(USATF) - EUGENE -- Two more individual titles were handed out Saturday on day two of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field at Hayward Field, and both went to women who came into the meet as heavy favorites and fulfilled their promise with panache.
When the wind switched directions before the final of the women’s 100m, hopes of a historic performance were dampened, but Sha’Carri Richardson (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida) didn’t disappoint at all as she claimed her first U.S. title with a 10.84 into a 1.0 breeze that was the product of relaxed acceleration and superior top-end speed. Her training partner Javianne Oliver (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida) pressured her early by getting a tremendous start and first half of the race, but Richardson was not to be denied. Oliver finished well to take second in 10.99 and 2019 U.S. champion Teahna Daniels (Austin, Texas / USATF Texas Southern) rounded out the Tokyo team with an 11.03 in third.
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Hoping to take advantage of the breeze that also helped her record the second-farthest throw in U.S. history in yesterday’s qualifying round, American record holder Valarie Allman (Austin, Texas / USATF New York) put on a balletic display of discus excellence that included two throws that only she has ever bettered on the all-time U.S. list, crowned by a 69.92m/229-5 in round two. Opening with a 69.45m/227-10, Allman’s status as champion was never in question, and she averaged 68.56m/224-11 on her five legal throws. She and former American record holder Gia Lewis-Smallwood are the only Americans ever to have thrown that far.
Micaela Hazlewood (Columbus, Ohio / USATF Ohio) added more than six feet to her lifetime best to finish second at 62.54m/205-2, and Rachel Dincoff (Las Cruces, New Mexico / USATF New Mexico) had a fifth-round 60.21m/197-6 to keep her Olympic dreams alive in third.
Women's 100m Hurdles 1st Round
Flawless out of the blocks and over the first hurdle in heat one, world record holder Keni Harrison (Pflugerville, Texas/ USATF Texas Southern) was never troubled on her way to a 12.49 win. Florida's Grace Stark was second in 12.85, and Sharika Nelvis (Jonesville, Arkansas/ USATF Arkansas) claimed third in 12.92. Separated by two lanes in the second section, Christina Clemons (Lawrence, Kansas / USATF Missouri Valley) and heptathlete Taliyah Brooks (Fayetteville, Arkansas / USATF Arkansas) were in tandem over almost every barrier, but Brooks pulled in front on the run in to take the heat in a lifetime best 12.61. Clemons was a clear second and Queen Claye (Quinton, Virginia/USATF Arizona) took third by .002 in 12.93.
After Alia Armstrong (New Orleans, Louisiana / USATF Southern) of LSU shot out to a lead over the first three barriers, NCAA double hurdles champ Anna Cockrell (Waxhaw, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina) of USC had to work hard to overtake UCF’s Rayniah Jones (Miami, Florida / USATF Florida) and Payton Chadwick (Fayetteville, Arkansas / USATF Arkansas). Cockrell won in 12.63, .01 ahead of a lifetime best for Jones, and Chadwick also set a personal best with her 12.66 in third. Rio bronze medalist Kristi Castlin (Alpharetta, Georgia / USATF Georgia) was fifth in 12.88. In the final heat, 2016 Olympic champion Brianna McNeal (Fort Worth, Texas / USATF Southern California) sped to a 12.50 for the win ahead of Gabbi Cunningham (Holly Springs, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina) and LSU’s Tonea Marshall (Baton Rouge, Louisiana / USATF Southern), who scratched from the NCAA final after a slight injury. Cunningham set a lifetime best of 12.67, with Marshall safely through in 12.76.
Men’s 100m 1st Round
After a recall on the first gun, Isiah Young (Clermont, Florida / USATF Southern) and Kenny Bednarek (Minneola, Florida / USATF Wisconsin) were out together and were well clear of the rest of the field by the halfway point, Bednarek winning by .01 in 10.07. Oregon grad Cravon Gillespie (Panorama City, California / USATF Southern California) took the third automatic qualifying spot in 10.20. Two of the fastest men in history bookended the second section, Trayvon Bromell (Jacksonville, Florida / USATF Florida) on the outside and Justin Gatlin (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida) on the inside. Both were out very quickly, as was Oregon freshman Micah Williams (Portland, Oregon / USATF Oregon), and Bromell did what he has done all year and won in a very quick but windy 9.84 (+2.7). Gatlin had no trouble taking second in 9.93, and Williams went sub-10 for the first time in his life with a 9.95 for third.
This year’s second fastest American Marvin Bracy-Williams (Minneola, Florida / USATF Florida) and Christopher Belcher (Greensboro, North Carolina / USATF Long Island) had a just-legal 2.0 wind in heat three and took full advantage to go 10.00 and 10.01 for the first two spots advancing to the semifinal. Kyree King (Ontario, California / USATF Southern California) came through for third in 10.05. Ronnie Baker (Fort Worth, Texas / USATF Southwestern) exploded from the blocks in the final heat and ran away to a season best 9.88, just .01 off his lifetime best. 2019 World Championships 400m bronze medalist Fred Kerley (Taylor, Texas / USATF Gulf) showed he is someone to reckon with by finishing second in 9.93, and 2019 World Championships 200m gold medalist Noah Lyles (Alexandria, Virginia / USATF Potomac Valley) was easily third in 9.95.
