Frederick Lewis, Matthew Moorer and Justin Robinson join Boling in running 2:59.30 in men’s 4x400, with Alexis Holmes, Kimberly Harris, Ziyah Holman and Kayla Davis clocking 3;24.04 in women’s 4x400; Anna Hall, Otito Ogbonnia and Lydia Olivere also win gold for Americans, who finish with 21 titles and 50 overall medals in Costa Rica

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For the U.S., the encore performances Sunday at the Pan American U-20 Championships were even more impressive than the original record-breaking act.

In the final two races at National Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica, the Americans smashed the World U-20 record in the women’s 4x400-meter relay by running 3 minutes, 24.04 seconds, then added another U-20 global standard in the men’s 4x400 relay by clocking 2:59.30.

Just like the U.S. running 38.62 in the men’s 4x100 relay final Saturday to break the World U-20 record, all three efforts are pending IAAF ratification.

Houston Strake Jesuit TX graduate and Georgia signee Matthew Boling captured his fourth gold medal, joining fellow American Bryan Bridgewater in 1989 as the only athletes in meet history to win the 100, 200, 4x100 and 4x400 in the same year.

Houston’s Frederick Lewis, Baylor’s Matthew Moorer and Hazelwood West MO junior Justin Robinson joined Boling on the 4x400 relay, which eclipsed the meet and World U-20 records set by the American quartet of Brian Herron, Sean Hooper, Josephus Lyles and Zach Shinnick in 2017 in Peru.

It was the sixth straight men’s 4x400 championship for the U.S. and 16th overall. Jamaica grabbed silver in 3:00.99 and Brazil secured bronze in 3:02.84.

The U.S. men have now run the seven fastest times in World U-20 history and 10 of the top 11. Only the collegiate programs of USC and Texas A&M, along with the senior national teams of 14 countries have run faster.

It marked the first time since the 2004 World Junior Championships in Italy that both men’s World U-20 4x100 and 4x400 relay records were set in the same meet. And Boling became the first athlete since fellow American LaShawn Merritt in 2004 in Italy to be part of both World U-20 records in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays at the same event.

But the performance delivered by Kentucky freshman Alexis Holmes, Buford GA junior Kimberly Harris, Georgetown Day School DC junior Ziyah Holman and Run U Xpress NC freshman Kayla Davis might have been the defining moment of the entire three-day meet.

The record of 3:27.60 set by the U.S. quartet of Alexandria Anderson, Ashlee Kidd, Stephanie Smith and Natasha Hastings had stood since the 2004 World Junior meet in Italy. It marked the first time since 2004 in Italy that both World U-20 4x400 records were eclipsed at the same event.

The Americans now boast the two fastest times and seven of the top eight marks in World U-20 history. Only the collegiate programs from Oregon, USC and Texas, along with the senior national teams of 15 countries have run faster.

It was the ninth consecutive women’s 4x400 gold for the U.S. and 14th overall. Canada captured silver in 3:30.68 and Jamaica earned bronze in 3:31.34.

The 11th sweep of the 4x400 titles in meet history helped the Americans finish with 21 gold medals and 50 overall. It marked the third straight Pan American U-20 meet and 10th overall that the U.S. has accumulated at least 20 golds and 50 overall medals.

The other three gold medals on the final day for the Americans came from Valor Christian CO graduate and Georgia signee Anna Hall in the women’s heptathlon, UCLA freshman Otito Ogbonnia in the men’s shot put and Villanova freshman Lydia Olivere in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Hall improved on her all-time prep performance and No. 2 mark in American U-20 history by accumulating a meet-record 5,847 points, capped by a 2:10.11 in the 800 meters. The previous record of 5,733 was set in Peru in 2017 by Cuba’s Adriana Rodriguez.

Hall, who amassed 5,798 points at last year’s Great Southwest Classic in New Mexico to surpass the national high school record, elevated to the No. 4 World U-20 performer this year and captured the fifth heptathlon gold medal in meet history for the Americans.

Hall, who decided not to compete next week at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, will arrive at Georgia after producing the top five all-time prep heptathlon scores and three of the top four high school marks in the indoor pentathlon.

Cuba’s Marys Adela Patterson Cabrera secured silver with 5,420 points and North Carolina State freshman Timara Chapman earned bronze with 5,060 points.

