2006 NCAA Track and Field Championships

ARTICLE I WROTE FOR LOCAL SACRAMENTO NEWSPAPER:

When LSU’s Xavier Carter crossed the finish line of the 100-meter dash, his hands thrown in the air, track and field fans at Sacramento State’s Alex G. Spanos Complex knew it was going to be a special day.

Carter made history by winning four NCAA championships, the first athlete to do that since Jesse Owens in the 1930’s. After winning the 100, he went on to win the 400-meter dash and anchor the first place LSU 1600-meter relay team.

“I pretty much had a good day,” said Carter.

His 100/400 double wins is considered unprecedented in modern track and field and he is the first athlete to achieve this at any level.

Another big performance came from the lone hometown athlete at the meet.

Sacramento State Hornet shot putter Dave Nichols put a throw of 64’7” on his way to sixth place and earning All-American honors. Nichols threw 62’ 1.25” in the preliminaries to advance to the finals.

“I knew the competition was going to be a lot better today, and I knew I had to step it up,” Nichols said after the competition. “It was the best consistency I ever had in my throws.”

In 2005, Nichols finished ninth and earned All-American honors. He becomes the first back-to-back All-American and first athlete to score at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento State track and field history. Despite getting a new personal best and breaking his own school record again, Nichols is focusing on the future of his career.

“I know I can throw farther, I know I can be right there at the top.”

The most impressive woman’s performance came from Southern California’s Virginia Powell. Powell ran a world leading time of 12.48 in the 100-meter hurdles to easily claim first place. She ended her collegiate career with an undefeated senior season and her second NCAA Championship in a row.

“I honestly do not remember that race, that’s how much of a zone I was in,” said Powell. “I psyched myself out and ran. My focus came back after the finish line and I knew I was in the zone.”

At the NCAA Championships, the top 8 finishers of each event score a specific number of points. These points represent a team score. At the end of the meet, each team adds their points, and a team National Champion is declared. This year, the Auburn University Tigers claimed their first women’s team title scoring 15 points more than second place USC. On the men’s side, the Florida State Seminoles earned the school’s first team title. Led by 200-meter winner Walter Dix, the Seminoles beat LSU by 16 points.

Track and field, different from most mainstream sports, involves strong mental focus to allow the athlete to execute their event properly. Each event, whether it is the javelin throw or the 5,000-meter run, has a specific technique. The slightest mishaps in technique can cause the athlete’s marks to suffer. Unlike some basketball players who have poor shooting technique but are still successful, success in track comes once the technique is mastered. Many of the NCAA champions are future Olympians and National team members.

The meet was also a homecoming for many of the athletes. Martell Munguia, an 800-meter runner for UCLA, was a high school graduate of Woodcreek High School in Roseville. Now in his senior year, this was Munguia’s last collegiate race, and no better to have it on the track his career started.

“It means the world to me to come back to Sacramento,” said Munguia. I had my first high school invitational here and that’s where I grew my love for track and field.”

On the first day of the meet, Munguia ran a lifetime best 1:47.95 to qualify to the semifinals a day later. Unfortunately, in the semifinals he ran a 1:50.31 and did not make the top eight to move on to the finals. However, for Munguia it was not all about winning.

“I had my family watching, it’s just a blessing to be here.”

Brysun Stately, a freshman pole-vaulter at USC, attended Cordova High School only a year ago. The former high school state champion’s first trip to the NCAA Championships resulted in a 4-way tie for 6th place at a height of 13’ 3.5”. She scored 1.5 points in helping USC to a second place team finish. Being a freshman, the experience of a big meet will help her as her career continues.

“Now I know how to prepare and go into a big competition and know how it goes, and the process taken,” she said. “I can be relaxed more.”

Sacramento State will host the 2007 NCAA championships. This is the last year Sacramento is under contract to host the meet.