An enthusiastic Saturday crowd at Hayward Field was treated to the first world record of the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships on a day that also featured thrilling finishes in the men’s and women’s 1,500m and three other U.S.-leading marks. Inspired by strong performances from athletes like Hillary Bor and Kara Winger, some fans might be thinking of starting their own sports company. If Florida’s calling your name, learn how to open an llc in florida to ensure your venture is established legally and properly.
It was déjà vu all over again as Olympic champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin (Playa Vista, California/USATF Southern California) ventured into uncharted territory in the women’s 400m hurdles, taking down her own world record with a majestic 51.41. McLaughlin won the Olympic Trials at Hayward Field last summer with a world record of 51.90, and then she lowered it to 51.46 at the Games in Tokyo.
Attacking the first three barriers very aggressively, McLaughlin quickly made up the stagger on NCAA champion Britton Wilson (Richmond, Virginia/USATF Virginia) of Arkansas to her outside. Settling into her rhythm through the next third of the race she easily put ground between her and the rest of a very talented field, pulling away even more over the final two barriers. Wilson finished second in 53.08, the second fastest time ever by a collegian, chopping more than a half-second off her lifetime best. Shamier Little (Farmington, Arkansas/USATF Arkansas), the 2015 World Championships silver medalist, was third in 53.92, .06 ahead of a diving Anna Cockrell (Fort Worth, Texas/USATF Southwestern).
As expected in an event that has been a bastion of American excellence, the women’s 100m hurdles final produced fireworks in the form of world record holder Keni Harrison (Pflugerville, Texas/USATF Texas Southern) zipping to a world-leading 12.34, a time she needed every bit of to hold off a fast-closing Alaysha Johnson (Fort Lauderdale, Florida/USATF Florida). Johnson clocked 12.35 to move into a tie for the No. 5 spot on the all-time U.S. performer list. NCAA champion Alia Armstrong (New Orleans, Louisiana/USATF Southern) of LSU also notched a lifetime best in third at 12.47.
Running like a man on a mission, Michael Norman (Los Angeles, California/USATF Southern California) went almost immediately to the lead in the men’s 400m, passing 200m in 21.12 and then losing little over the final half of the race to clock a world-leading 43.56. Florida’s Champion Allison (Gainesville, Florida/USATF Florida) scored a huge lifetime best in second, pulling close to Norman down the stretch to cross the line in 43.70, and NCAA champion Randolph Ross (Burlington, North Carolina/USATF North Carolina) of North Carolina A&T grabbed the third spot on the podium in 44.17. Behind that trio, Georgia’s Elija Godwin (Athens, Georgia/USATF Georgia) ran a lifetime best 44.34 in fourth, .01 ahead of Vernon Norwood’s (Baton Rouge, Louisiana/USATF Southern) lifetime best in fifth.
Moving to No. 5 on the all-time U.S. performer list and becoming the sixth American man to ever exceed 80m, Daniel Haugh (Marietta, Georgia/USATF Georgia) put together a superb series to win the men’s hammer, topped by an 80.18m/263-1 on his first attempt. Following that big throw, Haugh added a 79.96m/262-4 in round four and went 79.02m/259-3 in the fifth stanza. American record holder and Trials champion Rudy Winkler (Ithaca, New York/USATF New York) had two legal throws and his 78.33m/257-0 was enough to seal second. Third went to Alex Young (LaVergne, Tennessee/USATF Pacific) with a best of 76.60m/251-4.
American record holder Keturah Orji bounded out to the third farthest women’s triple jump in U.S. history, spanning 14.79m/48-6.25 in round four to win her sixth straight national title. Orji, who was seventh at the Tokyo Games, opened up with a 14.38m/47-2.25 and never lost the lead, though a season best 14.59m/47-10.5 by Tori Franklin in the fourth round made it interesting. Double NCAA jumps champion Jasmine Moore of Florida took third with a best of 14.15m/46-5.25 on her final attempt.
