Alabama
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Robert Dunning Leads Alabama Track and Field with National Title on the Final Day of the 2021 Men’s NCAA Outdoor Championships
6/11/2021 10:27:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The senior bettered the field by more than a tenth of a second in the 110-meter hurdles while running into a headwind
EUGENE, Ore. – Alabama senior Robert Dunning dominated an elite field to win the 2021 NCAA 110-meter hurdles championship at Hayward Field Friday on the last day of the Men's NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships being held on the University of Oregon campus this week.
Dunning turned in a time of 13.25 running into a headwind, going just one hundredth of a second off the school record he set at the NCAA East Preliminary two weeks ago, and more than a tenth of a second ahead his closest competitor. His winning time equaled the eighth-best performer in championship history and was the fastest time in meet history with a headwind.
Earlier in the day, freshman Eliud Kipsang ran a tough race in the 1,500 meters, taking fourth with a time of 3:38.18, adding to the Crimson Tide's points total. Ryan Lipe got the scoring started for the Crimson Tide on Wednesday after taking sixth in the pole vault.
Overall, the men finished in 13th place with 18 points, marking Alabama's fourth-consecutive and 17th top-15 finish overall at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
With the men's meet in the books, the Crimson Tide women look to close out their championship run strong on Saturday.
Head Coach Dan Waters Said
"What an incredible season for Robert Dunning. No matter the circumstances, he kept coming after it. He just was not going to be denied. Watching him run away from the field today was amazing and we couldn't have been prouder to see him on the top of the awards stand. Eliud Kipsang had an extraordinary freshman year and he did a good job at his first NCAA Outdoor Championships. With a year of experience under his belt, I think he's at the start of a really special career here at Alabama. I'm also really proud of the season that Ryan Lipe put together, both indoors and outdoors. But overall, this is not where we should have been as a team. If we had brought the focus and determination we had at SECs and regionals to this meet, we would have been in the hunt for a trophy. I'm certainly proud of the season our men had overall, but we didn't finish the way we can and the way we should have, and that's disappointing."
Another Crimson Tide Title
- Robert Dunning won Alabama's fourth NCAA 110-meter hurdles title, following Keith Talley in 1986 and Ron Bramlett in 2001 and 2002
- Dunning is the first member of the Crimson Tide men's program to win an NCAA outdoor title since Hayden Reed won the discus championship in 2014
- Dunning is also the first member of the UA men's team to win an NCAA title, indoor or outdoor, since Shelby McEwen won the indoor high jump in 2019
Other Friday Finishers for Alabama
- Christian Edwards finished 11th with a leap of 16.15 meters, while Keshun McGee was 23rd with a mark of 15.34 meters in the triple jump
- Vincent Kiprop finished 20th in the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:46.42
Up Next
- Alabama's women close out the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Saturday with five finals
- Mercy Chelangat, who took second in the 10,000 meters on Thursday to put Alabama on the board, will compete in the 5,000 meters on Saturday
- Daija Lampkin, Tamara Clark, D'Jai Baker and Natassha McDonald ran a 43.31 to win their heat of the 4x100m relay on Thursday and advance to Saturday's final
- Amaris Tyynismaa went 4:09.80 on Wednesday to earn a spot in the final of the 1,500 meters
- On Wednesday, Clark ran an 11.16 to sweep into the 100-meter final and a 22.56 to advance to finals in the 200 meters
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Players Mentioned
