By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 40th edition of the NCAA Division 1 women’s indoor track and field championships are scheduled for March 10-11 at the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico.

ENTRIES | START LISTS | DYESTAT DISCUSSIONS

Here are 10 female storylines to follow at the event, as the meet is held for the second time at the venue, following 2014. The event was also scheduled to be held in Albuquerque in 2020, but was canceled on the eve of the competition as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alfred pursuing Texas title two-step

Julien Alfred of Texas is the only female competitor who qualified for the 60-meter dash and 200 meters in 2020 when the meet in Albuquerque was canceled on the eve of the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships to return in both events this year.

So, it seems only fitting that the graduate student-athlete from Saint Lucia, could become the first female athlete to win both titles since Auburn’s Kerron Stewart in 2007, since she has already made history this season at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Alfred has run 7.00, 7.02 and 7.05 twice in the 60-meter dash, in addition to producing 200-meter efforts of 22.56 and 22.71 at the venue that will host the Division 1 indoor final.

Alfred, who captured the 100-meter crown in June at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., is looking to become the first Texas female sprinter to capture the 60-meter title since Teahna Daniels in 2016 and the first Longhorns’ athlete to secure the 200-meter crown since Bianca Knight in 2008.

Alfred ranks No. 2 in the world this year and is equal to the No. 8 all-time global competitor in the 60 at 6.97 seconds, which she ran Feb. 25 at the Big 12 Conference Indoor Championships at the Sports Performance Center at Texas Tech.

Alfred also elevated to the No. 2 all-time collegiate indoor performer and No. 4 in global history in the 200 with her 22.26 effort at the Big 12 indoor final. Favour Ofili of LSU, representing Nigeria, ranks No. 3 in collegiate indoor history and No. 7 all-time in the world at 22.36.

LSU’s Muna Lee is the only other female sprinter to win both the 60 and 200 championships in the same year, achieving the feat in 2003. Carlette Guidry won the 55 and 200 titles for Texas in 1990 and 1991.

Tuohy ready to tackle distance double

Katelyn Tuohy of North Carolina State, the reigning Division 1 cross country champion and outdoor 5,000-meter title holder, has her sights set on capturing multiple NCAA crowns in Albuquerque.

Tuohy is entered in the 3,000 and 5,000 finals, along with being listed among the options for Wolfpack coach Laurie Henes on the distance medley relay.

The gap between the approximate conclusion of the 5,000 championship Friday and the start of the DMR final is scheduled to be less than 25 minutes, so it remains to be seen if Tuohy will return to the track with such a quick turnaround.

Tuohy has not lost to another collegiate athlete since May, a span of 12 races. She also produced the collegiate indoor 3,000 record with her 8:35.20 performance Feb. 11 at the 115th Millrose Games at The Armory in New York.

She is looking to become the first female competitor to win both the 3,000 and 5,000 in the same indoor championship meet since Karissa Schweizer of Missouri achieved the feat in 2018.

Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe is the reigning indoor 3,000 champion and is returning to defend her title.

North Carolina State has never won a women’s indoor crown in any event in program history.

Depending on the efforts of Kelsey Chmiel in the 3,000 and 5,000, along with Sam Bush in the 3,000, Sydney Seymour in the 5,000 and the DMR, a pair of titles from Tuohy could help propel the Wolfpack to the program’s first indoor podium finish after placing ninth last year at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Alabama.

Unique shot put opportunity for Van Klinken

Jorinde Van Klinken is the reigning women’s indoor shot put champion, along with being the collegiate indoor record holder at 64 feet, 2.50 inches (19.57m), a mark the Oregon standout produced Feb. 10 at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The Dutch star, who won the shot put title last year representing Arizona State with a 62-7.25 (19.08m) performance in Alabama, can achieve more history by joining Raven Saunders as the only female competitors ever to win indoor championships for multiple schools.

Saunders triumphed in 2015 for Southern Illinois and again in 2017 for Ole Miss, with Van Klinken looking to secure back-to-back titles for the Sun Devils and Ducks.

The women’s shot put field is one of the deepest in collegiate history, with Swedish record holder Axelina Johansson of Nebraska the No. 3 all-time indoor performer at 63-4 (19.30m), American athlete Adelaide Aquilla of Ohio State at No. 7 with her 62-7.75 (19.09m) effort last year, another Dutch competitor, Florida freshman Alida Van Daalen, winning the Southeastern Conference crown Feb. 25 with a 61-2.75 (18.66m) mark in Arkansas to elevate to No. 9 and U.S. athlete Josie Schaefer of Wisconsin ascending to No. 10 with her 61-0.25 (18.60m) performance Feb. 17 in Madison.

Jalani Davis of Ole Miss is the No. 15 all-time collegiate indoor competitor at 60-5.75 (18.43m) and Jaida Ross, an Oregon teammate of Van Klinken, ranks No. 18 at 59-9.75 (18.23m).

Gators seeking additional gold from Moore

Jasmine Moore is the only female competitor to qualify for both the long jump and triple jump finals in 2020 when she was still at Georgia and return in both events this year.