Women’s 100m Semi-final
Pointing at the finish line clock when she still had 30m to go in the first semifinal, Sha’Carri Richardson (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida) ran the eighth-fastest time ever in any conditions, riding a 2.6 meters per second wind to a 10.64. Only two other American women have ever run as fast, Florence Griffith-Joyner and Carmelita Jeter. Three other women also went sub-11, led by Teahna Daniels (Austin, Texas / USATF Texas Southern) in second at 10.84 and Jenna Prandini (Pflugerville, Texas / USATF Central California) third in 10.96 to claim the third automatic berth in the final. Kayla White’s (Greensboro, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina) 10.98 in fourth was good enough to move forward as one of the two time qualifiers, as was Candace Hill’s (Stockbridge, Georgia / USATF Georgia) 11.02 in fifth.
The wind was also over the allowable limit in the second semi, which got underway for the second time after Aleia Hobbs was disqualified for a false start. Javianne Oliver (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida) ran a flawless race technically and won going away in 10.83 (+2.5). The next two automatic spots in the final went to Gabby Thomas (Austin, Texas / USATF Texas Southern), second in 10.95, and defending champion English Gardner (Voorhees, New Jersey / USATF New Jersey), only .01 behind Thomas. Hobbs was later added to the final after an official appeal of her disqualification.
Men’s Triple Jump Qualifying
All of the major players moved safely through the qualifying round, topped by the No. 2 American ever, Will Claye (Buckeye, Arizona / USATF New York). Claye only took one jump and his 16.85m/55-3.5 was enough to lead all qualifiers. Two-time defending national champion Donald Scott (Ypsilanti, Michigan / USATF Michigan) was only four centimeters behind Claye at 16.81m/55-2, with Chris Benard (Chula Vista, California / USATF San Diego-Imperial) third best, going 16.55m/54-4.75.
Women’s 1,500m Semi-final
Bunched up tightly through the first two laps at a very modest pace, Elle Purrier St. Pierre (Brighton, Massachusetts / USATF New England) was at the front of the pack as they went through 800m in 2:20.92. She stayed in control and stretched her lead at the bell on the way to a 60.2 final 400m and a 4:09.18 win. Jenny Simpson (Boulder, Colorado / USATF Colorado) used her vast experience in tactical racing to claim second in 4:09.92, just ahead of Dani Aragon (Sleepy Hollow, New York / USATF New York). The other two automatic spots in the final were earned by Helen Schlachtenhaufen (Boston, Massachusetts / USATF New England) and Rebecca Mehra (Bend, Oregon / USATF Oregon).
Knowing they had to run faster than 4:11.05 to have a chance at a spot in the final, the second semifinal went out at a quicker pace, led through the 800m mark by Alabama’s Amaris Tyynismaa (Tuscaloosa, Alabama / USATF Alabama) in 2:12. Cory McGee (Boulder, Colorado / USATF New England) took over after that and pulled the lead group through 1200m in 3:18.55 and she kept the lead almost to the finish, where she was passed by Nikki Hiltz (San Diego, California / USATF San Diego-Imperial), who won in 4:05.87. McGee was the runner-up in 4:05.96 and Sinclaire Johnson (Longwood, Florida / USATF Florida) took third in 4:06.04. The next two automatic advancers were Shannon Osika (Ann Arbor, Michigan / USATF Michigan) and Dani Jones (Boulder, Colorado / USATF Colorado), while time qualifier berths were nabbed by Grace Barnett (mammoth Lakes, California / USATF Southern California) and Julia Heymach (Houston, Texas / USATF Gulf).
Men’s 800m Semi-final
Just as happened in the first round yesterday, Erik Sowinski (Iowa City, Iowa / USATF Iowa) dragged the pack in the first semifinal through the 400m mark in 52.58 and 600m in 1:19.49 before Donavan Brazier (Grand Rapids, Michigan / USATF Oregon) and Brannon Kidder (Seattle, Washington / USATF Pacific Northwest) moved to the front. Clayton Murphy (Pepper Pike, Ohio / USATF Lake Erie) charged from the back to challenge that duo and pulled away from Brazier in the final 30m to win in 1:46.26. Brazier held on to second in 1:46.57, with Kidder third in 1:46.97.
