Boling becomes first male athlete since Lyles in 2015 to win 100 and 200; Russell qualifies for Pan Am U-20 Championships in both hurdles, with Davis and Robinson capturing 400 titles, along with Mu and Olivier securing 800 crowns

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

MIRAMAR – A day later, Matthew Boling still didn’t hide the frustration of his long jump performance at the USATF U-20 Outdoor Championships.

But the Houston Strake Jesuit TX graduate used that disappointment of his third-place finish to provide more motivation Sunday in the 200 meters and responded with not only another nation-leading effort, but one of the all-time fastest prep performances at Florida’s Ansin Sports Complex.

TEAM USA U-20 CHART | RESULTS | PHOTOS | INTERVIEWS

Boling, a Georgia signee, followed a wind-aided 20.30 mark in the prelims by winning the championship in a wind-legal 20.36 seconds to elevate to the No. 10 prep performer in history.

Boling also became the first sprinter since T.C. Williams VA graduate and adidas professional Noah Lyles in 2015 to sweep the 100 and 200 titles at the U-20 championship meet.

Kennedy Lightner of North Little Rock AR, an Arkansas signee, took second in 20.59. Lightner had run 20.48 on June 8 at the Great Southwest Classic in New Mexico, which ranks No. 2 in the country this year behind Boling.

Boling is one of two athletes to earn the opportunity to compete for the U.S. in a pair of individual track events July 19-21 at the Pan Am U-20 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Kentucky freshman Masai Russell placed second in both the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles, trailing a pair of all-time prep performances by Jasmine Jones and Britton Wilson.

Wilson, a Mills Godwin VA graduate who has signed with Tennessee, won the 400 hurdles in 56.36 seconds, the No. 7 prep performer in history.

Jones, a junior from Greater Atlanta Christian GA representing Atlanta Zoom Athletics, prevailed in the 100 hurdles in 13.19 seconds to ascend to the No. 15 all-time prep performer.

In a 90-minute span, Russell ran 13.35 seconds in the 100 hurdles prelims, followed by a personal-best 56.78 in the 400 hurdles final and 13.42 in the 100 hurdles championship to become the first female athlete since Queen Harrison in 2007 to have the opportunity to represent the U.S. in both hurdles events at the Pan Am U-20 Championships.

The achievement helped Russell erase the disappointment of last year’s third-place finish in the 400 hurdles by 0.02 seconds in the U.S. U-20 final after earning a bronze medal at the 2017 Pan Am U-20 Championships in Peru.

USC freshman Lanae-Tava Thomas won the women’s 200 in a wind-aided 22.64, securing the first title for the Trojans since Deanna Hill in 2015, with Ole Miss freshman Jayda Eckford taking second in 22.72.

Freshman Kayla Davis of Run U Xpress in North Carolina followed her New Balance Nationals Outdoor title in the 400 by winning in 51.28, with New Haven Age Group Track Club’s Alexis Holmes clocking 51.52 to finish second.

Hazelwood West MO junior Justin Robinson won the men’s 400 in 45.59, with Southern Mississippi freshman Trey Johnson taking second in 46.41.

Arizona freshman James Smith captured the men’s 400 hurdles championship in 50.29 seconds, completing a Pac-12 sweep with Washington freshman Cass Elliot (51.30).

The anticipated women’s 800 rematch from New Balance Nationals Indoor involving junior Athing Mu of Trenton Track Club and Stevens Point WI freshman Roisin Willis didn’t disappoint, with both athletes battling to the line again just like in March at The Armory in New York.

Mu had more left in the final stretch Sunday, prevailing in 2:05.59, with Willis taking second in 2:06.99 and Chandler AZ graduate Morgan Foster, a Stanford signee, finishing third in 2:07.75.

The men’s 800, along with both 1,500 races, produced more tactical approaches to compensate for the challenging weather conditions.

Maine freshman James Olivier secured the men’s 800 championship in an outdoor personal-best 1:50.67, with St. Raphael RI sophomore Darius Kipyego producing big improvements in both the prelims and final to place second in 1:51.26.

After not finishing the 800, Notre Dame de Namur freshman Jason Gomez took advantage of a more tactical 1,500 to capture the title in 4:25.83. Penn State freshman Drew Maher secured second in 4:26.04.

Georgetown freshman Samantha Corman won the women’s 1,500 in 4:29.81, but had already decided before the race that she wouldn’t be pursuing an opportunity to compete at the Pan-Am U-20 Championships in Costa Rica.

Illinois State freshman Rachel Hickey (4:30.93) and Arkansas freshman Meghan Underwood (4:31.20) are both eligible to represent the U.S. next month in the 1,500 following Corman’s decision.