PHOTO CREDIT: JOSH KUTCHER
The USATF U20 Outdoor Championships ran for just two days at Hayward Field, serving as the selection meet for the World Athletics U20 Championships this August, but Track Town will remain busy through to Monday as Nike Outdoor Nationals continues. By the time Friday's U20 finals wrapped up, the team for later this summer had taken shape, and it happened fast. Tate Taylor broke his own national record. Mia and Mariah Maxwell swept a second event together. Paige Sheppard won her first national title and as always there was drama and fast times in the hurdles.
Here is what happened on the final day of selection.
Tate Taylor Lowers His Own National Record Again
Two weeks ago at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix, Tate Taylor became the first U.S. high schooler to break 20 seconds in the 200m, running 19.97 against a field that included professionals. On Friday in the Men's 200m U20 Final, he ran 19.94 and will finally get to wear the Team USA kit.
Blake Hamilton, the Katy Tompkins senior who ran an all-conditions 19.86 at the UIL state meet last month, finished second in 20.02. Cy Lugo and Nicholas Altheimer rounded out the top four in 20.33 and 20.35.
The Maxwell Twins Sweep a Second Event
A day after Mia and Mariah Maxwell went 1-2 in the 100m, they did it again in the Women's 200m U20 Final. Mia won in 22.49. Mariah was second in 22.86. The twins now have two events worth of company on the World U20 roster. It is a fitting addition to a season where the two have essentially spent racing each other for top spot in the country. Maria Portela, the Blue Valley junior who set the Kansas state record in the 200m last month, finished third in 23.40.
Paige Sheppard Wins Her First National Title
Paige Sheppard, after running US#7 all-time at Brooks PR, felt that the national 800m record was a real possibility. On Friday she won the Women's 800m U20 title in 2:01.76, ahead of Indiana's Elisabeth Barada (2:02.72) and Oklahoma State's Brooke Beck (2:03.66). She had opened the meet with a 2:07.10 prelim win on Thursday. It is not the national record yet, but it is a national championship title, with the rest of the summer still ahead of her.
Can We Take a Minute For The Hurdles
Keenen Davis of Archbishop Carroll in Washington, D.C. ran 49.40 in the men's 400m hurdles prelims on Thursday, the second-fastest time in national high school history and just two-hundredths off Kenneth Ferguson's record of 49.38, set in 2002. When Friday came there was everything to play for. Davis went 49.20 to break the record, with Miller Warme also below it, clocking 49.28.
In the 110m hurdles, Zacchaeus Brocks became the first American high schooler ever to run a wind-legal sub-13 second time. The Detroit Catholic Central senior and Ohio State signee won the Men's 110mH U20 Final in 12.98, breaking Wayne Davis's national record of 13.08 that had stood since 2009, but he didn't even run the fastest time at Hayward Field that day. Forty-five minutes earlier in the prelims, Georgia freshman Le'Ezra Brown ran 12.95, yet settled for second behind Brocks in the final. Hayward is always seeing fast times, even last week Ja'Kobe Tharp ran 12.75 at the NCAA Championships, for a new world record.
Josh Hamblin, who set a personal best chasing Andrew Jones at Brooks PR earlier this month, finished eighth in 13.67. Madeline Cooper of Georgia won the Women's 100mH U20 Final in 12.91.
Around Hayward Field
Ellery Lincoln, the Portland junior who broke US#4 all-time in the mile at the Nike Jesuit Twilight Relays in April after a bout of pneumonia took away her early season, finished second in the Women's 1500m U20 in 4:07.99 behind Florida's Claire Stegall (4:04.59). Braelyn Combe, who ran at "The Ten" in California back in March, took third in 4:18.14.
Brian Burns, the Bentonville senior who came up two hundredths of a second short of breaking four minutes in the mile at RunningLane earlier this month, finished third in the Men's 1500m U20 in 3:50.52, behind Michigan's Henry Dixon (3:48.50) and Oklahoma State's Nate Stadtlander (3:49.27).
Quincy Wilson finished second in the Men's 400m U20 Final in 44.84, behind The House RC's Jayden Deleon (44.52).
Ataja Stephane-Vazquez of Greensboro, North Carolina won the Women's 400m U20 Final in 51.08. Kamilah Salim of Torrance, California won the Girls 2000m Steeplechase Championship in 6:43.13. Aidan Wendring won the Boys 2000m Steeplechase Championship in 5:53.58. Stefon Dodoo of Texas A&M won the Men's 800m U20 in 1:48.59.
The World U20 Team that races at Hayward Field again in August has its roster.
PHOTO CREDIT: JOSH KUTCHER
The USATF U20 Outdoor Championships ran for just two days at Hayward Field, serving as the selection meet for the World Athletics U20 Championships this August, but Track Town will remain busy through to Monday as Nike Outdoor Nationals continues. By the time Friday's U20 finals wrapped up, the team for later this summer had taken shape, and it happened fast. Tate Taylor broke his own national record. Mia and Mariah Maxwell swept a second event together. Paige Sheppard won her first national title and as always there was drama and fast times in the hurdles.
Here is what happened on the final day of selection.
Tate Taylor Lowers His Own National Record Again
Two weeks ago at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix, Tate Taylor became the first U.S. high schooler to break 20 seconds in the 200m, running 19.97 against a field that included professionals. On Friday in the Men's 200m U20 Final, he ran 19.94 and will finally get to wear the Team USA kit.
