Morris sets meet and facility records with her best indoor clearance since 2018, before taking own attempts at world record; Crouser prevails against Kovacs in shot put, with O'Hare earning second Wanamaker mile victory

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

NEW YORK – Before Sandi Morris took to the runway Saturday at New Balance’s Armory Track and Field Center for the 113th NYRR Millrose Games, social media was abuzz with the news of Armand “Mondo” Duplantis breaking the world record in the men’s pole vault by clearing 20 feet, 2.75 inches (6.17m) at the Copernicus Cup in Poland.

Just in case Morris needed any extra inspiration to win for the first time in her career at Millrose in the New York Athletic Club women’s pole vault, she found it in the form of her own world-record pursuit.

“I thought to myself, ‘How cool would it be if the women’s (record) was broken on the same weekend? How cool would that be?’ I have to at least attempt it, so that was definitely motivation,” Morris said. “When they told me that right before I started warming up, I was like ‘Ooooh, Let’s go.’”

Following five clearances, the last one a world-leading 16-1.25 (4.91m) on her first attempt to set both the meet and Armory records, Morris did, in fact, attempt to join Swedish star Duplantis in achieving a world record.

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Morris was unable to make any of her three attempts at 16-6.50 (6.04m), which would have surpassed the 2016 global indoor standard of 16-6 (5.03m) achieved by fellow American Jenn Suhr. But Morris’ clearance was her fourth career effort over 16 feet indoors, including the first since her gold-medal performance of 16-2.75 (4.95m) at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England.

“I haven’t seen the video. I think I had hip height, but it wasn’t quite there today. I’ve been chasing that thing for so many years, probably about four years now I’ve been taking attempts at it, and I’ve been chipping away at it and I feel like I have it in me, but it’s just not quite there,” Morris said. “It’s just technical things that I’ve got to fix. If I could get Mondo’s technique, then we’d be good.”

Although Morris didn’t square off Saturday against Suhr, the two American standouts are scheduled to compete against one another Feb. 15 at the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M.

The only scheduled matchup of the indoor season involving U.S. shot put stars Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs was also showcased on the Armory infield, their first showdown since a memorable battle in October at the World Outdoor Championships.

After Kovacs edged Crouser by one centimeter in the final round for the gold medal in Doha, there still wasn’t much separation among them four months later, with both athletes producing identical 69-8.25 (21.24m) marks in the opening round Saturday.

Crouser finally unleashed a 72-9.75 (22.19m) effort in the fifth round, with Kovacs’ best mark from the third round at 70-0.25 (21.34m) good for second.

Although the NYRR Wanamaker men’s mile didn’t produce the same historic results as the women’s race, Great Britain’s Chris O’Hare won for the second time in three years, clocking 3:55.61. Wisconsin senior Oliver Hoare was the top collegiate athlete for the second year in a row, taking runner-up in 3:56.47.

In a showdown of the reigning World Outdoor gold and silver medalists in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Keni Harrison accelerated over the final three barriers in the Howard Schmertz 60-meter hurdles to edge Nia Ali in their first matchup since October. Harrison prevailed in 7.90, with Ali running 7.96 and Bullis School MD senior Leah Phillips placing seventh in 8.44.

Allie Ostrander, a former Boise State star in her first year with the Brooks Beasts, surged in the final lap of the Mike Frankfurt women’s 3,000 meters to secure her first professional victory in 8:48.94, edging Canadian Julie-Anne Staehli (8:49.01) and Mexico’s Laura Galvan (8:49.74). Taylor Werner, redshirting the indoor season at Arkansas, finished fourth in 8:51.91.

Canada’s Justyn Knight, competing for Reebok Boston Track Club, won his second straight professional race in the Dr. Sander men’s 3,000 by clocking 7:46.36, holding off Colorado standout Joe Klecker (7:47.57).

Wadeline Jonathas continued her impressive first year as an adidas professional, with the former South Carolina standout winning in the Cheryl Toussaint women’s 400 in 51.93.

Rai Benjamin prevailed in the Jane and David Monti men’s 300 in 32.35, with Hazelwood West MO senior Justin Robinson taking second in 33.17.

Javianne Oliver, the 2018 U.S. indoor champion, won the women’s 60-meter dash in 7.13, ahead of Morolake Akinosun (7.16) and new Jamaican professional Briana Williams (7.18), who recently decided to forgo her remaining prep eligibility at Northeast High in Florida and sign with Nike.

Ronnie Baker emerged victorious in the men’s 60 over fellow American Demek Kemp by a 6.54 to 6.56 margin.

Daniel Roberts triumphed in the Fred Schmertz men’s 60-meter hurdles in 7.64.

Both USATF Championship mile race walk events featured repeat winners, with Nick Christie securing his third consecutive victory in 6:02.81. Christie became the seventh male athlete in meet history to win at least three years in a row.

Beavercreek OH senior Taylor Ewert earned back-to-back titles in 6:34.53 , defeating Marist junior Lauren Harris (6:39.81), along with a field of American professionals. Ewert became the third female athlete in meet history to win consecutive championships.

Fairleigh Dickinson senior Madeline Price won the Devon Martin women’s long jump with a personal-best 19-9.75 (6.04m) in the third round.