Sixth straight relay title for U.S. joins four silver medals and a bronze, giving nation 14 total entering final day in Finland

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

After four days of hearing about what they didn’t do, couldn’t achieve or wouldn’t be able to accomplish this week in Tampere, Finland, the Americans reminded the rest of the countries Saturday at the IAAF World U-20 Championships that while they might not be the most dominant nation this year, their talent pool remains the deepest.

The U.S. finally captured its first gold, extending its streak to six consecutive championships in the men’s 4x100-meter relay, and added four silver medals and a bronze to increase its meet-leading total to 14 entering the final day of competition at Ratina Stadium.

Ohio State’s Eric Harrison, American Heritage FL graduate and Auburn signee Anthony Schwartz, Dock Mennonite PA graduate and Arizona State-bound Austin Kratz and Benson OR sophomore Micah Williams prevailed in the men’s 4x100 in 38.88 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in meet history, all produced by the U.S.

“I felt good. I’m just happy to have the gold medal,” Williams said. “I ran all out. I ran like there was a bear on my back because I was not trying to lose that lead.”

Harrison became the fourth American male athlete to earn medals in both the 100 and 200 in the same World U-20 meet, but with six races already completed, he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to add gold to his pair of bronze medals.

“It’s truly a blessing to be here. I couldn’t be more proud of this team. I gave it all I had in my last race of the week,” Harrison said. “Mentally I’m all there, but my body is just tired, telling me it’s time to shut it down. That last 100 was all I had left. I had no doubt we would get gold.”

Zachery Bradford, Tzuriel Pedigo, Lauren Rain Williams and Alyssa Wilson all secured silver medals for the Americans, with LSU’s JuVaughn Blake sharing bronze in the men’s high jump with South Africa’s Breyton Poole.

Wilson became the fourth female athlete for the U.S. in meet history, including the only field event athlete, to secure World U-20 medals in different events, adding a silver in the hammer throw to her bronze in the shot put from 2016 in Poland.

UCLA’s Wilson produced a third-round throw of 211-5 (64.45m), but it wasn’t enough to catch Pac-12 rival Camryn Rogers of Cal, who became Canada’s first female World U-20 champion in any event following a first-round effort of 212-11 (64.90m).

“I was extremely happy after releasing that throw,” said Wilson, who placed 10th in the discus and 12th in the shot put earlier in the week.

“I knew it was a far one, and I was just hoping that I could keep up with all the pressure on me and I just wanted to have a good meet after a disappointing last two days.”

Pedigo, a Parkview Baptist LA graduate, made history by becoming the first male athlete from the U.S. to earn a World U-20 javelin medal. Pedigo followed Olathe North KS graduate Dana Baker, who captured bronze Wednesday in the women’s javelin to secure the first World U-20 medal of any kind in the event for the Americans.

“It’s awesome to get back on the podium for America,” Pedigo said. “There’s different programs like the Javelin Gold program that have been huge in terms of improving the culture of javelin in our country.”

Pedigo elevated to the No. 4 all-time prep performer and improved his No. 7 status in American U-20 history with a sixth-round throw of 242-0 (73.76m) to move ahead of Germany’s Maurice Voigt. Australia’s Nash Lowis captured gold with a fifth-round throw of 247-1 (75.31m).

“It’s one of the reasons why I’m fighting for it so much because I hope to be the one, but I just want to see the red, white and blue up there on the podium, whether it’s me or someone else,” Pedigo said. “I love the sport and I want to see America do well at it.”

Bradford, a Bloomington IL graduate and Kansas signee, followed the 2016 gold by Deakin Volz by giving the U.S. another medal in men’s pole vault.

With all the attention on Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, who set the meet record with a 19-1 (5.82m) clearance, Bradford and Japan’s Masaki Ejima were involved in a tight battle for silver and bronze that came down to fewer misses to break the tie.

Bradford and Ejima both cleared 18-2.50 (5.55m) on their third attempts, but the Japanese vaulter needed three tries to clear 17-8.50 (5.40m), with Bradford making it on his first vault.

“It was insane. The first attempt was a good attempt, second attempt I bailed and third attempt I knew I had to make to get that second place,” Bradford said. “I made that height in Indiana (at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships), so I knew I could make the height, i just had to execute it. I was just trying to keep my composure, so I could keep making higher bars. When Masaki Ejima was going over his third attempt at 5.60m, it looked like he made it, so I thought I got bronze, but then the bar fell and I got silver, I couldn’t keep myself together.”

Oregon’s Lauren Rain Williams grabbed silver in the 200 in 2015 at the World U-18 Championships, but after injuries plagued the rest of her high school career at Oaks Christian CA, followed by a challenging freshman campaign with the Ducks, she was able to return to the podium in Finland by clocking 23.09 in the final to finish behind Jamaica’s Briana Williams, a sophomore at Northeast FL, in 22.50.

“Being able to come here to represent my country has been such an honor, so I’m just glad I was able to get silver,” Lauren Rain Williams said. “I’m using this as fuel for next year and to just be better.”

Blake was one of four high jumpers to clear 7-3.75 (2.23m). But after Mexico’s Roberto Vilches and Greece’s Antonios Merlos, who competes for Georgia, made the height on their first attempts, they shared the gold medal, with Blake and Poole, the reigning World U-18 champion, sharing bronze after both athletes cleared the bar on their second tries.

“It’s a great accomplishment for me to come out here and compete for my country, especially this being my first time to actually medal,” Blake said. “I’m just happy I got to make it up on the podium and do it for my country.”