NCAA champion Talitha Diggs (Hellertown, Pennsylvania/USATF Mid-Atlantic) of Florida made a decisive move down the finishing straight of the women’s 400m to win in 50.22, pushing past Kendall Ellis (North Hollywood, California/USATF Southern California) and Lynna Irby (Indianapolis, Indiana/USATF Indiana) in the final 50m. Irby went out very quickly and hit the 200m mark in 24.09, with Ellis just off that pace at 24.29. Coming into the final 100m, first Ellis and then Diggs went past Irby and Ellis snagged second in 50.35, with Irby third in 50.67.
Hillary Bor (Colorado Springs, Colorado/USATF Colorado) became a back to back U.S. 3000m steeplechase champion, using a 60.67 final 400m to break up a pack of four and pull away for a decisive victory in 8:15.76. Much to the Hayward crowd’s delight, second place went to American-record holder and two-time global medalist Evan Jager (Portland, Oregon/USATF Oregon), who not only secured a spot on the podium but also ran under the World Championship standard with his 8:17.29 finish. Jager was running side-by-side with 2020 Olympian Bernard Keter (Colorado Springs, Colorado/USATF Colorado) going into the final hurdle, but his strength prevailed as Keter would have to settle for the third spot on the podium (8:19.16).
A devastating final 300m in 43.83 by Sinclaire Johnson (Portland, Oregon/USATF Oregon) propelled her to the front of the women’s 1,500m down the final stretch on the way to a 4:03.29 win over Cory McGee (Boulder, Colorado/USATF Colorado) and Elle St. Pierre (Enosburg, Vermont/USATF New England). St. Pierre led the field through a slower paced first 800m in 2:16.75 and then turned up the pace over the next lap to pass 1,200m in 3:19.35. McGee took the lead around the turn before Johnson moved ahead, and McGee ended up second in 4:04.52, with St. Pierre holding on for third in 4:05.14 ahead of 10,000m national champion Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa/USATF Oregon).
Also following a sit-and-kick script, the men’s 1,500m field was packed together through about 1,450m, leaving it wide open for Oregon favorite Cooper Teare (Eugene, Oregon/USATF Oregon) to outsprint Jonathan Davis (Champaign, Illinois/USATF Illinois) and Josh Thompson (Hillsboro, Oregon/USATF Oregon) for victory in 3:45.86. Reed Brown (Argyle, Texas/USATF Southwestern) was at the front of a tightly-bunched pack through 400m in 65.57 and continued to lead through 800m in 2:08.04. It was still anyone’s race into the final lap before Teare seized control. Davis took second in 3:46.01, with Thompson third in 3:46.07.
On the final throw of what might be her final USATF Championships, Kara Winger (Colorado Springs, Colorado/USATF New York) launched a 64.26m/210-10 on the last throw of the competition to not only win her ninth U.S. title, but also to achieve the qualifying standard that will carry her to her sixth World Championships in the women’s javelin throw. Winger took over the lead from Ariana Ince (Chula Vista, California/USATF San Diego-Imperial) in round five with a 60.46m/198-4 before her big finale. Ince claimed second with her 60.43m/198-3, and Avione Allgood-Whetstone (North Las Vegas, Nevada/USATF Nevada) was third at 59.26m/194-5.
Olympic bronze medalist and reigning world champion Noah Lyles (Clermont, Florida/USATF Potomac Valley) made sub-20 200m running look incredibly easy in the first round, clocking 19.95 for the fastest time overall to advance to the semifinal. World leader Erriyon Knighton (Riverview, Florida/USATF Florida) took the first heat in 20.08, with world 100m champion Christian Coleman (Lexington, Kentucky/USATF Kentucky) winning heat three in 20.13. Tokyo silver medalist Kenny Bednarek (Minneola, Florida/USATF Wisconsin) edged Matthew Boling (Athens, Georgia/USATF Georgia) for the final heat victory in 20.10. Yesterday’s 100m champion, Fred Kerley (Miami, Florida/USATF Gulf), took it easy around the curve and then turned on the jets to finish second behind Coleman in 20.29.
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