, Riner looks forward to the U.S. Championships as she gets to compete against the best in the country.

“I’m so excited. All of them are my idols,” she said. “I’m excited to meet them and compete against them.”

BYU’s Ashton Riner wins the NCAA javelin title at Hayward Field on Thursday. Photo by Logan Hannigan-Downs

Moore lands both Outdoor and Indoor titles

Florida’s Jasmine Moore won the long jump with a distance of 6.72m (22-0.75) to become the NCAA Champion in both indoors and outdoors.

Moore came into the championships with her technique and footwork as points of emphasis.

“I was just trying to remain focused and just stay consistent on the board and I was really happy with how I was on the runway,” said Moore. “I'm just very happy with how I did and just very thankful.”

With another NCAA title in tow, the sophomore looks to compete for a spot on the U.S. Team in just a few weeks.

“I’m going to get ready for the USA trials and to hopefully make that team,” she said. “I'm just kind of maintaining, resting, just making sure my body feels good, and just getting ready for the next meet.”

Collegiate Record in the Shot Put

Adelaide Aquilla threw a college best of 19.64m (64-5.25) on her very first attempt on Thursday. The two-time NCAA shot put champion finished just ahead of Arizona State's Jorinde Van Klinken, who threw 18.58m (60-11.5).

This wasn’t only a college best, it was also a top-10 throw in U.S. history, pushing Connie Price-Smith off the list.

“It's very surreal the process, when I came into this, I was not expecting to do anything near this and come out it's just awesome,” said Aquilla about the honor.

With the collegiate season over, the 2020 Olympian plans to use this momentum at the upcoming U.S. Trials.

“This trajectory is perfect. Going into USA’s and I’m so excited to compete.”

Oregon’s Jaida Ross finished fifth in the shot put, breaking her own school record with 17.83m (58-6).

“This is definitely a victory for me. I am very happy,” said Ross.

Ross got her personal best at the right time as it helped her advance to the finals after struggling on her first two attempts. Even if she hadn’t advanced to the finals, she was content as she put everything she had in her third throw.

“Even if the throw didn’t make it far enough, that’s what I had. That was my best of the day,” said Ross.

Mercy and Grace in the 10k

Alabama's Mercy Chelangat pulled out the victory with a season-best mark of 32:37.08 despite falling behind by 25 seconds to Washington’s Haley Herberg in the first half of the race.

With Herberg’s large lead early on, Chelangat relied on patience and the other runners around her to stay relaxed throughout the race.

“I wasn’t worried at all,” she said. “10k is a really long way.”

“So you have to be patient, most of the time because you cannot do the work by yourself. You kind of depend on other people.”

Rice’s Grace Forbes ran a season-best 32:48.07 to finish second in the 10,000m.

This season has been challenging for the sophomore as she was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder that affected her training.

“For the first three months of this year, I couldn’t run 10 miles. I had no energy,” said Forbes. “I kept training and I didn’t give up and now I’m here,” Forbes said about her season.

With this performance at NCAAs, Forbes couldn’t be happier with the results.

“It almost brings me to tears, it was the hardest semester of my life,” she said.

Men’s Decathlon

Arkansas’ Ayden Owens-Delerme tied the NCAA meet record of 8457 points that was set by Oregon’s Ashton Eaton in 2010. The junior took the lead in the event after finishing in seventh place in the javelin, and placing ninth in the 1500m to secure the victory.

Texas sophomore Leo Neugebauer finished second with a personal best of 8362 points and Georgia sophomore Kyle Garland got third with 8333 points.

Check out the full Decathlon story recap here.