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Big Board 2017 USATF Indoor ChampionshipsPublished by
USATF Indoor Championships: The Big Board
By Adam Kopet, DyeStat Editor
The USATF Indoor Championships have begun in Albuquerque, N.M. Check here for a rolling list of winners, highlights, record-setters and other news and notes. In this off-year without a global indoor championship, the U.S. meet has returned to the traditional indoor distances, including the 300, 600 and 1,000 meters.
Friday: The opening day of the USATF Indoor Championships was all about the multi-events. The men's heptathlon leader after four events was Japheth Cato. He slowly moved up the leaderboard throughout the day's competition, starting with a fourth place 60-meter performance of 7.15. He went on to place third in the long jump with a mark of 22-11.25 (6.99m) and fourth in the shot put with a heave of 41-3.25 (12.58m) before clearing 6-11 (2.11m) in the high jump, nine inches better than the next best competitor. Cato's scored 3,189 points on the day, 40 points ahead of Austin Bahner. Thomas Hopkins was in third with 2,979 points. The 10-man field finished the day within 350 points from first to last. Erica Bougard led from start to finish in the women's pentathlon in a strong performance. She won three of the five events and maintained her top position on the leaderboard throughout the competition. Bougard ran 8.21 for the 60-meter hurdles, cleared 6-1.5 (1.87m) in the high jump, heaved the shot 39-3.25 (11.97m), long jumped 20-3.5 (6.18m) and ran 2:18.41 in the 800 meters. She won with 4,558 points. Sharon Day-Monroe finished second, winning the shot put and 800 meters, with 4,404 points. Sami Spenner scored 4,211 points for third place. Barbara Nwaba, the defending champion, retired from the competition after three events with what she described as a minor knee injury. Saturday: The highlights of day two of the USATF Indoor Championships were an all-time world best in the men's 300 meters and a world record in the women's weight throw. Noah Lyles started off the day by setting a meet record in the 300 meters. His time of 32.16 was #6 all-time in the world. In the final, Lyles ran in his preferred lane five and that made all the difference for the 19 year-old. He ran an all-time world best 21.87, besting Wallace Spearmon's world best from 2006 by 0.01 seconds. Lyles was pushed all the way to the line by Paul Dedewo who crossed the line five hundredths behind Lyles in 31.92. In the women's weight throw, Gwen Berry won her fourth indoor national title, but it was the way she did that made it special. On her sixth throw, having already won the competition, Berry let the weight fly. It sailed out to a new world record of 84-0 (25.60m). All four of Berry's legal throws surpassed 80-0. Deanna Price finished second with a final throw of 79-8.75 (24.30m). Phyllis Francis won the women's 300 meters in a new meet record 36.15. Joanna Atkins was second in 36.18. Candace Hill, running in the B final, finished third overall and set a world junior all-time best with a time of 36.56. In the women's 1,000-meter prelims, Rush Henrietta NY senior Samantha Watson qualified for the final and broke the high school record for the event with a time of 3:43.18. She won her heat. Charlene Lipsey ran 2:41.86, for the fastest qulaifying time of the prelims. Erica Bougard continued her winning ways on Saturday. After winning the pentathlon on Friday, she came back and won the long jump title. After leading through the first five rounds with a best of 21-0.5 (6.41m), Jessie Gaines bested her with a sixth round jump of 21-0.75 (6.42m). With the last jump, Bougard responded with a leap of 21-1.5 (6.44m) to win. She is entered in the high jump on Sunday. In the distance races, Shelby Houlihan won the mile in a tactical 4:45.18. She closed the last lap in 28.78 to win over Bowerman Track Club teammate Colleen Quigley. In the men's 2-mile, Paul Chelimo showed no fear of the Albuquerque altitude and broke the race open on the second lap and left the rest of the field competing for second. Chelimo's time of 8:28.53 easily bested Woody Kincaid's second place time of 8:38.66. Sunday: The final day of the USATF Indoor Championships saw five new meet records. Ajee Wilson came closest to a world record in her 600-meter win. Her time of 1:23.84 ranks her #3 all-time behind Olga Kotlyarova of Russia (1:23.44) and Alysia Montaño (1:23.59). She easily surpassed her meet record set two years ago of 1:26.56. Courtney Okolo finished second in 1:24.00. In the men's 600 meters, Erik Sowinski used a big move with 150 meters to go to win in 1:15.07, a new personal best and a new meet record. Casimir Loxsom, the world record holder in the event, spent the first two laps in fifth place and left himself too much ground to make up over the final lap. He finished in 1:15.18. Both the men's and women's 1,000-meter races produced meet record times. Charlene Lipsey led wire to wire in the women's race to win in 2:37.97 over Lauren Johnson in 2:38.33. Samantha Watson, the senior from Rush Henrietta NY, finished fourth in 2:40.72, shattering the high school record she set on Saturday. In the men's race, Clayton Murphy used a strong move with two laps to go to win in 2:18.60. Brannon Kidder was second in 2:19.10. The sprints and hurdles took advantage of the thin air in Albuquerque with personal best times. Keni Harrison ran 7.74 in the prelims of the 60-meter hurdles to tie the meet record held by Gail Devers. Harrison, however, was unable to better that mark in the final where she ran 7.81, just 0.01 seconds ahead of Jasmin Stowers. Aries Merritt won the men's race in 7.51. Morolake Akinosun won the women's 60 meters in 7.08 and Ronnie Baker extended his world leading time with a 6.45 clocking. Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris had a bit of a scare in the pole vault in her attempt to repeat as indoor national champion. It took a third attempt clearance at 15-5 (4.70m) to separate herself from Katie Nageotte and Mary Saxer, who both cleared 15-3 (4.65m). Nageotte was close on one of her attempts at 15-5, only just brushing bar off on her way down. In the distance races, Shelby Houlihan came back from Saturday's mile win to win the women's 2 mile. The race crawled along early, but slowly increased in pace. Houlihan went to the lead with three laps to go and held off the field to win going away in 10:19.14. Heather Kampf finished second in 10:21.80. Christian Soratos made a big move at the halfway point of the men's mile. It was a gamble that worked until Ben Blankenship powered around him in the final straight. Blankenship won in 3:59.22. Soratos was second in 3:59.56.
New Records: Gwen Berry: World record 84-0 (25.60m) in women's weight throw | Interview | Read More Samantha Watson: High school record 2:40.72 in women's 1,000 | Interview | Read More Phyllis Francis: Meet record 36.15 in women's 300 | Interview | Read More Candace Hill: World junior all-time best 36.56 in women's 300 | Interview | Read More Noah Lyles: World all-time best 31.87 in men's 300 | Interview | Read More Ajee Wilson: Meet record 1:23.84 in women's 600 | Interview Erik Sowinski: Meet record 1:15.07 in men's 600 | Interview Charlene Lipsey: Meet record 2:37.97 in women's 1000 Clayton Murphy: Meet record 2:18.60 in men's 1000 | Interview Keni Harrison: Meet record 7.74 (tie) in women's 60-meter hurdles | Interview
Winners Table:
60: Men: Ronnie Baker, 6.45 | Interview Women: Morolake Akinosun, 7.08 | Interview
300: Men: Noah Lyles, 31.87 | Interview | Read More Women: Phyllis Francis, 36.15 | Interview | Read More
600: Men: Erik Sowinski, 1:15.07 | Interview Women: Ajee Wilson, 1:23.84 | Interview
1,000: Men: Clayton Murphy, 2:18.60 | Interview Women: Charlene Lipsey, 2:37.97
Mile: Men: Ben Blankenship, 3:59.22 Women: Shelby Houlihan, 4:45.18 | Interview
2 Mile: Men: Paul Chelimo, 8:28.53 | Interview Women: Shelby Houlihan, 10:19.14 | Interview
60 Hurdles: Men: Aries Merritt, 7.51 | Interview Women: Keni Harrison, 7.81 | Interview
2 Mile Race Walk: Men: John Nunn, 12:38.37 Women: Maria Michta-Coffey, 13:55.27
High Jump: Men: Erik Kynard, 7-6.5 (2.30m) | Interview Women: Vashti Cunningham, 6-5 (1.96m) | Interview
Long Jump: Men: La'Derrick Ward, 26-0.25 (7.93m) | Interview Women: Erica Bougard, 21-1.5 (6.44m) | Interview | Read More
Triple Jump: Men: Chris Carter, 56-1.25 (17.10m) Women: Tori Franklin, 45-5.75 (13.86m) | Interview
Pole Vault: Men: Sam Kendricks, 19-2.25 (5.85m) | Interview Women: Sandi Morris, 15-5 (4.70m) | Interview
Shot Put: Men: Darien Moore, 68-2.25 (20.78m) | Interview Women: Michelle Carter, 62-5.25 (19.03m) | Interview
Weight Throw: Men: Alex Young, 78-9.75 (23.06m) | Interview Women: Gwen Berry, 84-0 (25.60m) | Interview | Read More
Pentathlon/Heptathlon: Men: Japheth Cato, 5738 points | Interview |
