#usatf 2015

The NBC Sports broadcast started and ended with the women’s 100m hurdles. In the semis, Sharika Nelvis ran a 12.37 to win the first heat; her 12.34 this year is the third-best all-time by an American. In her 13th US Championship, Lolo Jones was looking to make her 9th team all-time; however, in the final, she tripped on the third hurdle and stepped off the track by the 4th hurdle. Dawn Harper-Nelson won the event, with NCAA national champion Keni Harrison of Kentucky in a close second and Nelvis in third. Harper-Nelson has made every team for USA in the Worlds since 2008, and at age 31, shows no sign of slowing down.

*so long as she doesn’t talk about my girl Lolo again, I will cheer for her*

Though the women’s 100 happened Friday, NBC Sports aired the event on the third day of competition. Carmelita Jeter, the fastest woman alive, pulled up with a left quad injury; she will have an MRI Monday in Los Angeles. Tori Bowie ran a 10.81 to win the event. English Gardner, Jasmine Todd, and Jeneba Tarmoh finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, respectively. Gardner is the only American not going to her first Worlds and competing in the 100 for Team USA; Tarmoh won’t compete individually, but she will be in the 4x1.

In the men’s 100, Justin Gatlin did not compete; he has a bye from being the 2013 World Champion. Despite his doping charge, Tyson Gay, in his words, was able to “come back from a mistake” to win the event. Nineteen-year-old Trayvon Bromell of Baylor didn’t have a powerful start, but earned the silver medal. Mike Rodgers won third place.

Texas A&M sophomore (really incoming junior—school is out after all) Shamier Little has one of the fastest times in the world in the women’s 400m hurdles. The defending NCAA national champion ran a 53.74 to have the top time in the semifinals. Though she tripped on the third-to-last hurdle, she made up ground on the home stretch. Commentator and former Trinidadian Olympian Ato Boldon commented that she “held her composure” despite the slip-up. Lashinda Demus fell to third in the heat behind Georgeanne Moline, but both women qualified for tomorrow’s final.

In the women’s steeplechase, Stephanie Garcia led much of the race until Emma Coburn took over to win the event. Colleen Quigley finished third, taking advantage of Leah O’Connor fell to fourth after slipping and falling over the giant hurdle.

Bershawn “Batman” Jackson sought to become a 5 time US champion in the men’s 400m hurdle final in what would be his first title since 2010. Batman would be in lane 4, while defending US champ Johnny Dutch was in lane 5. Batman had a lot of ground to make up in the last 200 meters, but literally came like a bat out of hell to spoil Dutch’s win on the home stretch and take the medal. Dutch finished second, while Kerron Clement finished third.

Matthew Centrowitz became a three-time US champion today, running a 3:37.25 in the men’s 1500 in a return to his alma mater. His bell lap split time was 51 seconds! In a three-way race for second, Robby Andrews steals second place from Leo Manzano; Ben Blankenship tries to sneak in and win the bronze, but just misses out.

Sprint legend Allyson Felix is known for running the 200 and 400, but she can only run one at the World Championships due to a conflict in the schedule. Thus, her coach Bobby Kersee (who also coaches Dawn Harper-Nelson and 400m hurdler Kori Carter) will work with Felix to make a decision on which event to run. Ato Boldon thinks it will be the 400, since Felix is the three-time world champ in the 200. All that said, she won the women’s 400 today. There was shock coming into the event, as Sanya Richards-Ross failed to qualify in the semis; there would be another shocker as London 2012 silver medalist Francena McCorory literally fell to fourth place at the finish; Phyllis Francis spoils her chances of making the team for the individual event just before the finish line. Felix, Natasha Hastings, and Francis will run the open 400, and McCorory will join them in the 4x4 relay.

*Shoutout to Shakima Wimbley today for hanging in the 400 being the only Hurricane athlete in Eugene*

After setting a personal best in the men’s 400m semis yesterday, David Verburg won the men’s 400 today. He was extremely excited and grateful for the win, especially after finishing 6th in 2013 and not qualifying at all last year. Lashawn Merritt finishes a close second on his 29th birthday; because he had a bye for Worlds, there will be four men running the open 400 later this summer. LSU Tiger and NCAA national champion Vernon Norwood finished third, and USC alum and 2012 Olympian Bryshon Nellum finished fourth.

In field events, Ole Miss alum Sam Kendricks won the men’s pole vault before his last six attempts of the day. He cleared an 18’ 10” on the third try, but couldn’t clear a 19’ 1”. Still, the last two heights provided great practice for Worlds. In the women’s long jump, Tianna Bartoletta, who won the silver at last year’s US Championships, established a strong lead from her first jump of the day: 23’ ½”. Her second jump was a new personal best of 23’ 4 ½”; this would be her best jump of the day, leading to her gold medal in the event.