CALI, Colombia -- Several personal bests and a World Youth lead got Team USA off to a dominating start on Day 1 of the IAAF World Youth Championships on Wednesday.
 
Alexis Duncan (Lancaster, Texas) ran the fastest time in the world this year, clocking 13.13 in the women’s 100-meter hurdles for a personal best and comfortable win heading into the semifinals. Duncan cruised over the obstacles, finishing .57 ahead of the next closest competitor in the heat. Teammate Brittley Humphrey also set a lifetime best in the event, finishing in 13.47 for second place in her heat.
 
Adrian “Tripp” Piperi (Spring, Texas) only needed one throw to advance to the shot put final as his first international toss of 19.87m/65-2.25 was the fifth best of the opening round and an automatic qualifying mark to send him right into the same-day final Wednesday evening. Compatriot Isaiah Rogers (Smyrna, Georgia) also advanced to the final with his third-round throw of 19.20m/63-0.
 
Team USA dominated the 400 meters with all four competitors winning their heats.
 
Keshun Reed (Arlington, Texas) made up the stagger midway through the back straightaway and took the lead heading into the final curve. He strided in for the win at 46.98 to automatically advance to the semifinal. In the final heat Josephus Lyles (Alexandria, Virginia) ran a very similar race, breaking stagger after the first 100. Lyles was in first place heading off the last turn and was an easy winner at 46.26, the fastest time of the morning.
 
In the women’s 400m, Symone Mason (Miami, Florida) dominated the first heat to win at 54.41 and snag an automatic berth in the semifinal. Lynna Irby (Indianapolis, Indiana) won her heat in 53.49, the second fastest time overall, to also advance to the semifinal.
 
Justes Nance (Calabassas, California) was one of the automatic qualifiers in the long jump, as his lifetime-best 7.62m/25-0 was second in his group and third overall. Denzel Harper (Lithonia, Georgia) ended up 23rd overall with a best on the day of 6.90m/22-7.75, and he did not advance to the final.
 
Daniel Estrada (Oak Ridge, North Carolina) ran a personal best of 10.65 in 100m qualifying for fifth place in his heat and 16th overall to advance to the semifinal. Micaiah Harris (Virginia Beach, Virginia) finished in 10.72 for third place in his heat to automatically make the semis.


Josephine Schaefer (Baraboo, Wisconsin) recovered well after throwing a foul on her first attempt to throwing 46.59m/152-10 on her second attempt to earn a place in the final and to finish ninth overall in qualifying. Samantha Noennig (Rubicon, Wisconsin) had a best of 41.43m/135-11 in her group, but she did not advance to the final.        
in Heat 3 - 10.74 season and personal best.
In decathlon, George Patrick has 2,520 points and sits in third place after three events. He was fourth in his heat of the 100m, finishing in 11.18 for the sixth fastest time overall and 821 points. In the long jump, he leaped to a personal best of 7.26m/23-10. Patrick followed up with another PR in the shot put, tossing the 11-pound ball 15.54m/51-0.
 
The competition continues at 6 p.m. ET.
 
Follow along with the action and join the conversation by following USATF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #Cali2015.
 
The complete event schedule and results are posted at IAAF.org.