In about one week the top collegiate athletes will meet in Des Moines for the NCAA Track and Field Championships. It is the second straight year that Drake University has served as host for the event. This is a much different meet than the annual Drake Relays according to Relays director Brian Brown who says it starts with the depth of competition.
“There’s been a carving out, or there’s been a process already that’s weeded out certain athletes, show what we’re getting is the best of the bets,” Brown says. He says that’s the way it should be because this is an NCAA team championship. Brown says another difference is the pace of the meet, as the Drake Relays move right along with one even right after the other, while the pace is slower in this meet.
Brown says the team championship is a big part of the NCAA meet and that’s what makes it special, as there are not team totals in the relays. Brown says many of the competitors at the NCAA meet will end up competing at the London Olympics in less than two months, including several will compete for other nations.
“We have a big diverse field of collegians (who’re) going to be competing for various countries in London. Just for the Drake Relays we had a number of countries represented,” Brown says.
The NCAA meet is June sixth through the ninth.