EUGENE, Oregon -- Jordan Williams' 400 heat included the event's indoor world record holder. Jonathan Moore's competition in the 800 included the NCAA event record holder, who finished the day second. The meet setup gave the 4X400 relay just one shot to advance.

 That kind of competition means you have to bring your "A" game to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championship meet. If you're not having it, better believe somebody else is.

Case in point: Georgia isn't really leading the men's standings;  a guy named Denzel Comenentia is after becoming the third person in history to sweep the hammer and shot put and earning folk hero status from the Hayward Field crowd of 9,767.

The season ended for Williams, Moore, Caleb Okwaraji and Christopher Jackson Wednesday in their semifinal heat, all unable to finish in the top in the top two of their heats or have the two fastest non top-two  times.  It's no consolation, but Head Coach Donald Cooper noticed a lot of other Preliminary champions either won't be competing Friday or didn't make their field event podium. The team championship is definitely up for grabs because of it.

"It's what the finals are about," Cooper said. "There's no margin for error. We weren't on our 'A' game today and it cost us."

With his mom, a former Wildcat track star herself, in the crowd, Williams squared off Southern Cal's Michael Norman, the indoor record holder. Norman cruised to 44.96. Moore's competition included  Bryce Hoppel of Kansas, who won the heat in 1:46.90 and had the fastest time of the day ahead of NCAA record holder of Michael Saruni of UTEP, who clocked a 1:46.98.

Whoa.

And that was part of the positive, especially for Williams, who has two more shots of going to Texas, where the meet will be held the next two years.

"This was a good experience and exposure," Cooper said. "Everyone realizes now it's going to take a little more to get to the final round and then get on the podium. Nationals are different. You have to be prepared physically and mentally."

The other positive was that Moore, who won five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and can join the likes of Ed'Ricus Williams, Kenneth Fisher Jr. and Michael Tiller in the history books, and Jackson could end their careers on the sport's biggest stage.

"it's a testament to what Bethune-Cookman University is all about," Cooper said. "Continue to push, nurture, care and prepare. It's a wonderful joy to see them end their career this way this and leave a seed for this younger group to make this happen again and again."