Although she never had the opportunity to compete for either championship three years ago in Albuquerque, Moore won both titles last year at the Birmingham CrossPlex representing Florida, becoming the first female athlete since Kansas’ Andrea Geubelle in 2013 to sweep both championships in the same indoor final.

Moore doubled up again in June at the Division 1 outdoor meet in Oregon.

She can become the first female in Division 1 history to sweep the indoor long jump and triple jump titles in consecutive years in Albuquerque, along with potentially challenging collegiate all-time marks in both events.

Moore is already the collegiate indoor triple jump record holder at 47-9.75 (14.57m), which she achieved at last year’s final in Alabama, and ranks No. 2 in collegiate indoor history in the long jump at 22-8 (6.91m), a leap she produced Feb. 24 at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Arkansas.

Tara Davis Woodhall of Texas established the NCAA indoor record of 22-9 (6.93m) at the Division 1 final in 2021, also at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

Oregon’s Alysah Hickey ascended to the No. 12 all-time collegiate indoor long jump competitor Feb. 10 at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational with her 22-3.50 (6.79m) performance in Albuquerque.

Texas freshman Ackelia Smith is No. 16 in Division 1 indoor history at 22-1 (6.73m). The Jamaican athlete is also No. 18 all-time in the collegiate indoor triple jump at 45-9 (13.94m), just behind Tennessee’s Charisma Taylor, representing the Bahamas, at No. 16 with her 46-0.75 (14.04m) effort.

Russell hoping hurdles championship is on horizon

Kentucky senior Masai Russell is also the only female athlete who qualified for the 60-meter hurdles field in 2020 that has returned to Albuquerque this season.

Russell is now the collegiate record holder at 7.75 seconds and the world indoor leader this year, along with elevating to the No. 6 performer in U.S. indoor history and equaling the No. 12 all-time global competitor.

She is looking to become the first Kentucky female athlete to capture the 60 hurdles crown since Keni Harrison in 2015.

Sharika Nelvis set the American record of 7.70 in Albuquerque in 2018 at the USATF Indoor Championships, only for Harrison to equal the performance two weeks later at the World Indoor Championships in England.

Ackera Nugent, a Jamaican athlete who won the Division 1 indoor crown representing Baylor in 2021 in Arkansas, is now representing the Razorbacks. Nugent could become the first female athlete in Division 1 history to win 60 hurdles championships for multiple schools.

Russell edged Nugent by a 7.77 to 7.81 margin Feb. 25 in the 60 hurdles final at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Arkansas. Nugent ascended to the No. 3 all-time collegiate indoor competitor with her performance.

Florida’s Grace Stark, last year’s winner in 7.78, did not qualify this year despite being the No. 2 performer in collegiate indoor history.

Middle-distance masterpiece set to materialize

Stanford teammates Roisin Willis and Juliette Whittaker, along with LSU sophomore Michaela Rose, made history in different locations Feb. 10 by producing three of the top four all-time collegiate indoor 800-meter performances.

Willis elevated to No. 2 at the Wisconsin Windy City Invitational in Chicago by clocking 1:59.95 to hold off Whittaker, who ascended to No. 4 with her 2:00.32 effort.

Rose ran 2:00.18 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University to improve to the No. 3 performer in NCAA indoor history.

Now, the 18-year-old Willis and 19-year-old Rose and Whittaker will all compete together for the first time this season, after all being teammates for the United States at the World U20 Championships in August in Colombia.

Rose is looking to become the fourth LSU female athlete to win the indoor 800 crown, including the first since Natoya Goule in 2013. Whittaker or Willis would become the first Stanford women’s competitor to secure the indoor 800 championship.

Carley Thomas of Washington, representing Australia, is the only female competitor in the field from 2020 who qualified again this season.

Athing Mu set the collegiate indoor record of 1:58.40 in 2021 for Texas A&M.

Distin looking to reach new heights

Texas A&M star Lamara Distin, the reigning Division 1 indoor and outdoor high jump champion, has been challenging not only the collegiate indoor record, but also the 2-meter mark, and could benefit from the rarefied air of Albuquerque to put on a show in Saturday’s final.

Distin is looking to produce a third consecutive indoor championship for Texas A&M, joining a victory by Tyra Gittens in 2021, which would mark the longest streak by one school since Arizona won four in a row from 2010-13 with Elizabeth Patterson and three straight from Brigetta Barrett.

Distin, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medalist representing Jamaica, is pursuing the first back-to-back indoor crowns since Georgia’s Leontia Kallenou won consecutive titles in 2014-15.

Kansas State’s Akela Jones (2016) and Texas’ Destinee Hooker (2009) have both cleared 6-6 (1.98m), with Distin ranked No. 3 all-time among indoor performers at 6-5.50 (1.97m) with her Feb. 11 effort at the Tiger Paw Invitational at Clemson.

Barrett boasts the collegiate outdoor record at 6-6.25 (1.99m) from 2013, and is the only female athlete in NCAA history to achieve a 2-meter clearance at any point of the year, which she produced several times for the United States at the outdoor national final, Olympic Games, World Championships and Diamond League meetings.

Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko, originally from Russia, is equal to the No. 18 all-time collegiate indoor competitor at 6-3.50 (1.92m). Kansas’ Rylee Anderson is in the top 30 in NCAA indoor history at 6-3 (1.90m).

Diggs prepared to dig deep for repeat

Florida junior Talitha Diggs produced the collegiate and American indoor records in the 400 meters by winning the Southeastern Conference title Feb. 25 in 50.15 in Arkansas.

But Diggs’ journey to repeating as Division 1 indoor champion might require an even stronger performance, especially after Texas’ Rhasidat Adeleke captured the Big 12 crown the same day at Texas Tech by clocking 50.33, also faster than the 2018 collegiate all-time mark of 50.34 established by USC’s Kendall Ellis.

Diggs is equal to the No. 8 all-time global indoor performer, with Irish record holder Adeleke ascending to the No. 14 competitor in world indoor history.

The matchup creates a unique storyline, since Diggs is attempting to become the first female athlete to win back-to-back Division 1 indoor championships in the 400 since Texas’ Courtney Okolo in 2015-16, with her primary challenger trying to secure the first title for the Longhorns in seven years.

Only four female competitors have ever run under 50 seconds in an indoor race, including Dutch star Femke Bol setting the world record of 49.26 on Feb. 19 in The Netherlands at her national championships.

Diggs has clocked 49.99 in an outdoor 400, with Adeleke running 50.53 in August in Germany. Adeleke boasts the fastest time ever at the Albuquerque Convention Center with her Feb. 4 effort of 50.45. 

Arkansas has six competitors among the 16 athletes in the 400-meter field, including three women ranked in the top 25 in collegiate indoor history, with Amber Anning at No. 9 at 50.68, Britton Wilson equal to No. 16 at 50.88 and Rosey Effiong at No. 22 at 51.02.

Texas’ Kennedy Simon is the No. 21 all-time collegiate indoor performer at 51.01.

Anning, then competing for LSU, and Simon both qualified in 2020 and are returning to Albuquerque this year.

The points for Arkansas, Florida and Texas will all be significant in the pursuit of the women’s team title.

The most decorated DMR

The top six women’s indoor distance medley relay programs in collegiate history are all scheduled to square off Friday, with Washington seeking its first championship since 2012 after producing an NCAA record 10:46.62 on Feb. 4 at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational at Boston University.

Washington’s quartet of Sophie O’Sullivan, Marlena Preigh, Carley Thomas and Anna Gibson eclipsed the 2017 standard of 10:48.77 established by Oregon, but the Ducks find themselves in the conversation again this year after running 10:49.07 on Feb. 17 at the Arkansas Qualifier at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville for the No. 3 performance in collegiate indoor history.

Arkansas, the reigning Division 1 champions in the DMR, ran 10:49.14 to finish just behind Oregon, with 2021 DMR winner Brigham Young clocking 10:49.24 in Fayetteville to place itself in contention once again. Oklahoma State produced a 10:50.65 performance in the same race to elevate to the No. 6 all-time program in the DMR.

Duke ascended to the No. 5 all-time school after winning the Atlantic Coast Conference indoor crown Feb. 23 in 10:49.87 at Louisville.

Notre Dame, North Carolina State and Kentucky, all top 12 schools in Division 1 history, are also entered, with UCLA qualifying for the first time in the event since 2004. The Bruins won the 2002 DMR title.

But the biggest threat to Washington might be Stanford, which is No. 9 in collegiate indoor history with  its 10:52.02 performance from 2018, but is expected to run Roisin Willis on the 800-meter leg and Juliette Whittaker on the 1,600-meter anchor.

Closing it out in style

The outcome of the women’s team championship could weigh significantly on the order of finish in the 4x400-meter relay, especially with Arkansas, Florida and Texas all expected to be in contention.

Arkansas boasts the deepest collection of 400-meter competitors in collegiate indoor history, but the team has yet to showcase its most formidable lineup, despite running 3:26.40 on Jan. 28 at the Razorback Invitational.

Arkansas produced the collegiate indoor record 3:24.09 at last year’s Southeastern Conference final at Texas A&M, which ranks No. 4 all-time globally. Rosey Effiong and Britton Wilson both return from that lineup for the Razorbacks, who have also added British standout Amber Anning.

The Netherlands, featuring Femke Bol, ran a world-leading 3:25.66 on March 5 to capture the gold medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Turkey.

Arkansas has both those targets to chase, along with potentially the world indoor record of 3:23.37 established in 2006 by Russia.

Texas will also present a significant challenge for the Razorbacks, especially after clocking 3:26.73 on Feb. 11 at the Tiger Paw Invitational at Clemson to ascend to the No. 4 school in collegiate indoor history.

Florida is the No. 7 all-time program with its 3:27.58 performance Jan. 28 at the Razorback Invitational.

Arkansas, which won the Division 1 title last year by clocking 3:27.23 at the Birmingham CrossPlex, is attempting to become the first school to win back-to-back 4x400 championships since USC in 2017-18.