The indoor track season is entering its full swing with the calendar turning over to January. Yet, we saw some elite performances to open the season back in December before the holidays. Here’s what you may have missed.
Women’s performance
Axelina Johansson opens the with a shot put record
The defending indoor women’s shot put champion, Nebraska's Axelina Johansson, reminded us of why she won the title last year in her season opener, shot putting a collegiate record 19.72 meters.
Johansson didn’t solely break the record with one throw. Her series featured three total throws at collegiate record distance, matching the former record of 19.57m on throw two and first breaking the record with a 19.66m throw on the third attempt. Her 19.72 meter throw came on attempt No. 4.
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Jane Hedengren picks up where she left off
After bursting onto the NCAA scene during cross country season, BYU freshman superstar Jane Hedengren opened her indoor track season with a collegiate record. Hedengren finished in 14:44.79 over 5000 meters at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston, a new collegiate record.
Her performance is the fastest across 25 laps of any collegian as Hedengren is the first collegian to break the 14:50 barrier. She’s the second-fastest American woman in the 5000 meters indoors.
And she’s only a freshman.
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BYU DMR runs an all-time mark
It was only December, but we’ve already seen the fastest DMR run at altitude. BYU clocked 10:41.85 at the BYU December invite. Not only is that the fastest time run at altitude, it’s also the 10th-fastest DMR time in history all-conditions.
Here are the splits from the race
- Riley Chamberlain, 3:15, 1200m
- Sami Oblad, 52, 400m
- Tessa Buswell, 2:07, 800m
- Jane Hedengren, 4:27, 1600m
South Carolina might’ve found its distance star
South Carolina has put out great talent in the sprints in recent years, and now it might’ve found a distance star with championship scoring potential this indoor season. Salma Elbadra ran 8:41.76 in the 3000 meters, the No. 5 all-time mark.
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Men’s performances
Habtom Samuel wins 5K opener in Boston
Was that the men’s distance race of the year already?
When a race is decided by 0.004 seconds it might be. That’s how close the 5000 meters was at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.
Fresh off a cross country title, New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel edged past Villanova’s Marco Lango with a 13:05.203 finish.
It was an all-time race even by the record books, with Samuel’s finish ranking as the sixth-fastest all-time, with Langon climbing the record books in second. Virginia’s Gary Martin also had an all-time finish — albeit third in this race — with a 13:05.57 finish that ranks as the eighth-fastest all-time.
Trey Bartholomew looks in championship shape
Jumping 7-foot-3 in December? Oklahoma’s Trey Bartholomew just did that. The Sooner cleared 2.21 meters in the high jump at the OU Winter Field Fest Invitational on his second attempt.
That mark would’ve placed Bartholomew in the following at past NCAA Championships: second place in 2025, third place in 2024, second place in 2023 and third place in 2022.
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Carter Morton makes a statement in the combined events
As track and field returns with the indoor season, so do combined event specialists. Northern Iowa’s Carter Morton started off with a bang, scoring 6,054 points at the Jimmy Grant Invitational behind four personal-best marks. Morton PR’d in the shot put, high jump, 60 meter hurdles and 1000 meters en route to over 6,000 points. For reference, last year’s men’s heptathlon champion won with 6,013 points and no other athlete broke the 6,000-point threshold when it mattered most.
Colin Salhman returns to form
Northern Arizona’s Colin Salhman became the No. 8 performer all-time in the 3000 meters after his 7:36.71 finish in Boston to open his season. After a down outdoor season at championships, it's great to have one of the sport's veterans bounce back.
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