With four of the top six placers at last year's NCAA indoor championship gone, this indoor season will see some fresh faces at the top of the national lists.  None of the throwers have qualified for more than one NCAA indoor championship.  In addition to the losses through graduation, all-American Elisa Bryant (Washington) will not be throwing indoors.

But while the top throwers may lack years of experience, they do not lack credentials.  Several all-Americans will be returning, including defending NCAA Champion D'Ana McCarty of Louisville.  In addition, almost every thrower in the field shows tremendous upside.  Most made made their first NCAA appearance last year because of significant improvements of two or three meters last season.  If any of the throwers can continue that success into this year, we may have several throwers over 21 meters yet again.

Be sure to also read our other previews from this week: Division II men, Division II women, Division III men, and Division III women.

D'Ana McCarty, Junior, Louisville - Personal Best: 22.09m, 2009 NCAA Finish: 1st, 2010 Season Best: 20.48m

The discussion of a national favorite has to start and end with the defending champion unless they have done something to rule themselves out of contention.  D'Ana McCarty was on no one's list to win NCAAs before the season started last year, and progressively improved  four meters throughout the winter, topping it off with a 30cm personal best to win the NCAA indoor championship.  While she only managed 22.48m in her first meet of the season last weekend, she is still ahead of where she was last year at this time and just barely lost to her teammate, also a contender for the national title this year.  She did fail to make the NCAA outdoor championships last year, but she did improve her personal best by three meters in that event too and, as she proved last year, you don't have to be the top hammer thrower to win NCAA indoors ... you just have to be the best weight thrower.

Jere' Summers, Senior, Louisville - Personal Best: 20.56m (2010), Pre-Season Personal Best: 20.44m (2008), 2009 NCAA Finish: Redshirt, 2008 NCAA Finish: 13

McCarty may have to look no further than her own teammate to find the toughest competition in the country.  Jere' Summers redshirted last season and was absent from the NCAA indoor championships.  However, last weekend she showed that she still knows how to throw the weight with a PR in her first competition since 2008.  She also picked up a close win against McCarty in the process.  Jere' has been on the national scene in all the throwing events for many years.  As a true freshman in 2006, she qualified for NCAA outdoors in the shot put.  But her experience in many events might prove to be her detriment.  Trying to specialize in the discus (57.68m), shot put (16.47m), hammer (61.13m) and weight throw (20.56m) might spread herself too thin when trying to get a leg up on a tough field of competition.

Dorotea Habazin, Junior, Virginia Tech - Personal Best: 19.90m, 2009 NCAA Finish: 9th

Habazin is the most accomplished hammer thrower in the field this year.  Her personal best of 66.35m is impressive, as was her 4th place NCAA finish in the hammer throw last year.  While she not always been as good with the weight, she has slowely adapted to the event, improving her personal best in all but one competition last year and almost breaking 20 meters.  She also was a great big meet competitor last season.  In addition to her great finish outdoors, she was only 4cm off of her personal best at the NCAA indoor championships last spring.  If she can continue her success in 2010, she will challenge for the national title.

Frednisha Marshall, Senior, Stephen F. Austin - Personal Best: 21.14m, 2009 NCAA Finish: 3

Like McCarty, Marshall surprised a lot of people last year by placing third at the NCAA championships with a personal best.  Her personal best in the hammer throw is only 57.10m, but she can get the most out of the weight.  She has also whoed consistent improvement in both events throughout her time in college, steadily improving around three meters a year in the hammer and two meters a year in the weight.  Another throw of 21 meters will likely place her on the podium again, but even a throw in the high 20-meter range could finish well this year, and Marshall showed everyone she could be consistent throughout the season and still peak at the end.

Victoria Flowers, Sophomore, Connecticut - Personal Best: 20.74m, 2009 NCAA Finish: 7th

Flowers was the top freshman in the country last year.  Some women that threw in high school (Flowers is the high school record holder in the weight throw) take a few years to adapt to college.  Not Flowers.  She picked up where she left off, consistently hitting in the 18m range until consistently breaking 20 meters in February.  She continued her success in the hammer, improving her personal best by five meters outdoors before tailing off after a long season.  Being young, she still has a lot of room for improvement.

Gwen Berry, Junior, Southern Illinois - Personal Best: 20.29m (2010), Pre-Season Personal Best: 19.61m (2009), 2009 NCAA Finish: 11th

Coach John Smith always has a few Salukis in the mix, and this year is no different.  Gwen Berry is his top returning thrower and opened the 2010 season with an impressive personal best of 20.29m in early December.  A converted jumper/multi-eventer, Berry has shown she can pick up the throwing events quickly.  Another year of experience could see her accomplish big things ... her opening mark in December was already two meters better than her opening mark last year.

Irene Cooper, Senior, Western Michigan - Personal Best: 20.07m, 2009 NCAA Finish: 10th, 2010 Season Best: 19.62m

Like nearly everyone on this list, Cooper had a breakthrough weight throw season in 2009.  She not only improved her best to over 20 meters, but she also proved to be consistent at that distance in her last few meets of the year.  However, unlike some of the other throwers, that Cooper didn't continue that success outdoors and finished the season three meters behind 2008.  If Cooper needs to find that groove again if she wants to get in the mix again and she seemed close with her opening throw of the season last weekend.

Jeneva McCall, Sophomore, Southern Illinois - Personal Best: 20.21m, Pre-Season Personal Best: 18.82m (2009), 2009 NCAA Finish: Did Not Qualify

McCall is the newcomer this season.  After throwing only 18.82m in her first season with the weight last year, she launched a personal best of 20.21m in December, nearly beating teammate Gwen Berry.  McCall proved consistent last year, but never was able to break out a big throw.  If she can be consistent at 20 meters, she will make a name for herself.  If she can continue to improve, watch out.

Others to watch...

Ozie Okolie, Senior, Texas Tech - Personal Best: 20.21m, 2009 NCAA Finish: 14th

Sasha Leeth, Senior, Southern Illinois - Personal Best: 19.76m (2010), Pre-Season Personal Best: 19.53m (2009), 2009 NCAA Finish: 16th

Kelsey Hanley, Junior, Indiana State - Personal Best: 19.72m, 2009 NCAA Finish: 15th, 2010 Season Best: 19.37m

Valerie Wert, Junior, Akron - Personal Best: 19.75m, 2009 NCAA Finish: 17th, 2010 Season Best: 19.56m

Nikola Lomnicka, Sophomore, Georgia - Personal Best: 18.85m, 2009 NCAA Finish: Did Not Qualify

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