NCAA champion Isaiah Jewett (Inglewood, California / USATF Southern California) of USC pushed the pace at a much faster rate than the first semifinal, going through halfway in 51.11 and 600m in 1:17.91. Bryce Hoppel (Midland, Texas / USATF Missouri Valley) and Notre Dame’s Samuel Voelz (New Palestine, Indiana / USATF Indiana) crowded Jewett going through the final turn, with Isaiah Harris (Lewiston, Maine / USATF Maine) and Daniel Nixon (Birmingham, Iowa / USATF Iowa) of Iowa State also still in contention. Hoppel, the Doha fourth-place finisher in 2019, closed just fast enough to win in 1:46.00 as Harris moved up to second in 1:46.16. Jewett secured his place in the final in third at 1:46.18, while Nixon and Voelz claimed the time qualifier positions.
Women’s 400m Semi-final
Kendall Ellis (North Hollywood, California / USATF Southern California) was the fastest through 300m when Allyson Felix (Los Angeles, California / USATF Southern California) moved into the lead for 80m down the stretch. Ellis reacted and upped her pace a bit to grab the win in 50.83, while Felix calmly snagged second in 51.01. UCLA’s Shae Anderson (Norco, California / USATF Southern California) was a clear third in 51.27.
The fastest woman in the field this year coming into the Trials, Quanera Hayes (Hope Mills, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina) went out with Lynna Irby (Indianapolis, Indiana / USATF Indiana) at a scorching pace for the first half of the second semi, with Wadeline Jonathas (West Columbia, South Carolina / USATF South Carolina) a long way back. Jonathas started to reel that duo in down the final straight and Kaylin Whitney (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida) also made a tremendous move. Hayes stayed relaxed through the final 30m to win in 50.07, while Jonathas was second in 50.24 and Whitney third with a big lifetime best of 50.35. Irby did garner one of the time qualifier spots in the final with her 50.58, as did Taylor Manson (Gainesville, Florida / USATF Florida) in fifth at 51.11.
Men’s 400m Semi-final
Winner of a gold medal in the inaugural mixed 4x400m relay at Doha in 2019, Michael Cherry (Inglewood, California / USATF Southern California) was fully in control of the first semifinal and made quick work of the field with a 44.50 that looked surprisingly easy. A pair of collegians, Georgia’s Elija Godwin (Athens, Georgia / USATF Georgia) and Texas A&M’s Bryce Deadmon (Houston, Texas / USATF Gulf) were the best of the rest and claimed the other two automatic slots.
Vernon Norwood (Baton Rouge, Louisiana / USATF Southern) ran a very good first 300m that left Michael Norman (Sherman Oaks, California / USATF Southern California) and Randolph Ross (Burlington, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina) with a lot of ground to make up. Norman made up the margin meter by meter and eventually took the lead and won in 44.73, .12 ahead of NCAA champion Ross. Wil London (Waco, Texas / USATF Southwestern) grabbed the other auto berth in 44.92, and Ross’s North Carolina A&T teammate Trevor Stewart (Spotsylvania, Virginia / USATF Virginia) joined Norwood as the two time qualifiers.
Men’s Decathlon Day 1
Garrett Scantling (Athens, Georgia / USATF Georgia) got his day off to a great start with a personal best 10.53 in the 100m and he continued to post consistently good performances in the next four events on the way to a first-day score of 4,494 points to lead by 70 over Georgia’s Kyle Garland (Athens, Georgia / USATF Georgia). Garland cleared 2.17m/7-1.5 for his most impressive single effort of the day after hitting a lifetime best 15.79m/51-9.75 in the shot put. Zach Ziemek (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin / USATF Wisconsin), who was seventh at Rio in 2016, is third with 4,409, and Steven Bastien (Ann Arbor, Michigan / USATF Michigan) had a career day to sit fourth with 4,386. Bastien had the fastest 100m of the day at 10.52 and also cleared a personal best 2.08m/6-9.75 in the high jump.
Men’s Javelin Qualifying
Stiff headwinds hampered distances as implements were pushed down prematurely, but Marc Anthony Minichello (West Pittston, Pennsylvania / USATF Mid-Atlantic) of Penn managed the pesky zephyr best and came away with the top throw of the day at 76.63m/251-5. 2018 Toyota USATF Outdoors champion Curtis Thompson (Florence, New Jersey / USATF New Jersey) was the only other man to better 250-feet, going 76.23m/250-1.
Men’s Pole Vault Qualifying
Six men had clean slates through 5.65m/18-6.5, including reigning world champion Sam Kendricks (Oxford, Mississippi / USATF Southern), the 2016 Trials winner, and five others navigated that height to advance to the final. NCAA champion Branson Ellis (McKinney, Texas / USATF Southwestern) of Stephen F. Austin was one of those with a perfect card, as was Chris Nilsen (Vermillion, South Dakota / USATF Dakotas), the 2019 Pan American Games gold medalist and a two-time NCAA gold medalist for South Dakota.
See full results here. Day 3 of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field continues at 12:15pm PT with the men’s decathlon 110m hurdles. Click here to view the streaming / broadcast schedule.
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