Des Moines, Iowa, USA - Five long sprinters posted personal bests in the men’s 400m to highlight the final day of the NCAA championships.

Bahamian Andretti Bain staged a thrilling homestretch mano-a-mano with Lionel Larry of Southern Cal, outleaning him 44.62 to 44.63, with LeJerald Betters of Baylor and Jordan Boase of Washington just two metres back, both in 44.83.  Fifth in 45.14 was Calvin Smith, Jr., son of the 1983 and 1987 200m World champion. Betters came back to run a leg on Baylor’s 4x400 relay team which won in 3:00.22.

Walter Dix, who has had a string of injuries since setting the world on fire at last year’s NCAA, came back from a sluggish fourth place in yesterday’s 100m to beat a good 200m field in 20.40 (–0.8).

That may not sound fast, but the unmeasured winds on the curve were in fact stronger and swirling quite a bit. Best evidence as to how good Dix’s race was: 100m winner Richard Thompson was second in 20.44.

Hernandez over Wheating in thrilling men's 800m

Two “new” 800m candidates emerged during the meet – front-running Jacob Hernandez and fast-finishing Andrew Wheating.

After Hernandez pulled the field through a 50.96 first 400, Wheating, who is only in his third year of track, flashed down the home straight to make up 10 metres and miss winning by 0.01, 1:45.31 to 1:45.32. The wind probably cost them several tenths.

After a series of fast heats and semifinals in the men’s 110m Hurdles, Jason Richardson emerged as the winner, mastering a 1.0 headwind to 2007 Ty Akins, 13.40 to 13.46. The women’s 100m Hurdles were won by Tiffany Ofili, running 12.84 into a 2.8 m/s headwind – a time probably far superior to the 12.73 PB she set in winning her first-round heat.

In the women’s 200, Simone Facey (JAM) edged her Texas A&M teammate Porscha Lucas, 22.62 to 22.66, in one of the day’s few calm moments (-0.2).

Florida State student Hannah England (GBR) set a meet record winning the women’s 1500m in 4:06.19, outkicking Sally Kipyego (KEN), as both bettered the Olympic Games “A” qualifying standard of 4:07. Kipyego had set a meet record in the 5000m (15:15.08) Friday evening less than 17 hours earlier. 

The most noteworthy field event performance was a wind-aided (+3.4) triple jump of 14.60m by Erica McLain, the second-best American jump under any conditions. Finally, Jacquelyn Johnson of Arizona State won her fourth straight NCAA title, winning the Heptathlon by more than 200 points with 6,053.

James Dunaway for the IAAF