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Dalilah Muhammad Delivers Again On Big Stage At USATF Outdoor Championships

Published by
DyeStat.com   Jun 26th 2017, 9:25am
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Muhammad is best in fastest 400 hurdles race in history

Three athletes run under 53 seconds for the first time; Michta-Coffey secures seventh title in eight years, Wilson captures her second 800 crown and Stevens, Berry, Morris and Williams all become first-time champions

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Dalilah Muhammad hadn't looked like the same dominant athlete who became the first American woman to win the Olympic title in the 400-meter hurdles last year, placing second and fifth in her two tune-up races in the month prior to the USATF Outdoor Championships and not breaking 54 seconds in either competition.

But when it came time for Muhammad to rise to the occasion again in the fastest 400 hurdles race in history, she delivered one of the meet's all-time great performances and showed signs that the World record could be in jeopardy in August at the IAAF World Championships in London, if not sooner.

Muhammad clocked a personal-best 52.64 seconds Sunday at Hornet Stadium at Sacramento State to capture her second straight national title and third in five years, with 2015 winner Shamier Little taking second in 52.75 and 2014 champon Kori Carter finishing third in 52.95.

"I am feeling amazing. My coach (Lawrence Johnson) told me it was there, I just had to trust him and believe it and keep my faith, so I am just really happy right now," said Muhammad, who improved on her previous personal-best 52.88 from last year's Olympic Trials to elevate to No. 4 in American history and the sixth-fastest all-time performer in the world with her sights set on the 2003 global standard of 52.34.

"Right now I just wanted to make the team and that’s 100 percent honest. Of course, every race I go out there trying to win. I knew it was going to be a fast race and my coach was telling me to just go with it and trust that I will be able to finish and that’s what I did."

Little, a three-time NCAA Division 1 champion at Texas A&M, struggled in her first year as a professional, failing to advance to last year's Olympic Trials final. But she demonstrated her old form by taking second May 27 at the Prefontaine Classic and again by winning her semifinal heat Saturday, before improving to fifth in American history and No. 9 all-time in the world in the final.

"Those ladies, excuse my language, ran their (butts) off," Little said. "There was three women under 53. This was a good race."

The only race, in fact, with three athletes under 53 seconds, with Carter improving on her previous personal best of 53.21 from 2013 to run equal to the seventh-fastest time in American history and 17th all-time in the world.

"I knew it was going to be fast, with all the talent we’ve got in this event," Carter said. "How are we going to do in London? Not to jinx us, but we can’t have only the 100-meter hurdlers doing sweeps."

Finishers three through six all ran the fastest times for their respective places in the history of the event. Rio Olympian Ashley Spencer was fourth in 53.11, London Olympian Georganne Moline placed fifth in 53.14 and Union Catholic NJ graduate Sydney McLaughlin, also a Rio Olympian, finished sixth in 53.82 to lower her own World Under-20 record.

"I knew if I couldn't make the team because they all ran 52, that I'd at least be able to break 54 and get that World Junior record," McLaughlin said. "I'm really happy. I'm very pleased with my performance. I knew they were going to go fast today and I know they are going to go 1-2-3 when they go out to London."

McLaughlin, a Kentucky signee, improved on her 54.03 from the New Jersey Meet of Champions on June 2 as Sunday's race produced the top six times globally this year.

Even eighth-place finisher Anna Cockrell, a freshman at USC and the reigning World U-20 champion, ran a personal-best 55.14.

After falling with less than 25 meters remaining June 10 in the 200 final at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships and not completing the race, Oregon junior Deajah Stevens rebounded to win her first U.S. national title in 22.30.

"It feels awesome. We got the triple crown for Oregon, but I did not have any individual titles, so it is good to have one now. There are so many great American sprinters, it is great competition running with them," Stevens said. "To go from what happened at NCAAs to winning here is definitely redemption."

Kimberlyn Duncan, the 2013 champion, placed second in 22.59 and last year's winner Tori Bowie finished third in 22.60. Allyson Felix, winner of six national titles in the event, did not run the final after placing eighth in the 100 championship.

Felix has a wild card to compete in the 400 at the World Championships after winning the 2015 title.

Training partners Ajee' Wilson and Charlene Lipsey took the top two spots in the 800, with Wilson capturing her first championship since 2014 in 1:57.78.

"I’m super excited, even more excited that my teammate (Charlene) was able to make the team as well," Wilson said. "I am just super happy on how the weekend went."

Brenda Martinez, who made the Rio Olympics in the 1,500, finished third in 1:58.46.

Oregon junior Raevyn Rogers, a three-time NCAA Division 1 outdoor champion and winner of five 800 titles overall including indoors, was fourth in 2:00.18 and Rush-Henrietta NY graduate Samantha Watson, a Texas A&M signee, placed sixth in 2:00.99 to eclipse 2:01 for the second time in her career.

Following two days and seven events, one of the most exciting heptathlon events in American history came down to a matter of steps for Georgia graduate Kendell Williams and former Mississippi State standout Erica Bougard.

After Bougard won the 800 in 2:11.51, Williams managed to stay close enough by clocking 2:16.46 to prevail by a 6,564 to 6,557 margin overall and secure her first U.S. national title after capturing seven career NCAA championships.

"I am really glad to be done and I am glad I came out with the win," Williams said. "I am happy it is rest time now."

Williams and her brother Devon, who placed third Saturday in the decathlon, became the first American siblings to qualify for the World Championships together since Al Kersee and Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1987.

"It is awesome. That is what we wanted to do. It was stressful watching him the last two days knowing I still had to go," Kendell Williams said. "I am glad I was able to make it through and we are both glad to be able to make it over to London together."

Kendell Williams improved to No. 5 in American history, with Bougard elevating to sixth all-time. Sharon Day-Monroe, who ranks seventh on the list, placed third with 6,421 points.

"I can go in with confidence. I feel like me and Kendell are the next phases of the Hep," Bougard said. "I feel like we can go above and beyond for our country."

Although Gwen Berry is the American record holder in the hammer throw, she had yet to win a national outdoor title until Sunday, producing a second-round effort of 245-3 (74.77m).

"I did want to throw better, but I got the win so I have to be happy. I got the nice throw, a nice, consistent throw, which will make finals at the World Championships," Berry said. "I got a little nervous over there, but it means the world to me to be on the team again."

Arizona State junior Maggie Ewen, the collegiate record holder, moved from fourth to second on her final throw with a lifetime-best 244-7 (74.56m), improving to fourth on the all-time American list.

Ewen, who set the collegiate record June 8 at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships with a throw of 240-7 (73.32m), won't get credit for improving on her standard because the marks only count during the collegiate season.

Olympian DeAnna Price placed third with a throw of 243 feet (74.06m).

Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris won her first outdoor national pole vault title with a 15-9 (4.80m) clearance, with Jenn Suhr -- who had captured 10 of the past 11 championships -- taking second by clearing 15-3 (4.65m).

"I feel that only now am I starting to find my form. Last year, I won an Olympic silver medal, cleared 4.90m several times, and made 5 meters (16-5). This year I’ve been stuck around 4.75m (15-7), but I’m still learning," Morris said. "I want to be World champion. I feel I can follow up on an Olympic silver with a World gold."

South Dakota graduate Emily Grove finished third by winning a vault-off again Morgann Leleux. Both athletes cleared 14-11 (4.55m) on their first attempts, then missed at 15-3 (4.65m), before Grove relied on a 15-1 (4.60m) clearance to prevail.

Maria Michta-Coffey won the 20-kilometer race walk in 1:33.19.61, capturing back-to-back national titles and her seventh championship in eight years.

 



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