Here is a look at some of the top storylines for the women competing this weekend at the USATF Outdoor Championships, Thursday through Sunday at Hayward Field.

 

 

Sanya Richards-Ross’ American 400 meters record of 48.70 seconds barely escaped in 2023 when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran 48.74 seconds at the U.S. Outdoor Championships.

 

Like 2023, McLaughlin-Levrone is only entered in the flat 400 and will take another shot at Richard-Ross’ American record, again, this week.

 

McLaughlin-Levrone has completed three races at the distance this outdoor season, including her season’s best run of 49.43 at the Nike Prefontaine Classic on July 5, ranking her sixth in the world.

 

McLaughlin-Levrone’s decision to run the flat 400 over the 400 hurdles is an interesting one given she doesn’t have the automatic bye to the world championships in the 400 hurdles.

 

In 2023, McLaughlin-Levrone cut her season short due to a knee injury she sustained after winning the 400 at the U.S. Championships. Femke Bol won the world title in the 400 hurdles, earning this year’s bye.

 

In order for McLaughlin-Levrone to return to the world championships, she will need top-three finish in the 400.

 

A win isn’t guaranteed for McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400 despite what some might think. Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler brings in the fastest entry time of 49.09 seconds, which ranks third in the world. Isabella Whittaker, the American indoor record holder, is another contender for the national title. And Britton Wilson is coming back from an injury and could also be dangerous. 

 

 

Only two women have won four consecutive heptathlon titles in the history of the U.S. outdoor championships: Stella Walsh and Pat Daniels-Winslow-Bank.

 

Anna Hall is on the verge of becoming the third.

 

Hall’s dominance in the multis at the past three outdoor championships has been a remarkable accomplishment, including her third consecutive title won last summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials to punch her ticket to the Paris Games after failing to complete the entire competition at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials.

 

Hall’s 2025 season has been nothing short of incredible. In fact, it’s a career year for the Colorado native.

 

At the Hypomeeting in Götzis, Austria, Hall surpassed the 7,000-point barrier for the first time in her career with a personal best score of 7,032 points, winning the competition by over 450 points. Hall became just the fifth woman in history to score over 7,000 points in a heptathlon competition, moving her into a tie for second on the all-time list with Sweden Carolina Klüft. Jackie Joyner-Kersee has the world record with 7,291 points.

 

Along with pursing another national title, Hall is likely to go after Joyner-Kersee’s meet record of 6,979 points from the 1987 U.S. Outdoor Championships. Hall’s best score from her past three national titles was 6,677 points in 2023.

 

 

For all the hardships Sinclaire Johnson had to endure in 2024, she has responded well in 2025.

 

Johnson has overcome two injuries and a fourth-place finish in the 1,500 meters at last summer’s U.S. Olympic Trials with a global team appearance at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, this past winter and most recently an American record in the mile (4:16.32) at the London Diamond League on July 19.

 

Johnson also made a big career move by changing coaches this year, leaving Pete Julian’s group to train with her fiancée Craig Nowak in Portland. Since the coaching change, her confidence level as a racer has risen and it’s shown throughout 2025.

 

Johnson will race for her second 1,500 national title this weekend and first since 2022 when she qualified for her first global team at the World Outdoor Championships in Eugene.

 

While this year’s women’s 1,500 field may not be as deep as last summer’s U.S. Olympic Trials final, which feature eight women under four minutes, the quality of competition is still there.

 

Defending national champion Nikki Hiltz and runner-up Emily Mackay are among the favorites to make the world team with Johnson. Hiltz beat both Johnson and Mackay at the Nike Prefontaine Classic in the 1,500, running 3:55.96. Johnson ran 3:56.93 and Mackay ran 3:57.91.

 

Heather MacLean, Helen Schlachtenhaufen, Dani Jones and Christina Aragon are among returning finalists from last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials entered in this weekend’s field that can be expected to contend for the team’s top three spots.

 

Collegian Riley Chamberlain of BYU could be a surprise pick to make the world team. She recently ran 4:02.03 in the 1,500 and 1:59.75 in the 800 within the last couple of weeks.

 

 

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has the 100 dialed in, but a win in the 200 could bolster her resume even further.

 

Jefferson-Wooden brings in her world-leading 10.73-second clocking in the 100 to establish herself as an overwhelming favorite in the event. Her time of 21.99 in the 200, ranking her fifth in the world, is sure to put her in the conversation as a contender.

 

With wins at the Nike Prefontaine Classic and Grand Slam Track this year, Jefferson-Wooden has performed well under pressure on some of the biggest of racing stages, including beating two reigning Olympic champions in Julien Alfred (100) and Gabby Thomas (200).

