2018 NCAA Men's and Women's Outdoor T&F Championships - Day One

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

Men’s Hammer Throw (2 p.m.)

After placing second at NCAAs last year, Kansas sophomore Gleb Dudarev comes in as the favorite after improving his personal best by 12 feet this season (256-0/78.02m). Top challengers are Georgia junior Denzel Comenentia (250-3/76.28m) and Rutgers senior Rudy Winkler (242-3/73.84m), the 2016 Olympic Trials champion

Men’s Long Jump (6 p.m.)

Florida sophomore Grant Holloway placed second last year to his teammate, senior KeAndre Bates. Both of the Gators will be pushed by Oregon senior Damarcus Simpson. Holloway, the reigning NCAA 110m hurdles champion, and Simpson both have wind-aided jumps over 27 feet this year.

Men’s 10,000 meters (7:08 p.m.)

Alabama junior Vincent Kiprop swept NCAA Division II titles in the 5,000m and 10,000m last year. He duplicated that feat at the SEC Championships this season. BYU junior Rory Linkletter is the reigning NCAA runner-up and two of his teammates – junior Connor McMillan and junior Clayton Young – are also in the field.

Men’s Decathlon (12:30 p.m.)

Day one of the decathlon features four entrants with PRs over 8,000 points, but Kentucky senior Tim Duckworth is the favorite after posting a lifetime best of 8,145 points. Duckworth finished 19th last year after failing to record a mark in the long jump.

Men’s Pole Vault (5 p.m.)

Swirling winds at Hayward Field make this an unpredictable event. South Dakota sophomore Chris Nilsen has cleared 19-0/5.79m at four different meets this year. Akron junior Matt Ludwig is the reigning champion, while SE Louisiana Devin King is a top challenger, although he is reportedly recovering from a hand injury.