Ogbonnia led a sweep of the top two spots for the U.S. in the 6-kilogram shot put with a fifth-round mark of 67-11.75 (20.72m). Kentucky freshman Joshua Sobota, who already earned bronze Friday in the discus throw, produced a first-round effort of 67-5.50 (20.56m) and held on for silver.

It marked the 17th title in event history for the Americans, who produced their 10th overall sweep of first and second place.

Olivere clocked 10:12.16 in the 3,000 steeplechase to win the second straight title and third overall for the U.S. in the event since it was added to the Pan American U-20 program in 2005.

Oregon State’s Grace Fetherstonhaugh, representing Canada, was second in 10:32.13 and Michigan’s Megan Worrel added bronze for the Americans by running 10:48.04.

Kentucky freshman Masai Russell became the first U.S. female athlete and just the third overall in meet history to secure a second medal in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.

Brazil’s Jessica Vitoria de Oliveira Moreira ran a meet-record 55.94 to win gold, eclipsing the 2007 mark of 56.25 by Queen (Harrison) Claye. It marked the third title in the event in meet history for Brazil, including the first since 2003.

Russell ran a personal-best 56.29 to capture silver, following her bronze in 2017 in Peru. She joins Jamaicans Wynsome Cole in 1991 and 1993, along with Danielle Dowie in 2009 and 2011, to earn a pair of medals in the event.

Brazil swept both 400 hurdles championships, with Alison dos Santos breaking the meet record in the men’s final by clocking 48.49, lowering the mark of 49.02 by American Quincy Hall of South Carolina from 2017 in Peru.

It ended a long drought in the event for Brazil, which had Elias de Fonseca win the first title at the inaugural Pan American U-20 meet in 1980, but hadn’t secured a gold medal since.

Arizona freshman James Smith secured the silver medal in 49.84 for the Americans.

Penn freshman Mayyi Mahama broke up Cuba’s bid for a potential sweep in the women’s hammer throw with her fifth-round effort of 202-1 (61.61m) to grab a silver medal for the U.S. Liz Arleen Collia Llorente won the title with a third-round mark of 204-7 (62.36m) and Cuban teammate Alegna Osorio Mayari took bronze with a throw of 197-4 (60.15m).

Future Missouri teammates Skylar Ciccolini and Ava Curry captured silver and bronze in the women’s javelin throw for the Americans.

Ecuador’s Yuleisy Anahi Angulo Bonilla produced a fourth-round effort of 193-5 (58.96m) with the 600-gram javelin to earn gold. Ciccolini, a Mifflin County PA graduate, had a first-round throw of 175-9 (53.58m) and Curry achieved a mark of 156-4 (47.67m) in the third round.

Mexico’s Erick Josue Portillo Rodriguez cleared 7-1.75 (2.18m) on his first attempt to win the men’s high jump championship.

Apex NC graduate and Campbell signee Charles McBride II had a 7-0.25 (2.14m) clearance on his first attempt to secure silver ahead of Chile’s Nicolas Numair Rueda, who got over the bar on his second try.

Villanova signee Maggie Smith, representing Canada, won the women’s 1,500 in 4:25.47. Villanova was represented at the meet by three female athletes, all of which won gold medals, along with Sanaa Barnes capturing the high jump title Saturday, before Smith won the 1,500 and Olivere prevailed in the 3,000 steeplechase Sunday.

Illinois State freshman Rachel Hickey captured silver for the U.S. in 4:26.83 and Yale freshman Jocelyn Chau, also representing Canada, grabbed bronze in 4:27.20.

It marked the second straight women’s 1,500 title and sixth overall for Canada, which produced an even bigger achievement in the men’s 1,500.

Boston University signee Foster Malleck (3:47.05) and Carter Free (3:48.29) swept the top two spots for the Canadians, marking only the third time in meet history the country captured gold and silver in the event, including the first time since 2005.

Colombia’s Geiner Moreno Chiquillo prevailed in the men’s triple jump with a wind-aided 53-9.75 (16.40m) effort in the third round.

Ecuador’s Glenda Morejon won the women’s 10,000-meter racewalk in 44:46.02.

Three-time U.S. U-20 champion Taylor Ewert of Beavercreek OH was disqualified following her fourth infraction and didn’t complete the race. Ewert wasn’t penalized for a single infraction at last year’s IAAF World U-20 Championships in Finland, placing 10th, or at the USATF U-20 Championships in Florida.

Fellow American Grace Endy of Westfield NJ was penalized for three infractions on the same lap, but managed to finish in 10th place in 56:44.81.