 

The wins won’t come easy for Jefferson-Wooden, who last won a U.S. outdoor title in 2022 when she defeated Aleia Hobbs and training partner Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry in the 100.

 

Jefferson-Wooden expects to race both Hobbs and Terry in the 100, along with Jacious Sears, U.S. indoor runner-up in the 60.

 

In the 200, Jefferson-Wooden will challenge Thomas of her fourth national title in the event. Thomas won last year’s U.S. Olympics Trials final in 21.81.

 

Reigning Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown and Olympian Mckenzie Long have aspirations of making their second consecutive global team in the 200. NCAA outdoor champion in the 200, JaMeesia Ford of South Carolina, is also a top contender.

 

 

“Underwhelming” and “Sha’Carri Richardson” are two things that usually don't go together, but that’s how 2025 has gone for the reigning 100 meters world champion.

 

With only two races under her belt, Richardson has produced sub-par times of 11.47 and 11.19 in the 100 this year, leaving the track and field world wondering if she has what it takes to make the U.S. team for Tokyo.

 

Richardson does have the bye to the world championships in the 100. Her world title in 2023 has guaranteed her a lane in Tokyo, so she will be representing the U.S. in at least one event.

 

Richardson will race the 100 in the Eugene this weekend, as well as make her season debut in the 200. The last time she ran the 200 was in the U.S. Olympic Trials final last summer, finishing fourth to fall one spot shy of qualifying for a spot at the Olympics.

 

Richardson has won the past two U.S. outdoor titles in the 100, running 10.82 to win in 2023 and 10.71 to win in 2024.

 

In an Instagram post on Monday, Richardson said in her caption, “It’s time for a change,” sparking a curious debate among about that could mean leading into her races in Eugene.

 

Richardson will have her hands full in both the 100 and 200 with athletes like world leader in the 100, Jefferson-Wooden, and reigning Olympic champion in the 200, Thomas, in the way of a pair of national titles.

 

 

Trackflation is real. The numbers show in this year’s women’s 800 meters field.

 

Twenty of the 32 athletes entered for this weekend’s meet own lifetime bests under two minutes. That’s over double the number of athletes who brought in season’s best times under two minutes at last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials.

 

Addison Wiley leads the way with the sixth-fastest time in the world this year in 1:57.43 from the London Diamond League. It’s also seven tenths of a second away from her lifetime best, which is her entry time going into the meet.

 

Only two of the three Paris Olympic team members have broken two minutes this year: Nia Akins (1:59.06) and Juliette Whittaker (1:59.44). The third member, Allie Wilson, hasn’t broken two, running a season’s best 2:01.24.

 

Another handful of collegiate athletes, like Whittaker, are also in position to make the world team after an incredible NCAA season.

 

Michaela Rose of LSU, Roisin Willis of Stanford, Meghan Hunter of BYU, Maggi Congdon of NAU (now with Swoosh TC), Laurent Tolbert of Duke and Victoria Bossong of Harvard have all ran faster than 1:59.50 this outdoor season.

 

Veteran runners like Raevyn Rogers, Sage Hurta-Klecker and Ajee Wilson have also stepped up their efforts this season with season’s best performances that have put them back in the conversation to make the team.

 

But the name everyone is curious about is Athing Mu-Nicolayev.

 

The 2023 world outdoor bronze medalist has not run a sub-two-minute time in the 800 in over 400 days going back to her fall during the U.S. Olympic Trials final.

 

Mu-Nicolayev also raised some eyebrows this season with some unusual racing opportunities in a 5,000 and a couple of 1,500 races. She did make her 800 season debut at the Prefontaine Classic but ran 2:03.44. A week later, she lowered her time to 2:00.42 at the Ed Murphey Classic.

 

 

After competing at the London Diamond League, Katie Moon was asked what it’s like to have the bye to Tokyo this year going into U.S. Outdoor Championships.

 

She smiled and said, “I’ve never been happier,”.

 

This year’s women’s pole vault competition will be one of the most intense and most difficult teams to make for a U.S. global team in terms of depth and talent.

 

Six women, including Moon, who’s cleared 4.83 meters (15-10) this season, have all gone over, or tied, the world standard height of 4.73 meters (15-6.25).

 

The other five women are: world leader and NCAA indoor champion Amanda Moll; two-time world indoor champion and two-time Olympian Sandi Morris; NCAA outdoor champion Hana Moll; four-time NCAA Division 2 champion and Olympian Brynn King; and world indoor finalist Emily Grove.

 

Amanda Moll cleared her world-leading height of 4.91 meters (16-1.25) back in February, but her best clearance since was a collegiate record 4.78 meters (15-8.25) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in May.

