EUGENE, Oregon – The final day of action at the USATF Outdoor Championships was a showstopper, as two meet records, including a history-making 200 meters from Justin Gatlin, fell on Sunday in front of over 10,000 track & field faithful at Historic Hayward Field.
Gatlin (Clermont, Florida) was the clear favorite Sunday, striding to victory with the top time of the semifinals in 19.90. In the final, he was on fire with his finish of 19.57. Gatlin’s time was not only a meet record, but also a Hayward Field record and the fifth-fastest 200m performer ever. Gatlin has not lost a race since September 6, 2013 in Brussels.
Jenn Suhr (Fredonia, New York) reigned supreme once again, winning her 15th overall pole vault title on Sunday with a clearance of 4.82m/15-9.75. Suhr will be joined on Team USA by two collegians who have battled throughout 2015. Sandi Morris (Greenville, S.C.) of Arkansas and Demi Payne (New Braunfels, Texas) of Stephen F. Austin finished 2-3 in the event, clearing 4.65m/15-3 and 4.60m/15-1, respectively.
Evan Jager (Portland, Oregon) set a meet record in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, easily taking the win in 8:12.29. Jager broke Daniel Lincoln’s previous record of 8:15.02 from the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Alysia Montano (Canyon Country, California) was victorious in a stacked women’s 800 meters. The group stayed together for the first 600 meters before Montano made her move to the front. From inspiring women everywhere running eight months pregnant at the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships, Montano has now swept 2015 USATF Championships in the indoor 600m and outdoor 800m. She now ties Madeline Manning for the most wins in the 800m with six.
Nick Symmonds (Springfield, Oregon) won his sixth USATF Outdoor title in the men’s 800 meters, storming down the Bowerman curve to win in 1:44.53. Symmonds joins Erik Sowinski (Waukesha, Iowa) and teammate Casimir Loxsom (Seattle, Washington) on Team USA, with Sowinski and Loxsom finishing in 1:44.84 and 1:45.35.
Shamier Little (Chicago, Illinois) registered a 400-meter-hurdle double, taking both the NCAA title two weeks ago and the USATF Outdoor title today in 53.83. The world leader and reigning World Junior champion, Little is the first woman to sweep the 400-meter hurdle titles since Sheena Johnson in 2004.
The Hayward crowd got on their feet for Oregon’s Jenna Prandini (Clovis, California), who won the NCAA 100 meters two weeks ago, solidified her spot on Team USA with a victory in the women’s 200 meters. Prandini ran a lifetime best and University of Oregon record 22.20. She will be joined in Beijing by Candyce McGrone (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Jeneba Tarmoh (San Jose, California), who finished 2-3 in 22.38 and 22.44, respectively. Fourth-place finisher Kaylin Whitney (Clermont, Florida) set a new World Youth record with her time of 22.47.
Birthday boy Joe Kovacs (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) continued his winning ways in the men’s shot put, taking the USATF title with his first throw of the finals. Kovacs launched the shot 21.84m/71-8 to defend his title. In total, four Americans will represent the U.S. in Beijing, as Christian Cantwell (Columbia, Missouri) and Jordan Clarke (Anchorage, Alaska) earned podium places with their throws of 21.64m/71-0 and 21.49m/70-6.25, respectively. Reese Hoffa (Athens, Georgia) advances to the World Championships after receiving a bye from his 2014 Diamond League title.
David Oliver (Kissimmee, Florida) registered new season’s bests in both the semifinals and the finals of the men’s 110-meter hurdles, taking the top time out of the semifinal rounds in 13.08. In the final, Oliver was nearly flawless, turning in the second-fastest time in the world in 2015 in 13.04. Oliver’s time was the fastest he has registered since his victory at the World Championships in 2013 (13.00).
Barbara Nwaba (Los Angeles) and Sharon Day-Monroe (Costa Mesa, California) battled until the end in the women’s heptathlon, with Nwaba edging the defending champion by just 42 points, 6,500-6,458. Day-Monroe held the lead heading into day two, but Nwaba won two of the final three events (long jump, 800m) to capture her first national title. Nwaba finished as the runner-up to Day-Monroe at the USATF Indoor Championships and now ranks sixth all-time on the U.S. women’s heptathlon list.
Omar Craddock (Killeen, Texas) turned in a personal best en route to a 2015 sweep of the USATF triple jump titles. On his fifth jump, Craddock leapt a new lifetime best of 17.53m/57-6.25 to sweep the national indoor and outdoor triple jump titles for the first time since 2009 (Brandon Roulhac). Craddock joins former college teammates Will Claye (Phoenix, Arizona), Marquis Dendy (Middletown, Delaware) and Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Georgia), who has a Diamond League bye in the event, on Team USA.
Fans can catch up with all of the highlights from the USATF Outdoor Championships, including every episode of The Cool Down, on USATF.TV.
USATF Outdoor Champions
Thursday
Women’s 10,000 Meters - Molly Huddle (Saucony)
Men’s 10,000 Meters - Galen Rupp (Nike Oregon Project)
Men’s Long Jump - Marquis Dendy (Florida)
Women’s Shot Put - Michelle Carter (Nike/NYAC)
Men’s Discus - Jared Schuurmans (NAI)
Men’s Hammer Throw - Kibwe Johnson (Nike/NYAC)
Men’s Javelin - Sean Furey (Unattached)
Friday
Women’s 100 Meters - Tori Bowie (adidas)
Men’s 100 Meters - Tyson Gay (unattached)
Men’s High Jump - Erik Kynard (Jordan)
Women’s Triple Jump - Christina Epps
Women’s Javelin - Kara Winger (ASICS)
Decathlon - Trey Hardee (Nike)
Saturday
Women’s 400 Meters – Allyson Felix (Nike)
Men’s 400 Meters – David Verburg (adidas)
Men’s 1500 Meters – Matt Centrowitz (Nike Oregon Project)
Women’s 3000 Meter Steeplechase – Emma Coburn (New Balance)
Women’s 100 Meter Hurdles – Dawn Harper-Nelson (Nike)
Men’s 400 Meter Hurdles – Bershawn Jackson (Nike)
Men’s Pole Vault – Sam Kendricks (Nike)
Women’s Long Jump – Tianna Bartoletta (Nike)
Women’s Discus – Gia Lewis-Smallwood (Nike)
Women’s Hammer – Amber Campbell (Nike/NYAC)
Sunday
Women’s 200 Meters – Jenna Prandini (Oregon)
Men’s 200 Meters – Justin Gatlin (Nike)
Women’s 800 Meters – Alysia Montano (ASICS)
Men’s 800 Meters – Nick Symmonds (Brooks)
Women’s 1,500 Meters – Jenny Simpson (New Balance)
Women’s 5,000 Meters – Nicole Tully (HOKA ONE ONE/NYAC)
Men’s 5,000 Meters – Ryan Hill (Nike/Bowerman Track Club)
Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles – David Oliver (Nike)
Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles – Shamier Little (Texas A&M)
Men’s Steeplechase – Evan Jager (Nike/Bowerman Track Club)
Women’s 20K Race Walk – Miranda Melville (NYAC)
Men’s 20K Race Walk – John Nunn (US Army)
Women’s High Jump – Chaunte Lowe (Nike)
Women’s Pole Vault – Jenn Suhr (adidas)
Men’s Triple Jump – Omar Craddock (Jump Corps)
Men’s Shot Put – Joe Kovacs (Nike)
Women’s Heptathlon – Barbara Nwaba (ABEO/Santa Barbara TC)