Diggs runs 50.15 to equal No. 8 athlete in global indoor history on same day Texas’ Adeleke clocks 50.33 at Big 12 Championships; Georgia’s Godwin produces world-leading 44.75 in men’s 400, Florida’s Moore sweeps women’s long jump and triple jump, Kentucky’s Russell wins 60 hurdles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Talitha Diggs wasn’t the only athlete to run faster than the women’s collegiate indoor 400-meter record Saturday, but the Florida star made sure she left the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships with not only the NCAA all-time mark, but the top performance in American indoor history as well.

After Texas sophomore Rhasidat Adeleke ran 50.33 seconds Saturday at the Big 12 Indoor Championships at the Sports Performance Center at Texas Tech to eclipse the 2018 collegiate indoor record of 50.34 achieved by USC’s Kendall Ellis, Diggs responded with a 50.15 effort at Lance Harter Track at Randal Tyson Track Center.

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Diggs surpassed the American indoor record by Ellis, in addition to equaling the No. 8 all-time global competitor, with Adeleke producing the Irish all-time indoor mark and ascending to No. 14 in the world.

Amber Anning of Arkansas finished second in 50.68 to elevate to the third-fastest British indoor competitor and the No. 9 athlete in collegiate indoor history, with Texas A&M’s Tierra Robinson-Jones taking third in a personal-best 51.27.

The SEC men’s 400 final also had its share of fireworks, with Georgia senior Elija Godwin running a world-leading 44.75, eclipsing the 2011 meet record of 44.80 by Alabama’s Kirani James.

Florida’s Jacory Patterson ran a personal-best 45.05 in the first section that stood as the fastest global mark for a few minutes, before Godwin responded by elevating to the No. 5 all-time collegiate indoor competitor and No. 6 in American indoor history.

Patterson matched the No. 14 all-time U.S. indoor performer, then clocked 20.29 to capture the 200 title, ascending to the No. 10 American indoor competitor, along with the No. 13 athlete in collegiate indoor history.

Kentucky senior Masai Russell, already the collegiate record holder in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, prevailed in a highly anticipated showdown against Arkansas’ Ackera Nugent by a 7.77 to 7.81 margin.

Russell, who secured her first career SEC title, now boasts the top two performances in collegiate indoor history along with her 7.75 effort Jan. 20 at Texas Tech and became the fourth American female competitor to have multiple marks of 7.77 or faster, joining Keni Harrison, Christina Clemons and Gail Devers.

Florida’s Jasmine Moore and Tennessee’s Dylan Jacobs were both double winners, with South Carolina’s Annass Essayi repeating as men’s mile champion and Texas A&M’s Lamara Distin capturing back-to-back women’s high jump crowns.

Moore joined LSU’s Daphne Saunders in 1993-94 as the only female athletes in SEC history to sweep the indoor long jump and triple jump titles in consecutive years.

She also matched the consistency of Georgia’s Keturah Orji (2015-18) by winning the indoor triple jump four consecutive years, producing a second-round effort of 46-2.75 (14.09m) to support her 22-8 (6.91m) long jump in the opening round Friday.

Jacobs followed his 4:36.96 anchor in the men’s distance medley relay Friday to lead the Volunteers to victory in 9:32.75 by capturing the 3,000 title in 7:52.49, holding off Anthony Camerieri of Ole Miss in 7:52.98 and Essayi in 7:53.73.

Jacobs secured the first 3,000 crown for Tennessee since 1990, in addition to following Mario Garcia Romo of Ole Miss in 2021 by winning both titles in the same year.

Essayi, a Moroccan athlete who became the first men’s mile champion for South Carolina last season in 3:57.37, repeated in 4:01.20, with LSU’s Davis Bove clocking 4:02.67.

Essayi, who ran 3:50.46 to take over the collegiate lead Feb. 10 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University, became the first back-to-back champion since Sean Tobin of Ole Miss in 2017-18.

Distin, representing Jamaica, completed a high jump sweep for Texas A&M, clearing 6-4.75 (1.95m) to triumph against Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko and her personal-best 6-3.50 (1.92m). Distin, the reigning NCAA Division 1 Indoor and Outdoor champion, took three attempts at a potential collegiate indoor record 6-6.75 (2.00m).

Ushan Perera, a recent transfer from Texas A&M-Commerce after winning four career Division 2 high jump titles and an athlete representing Sri Lanka, made a big impact in his first SEC final by clearing 7-4.25 (2.24m) to secure the championship. 

John Meyer of LSU also ended a long drought for the Tigers with his lifetime-best effort 66-10 (20.37m) in the third round of the men’s shot put, securing the first championship for the program since 1990.

Jordan West and Roje Stona of Arkansas finished second and third, both with personal-best marks of 66-7 (20.29m) and 65-6 (19.96m), respectively.

Florida’s Alida van Daalen, a Dutch athlete, rallied in the sixth round to earn the first women’s shot put crown for the Gators since 2018 with a lifetime-best 61-2.75 (18.66m).

Jalani Davis of Ole Miss took the lead in the third round at 60-5.75 (18.43m) and was in position to sweep the shot put and weight throw titles, but van Daalen elevated to the No. 9 all-time collegiate indoor competitor with her performance in the final round.

Jacious Sears of Tennessee won the women’s 60-meter dash in 7.11 and took third in the 200 final in 22.96. Georgia freshmen Kaila Jackson and Autumn Wilson both excelled in their conference championship debut by finishing in the top five of both finals.

Jackson was runner-up in the 60 in 7.17 and Wilson finished fourth in 7.22, with both athletes clocking 22.97 in separate sections in the 200 to place fourth and fifth overall.

LSU’s Favour Ofili, representing Nigeria, prevailed in the 200 in 22.52, ahead of McKenzie Long from Ole Miss at 22.67, and secured sixth in the 60 in 7.24.

Auburn’s Favour Ashe, also representing Nigeria, was able to hold off Kentucky’s Jordan Anthony by a 6.52 to 6.57 margin in the men’s 60-meter final.

Filip Demsar of South Carolina, representing Slovenia, prevailed in the men’s 60-meter hurdles in 7.71, ahead of Tennessee’s Rasheem Brown in 7.72.

Georgia freshman Will Sumner captured the men’s 800 title in 1:48.28, with Florida’s Sam Austin clocking 1:48.67 to place second. Sumner snapped a five-year championship streak for Texas A&M and earned the first victory for the Bulldogs since 2012.

LSU’s Michaela Rose triumphed in 2:01.09, with Arkansas’ Britton Wilson placing second in 2:02.13 in the women’s 800 final, which also showcased two of the top 400-meter hurdlers in the country.

Rose, who ranks No. 3 in collegiate indoor history at 2:00.18, won the first 800 championship for the Tigers since 2016.

Alabama ascended to the No. 6 program in collegiate indoor history in the men’s 4x400 relay, clocking 3:01.78, with Chris Robinson, Demetrious Jackson, Tarsis Orogot and Khaleb McRae prevailing in the second section, with Georgia winning the final heat in 3:03.32.

Orogot, representing Uganda, ran the fastest third leg in collegiate indoor 4x400 history at 44.64.