 

Morris, who missed making the U.S. Olympic team last summer, has consistently jumped better this season compared to last year. She’s gone over 4.82 meters (15-9.75) in June this season versus clearing 4.75 meters (15-7) in June of last year.

 

Hana Moll and King both won their respective NCAA outdoor titles in June, sending them both into this competition with confidence that can help carry them to another global team.

 

Grove, who met the world standard at both the Grand Prix Brescia in Italy and London Diamond League in July, is light years ahead of where was at last season. Heading into this year’s U.S. Outdoor Championships, Grive is 10 centimeters ahead of where she was at going into last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials.

 

On top of those six competing, world indoor finalist Gabriela Leon, 2024 NCAA Outdoor champion Chloe Timberg and NCAA All-American Molly Haywood add even more depth to the competition.

 

 

The women’s long jump competition is expected to be as tough as the women’s pole vault competition.

 

There’s one catch: no one in the long jump competition has a bye to worlds.

 

Unlike the pole vault team that could have up to four athletes representing the U.S. in Tokyo, long jump will only get three spots.

 

Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, ranked No. 1 in the world this season with a mark of 7.07 meters (23-2.5), is at the forefront of it all, going for her third consecutive U.S. outdoor title. This is the start of Davis-Woodhall’s pursuit of her first world outdoor title, which is all she’s missing to complete the trifecta of global titles to go with her world indoor crown in 2024 and Olympic title from last summer.

 

Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore and Olympic finalist Monae’ Nichols filled the final two spots on last year’s Olympic team but aren’t guaranteed a spot for the world team.

 

Nichols and Moore enter this year’s meet ranked fifth and eighth, respectively, in the U.S. based on their season’s best jumps. Nichols jumped 6.88 meters (22-7) and Moore jumped 6.79 meters (22-2.25).

 

Ahead of Nichols are NCAA indoor champion Alexis Brown and world indoor champion Claire Bryant.

 

Brown, who completed her career at Baylor, jumped 7.03 meters (23-0.75) at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in May, which moved her into the world lead at the time. She’s now third in the world.

 

Bryant sits seventh in the world with her mark of 6.96 meters (22-10), winning the world indoor title in Nanjing in March. Bryant’s best wind-legal jump this outdoor season is 6.91 meters (22-8) but has gone a wind-aided 7.03 meters (23-0.75), too.

 

A 2023 world outdoor competitor, Quanesha Burks, NCAA outdoor champion Synclair Savage, and NCAA All-Americans Tacoria Humphrey, Alyssa Jones and Jasmine Akins bring the competition to another level alongside the top contenders.

 

 

It’s only a matter of time before Chase Jackson launches the shot put to a realm where no American woman has ever gone.

 

The two-time defending world outdoor champion doesn’t have to stress as much about making the U.S. team with the bye to Tokyo, which should make this competition more of an experimental one.

 

Jackson, who’s thrown a world-leading 20.95 meters (68-8.75) this season, could enter this meet with more of an aggressive approach than she normally does, meaning she may try some different techniques that the world hasn’t seen yet.

 

If she does throw 21 meters (68-10.75) once during the competition, she might pass on the other rounds to save her arm for Tokyo.

 

Since Jackson has the bye, that frees up three more spots for the American women’s shot put team. Athletes like Olympian Jaida Ross, world indoor finalist Maggie Ewen and NCAA champion Mya Lesnar could fill those slots since all three have surpassed the world standard of 18.80 meters (61-8.25).

 

 

Both on the track and in the field, the biggest names from the high school scene are embarking on Hayward Field to compete with the nation’s best.

 

Six high school female athletes are entered in seven events, matching last year’s total at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

 

Sadie Engelhardt will make her second consecutive appearance at a U.S. Outdoor Championships in the women’s 1,500 meters. Engelhardt, who boasts a personal best of 4:07.78, finished 12th in her heat of round one at last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials.

 

Natalie Dumas, a three-time New Balance Nationals Outdoor champion this spring from New Jersey, is entered in the women’s 800, bringing in a personal best time of 2:00.11, ranking her fifth on the high school all-time list.

 

Two-time Nike Outdoor Nationals champion Jasmine Robinson is scheduled to run the women’s 400 hurdles. Robinson ran her lifetime best of 56.73 in May of this year.

 

Anisa Bowen-Fontenot, USATF U20 runner-up in the 100 hurdles, brings her personal best time of 13.07 seconds to the short hurdles competition.

 

Bullis MD teammates Sydney Sutton and Parker Coes will represent their school in both the track and field. Sutton will contest the 200 and 400, where she owns personal best times of 22.70 and 51.23, respectively. Coes is entered in the long jump with her personal best mark of 6.40 meters (21-0).