McLaughlin matches Demus with fifth career sub-53 effort, Newbury Park sweeps boys and girls high school miles, with team having four male athletes under 4:10 in same race; Nageotte and Kendricks prevail in pole vault, Walsh and Thomas-Dodd secure shot put wins, Aragon and Murphy take 1500s

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor/Photos by Chuck Aragon

A former high school star reminded the world Sunday just how impressive she can be in the 400-meter hurdles, with a current group of prep standouts continuing to set new standards for excellence in distance depth at the Music City Track Carnival.

Sydney McLaughlin, competing in the 400 hurdles for the first time in more than 600 days after securing a silver medal at the 2019 World Outdoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, ran 52.83 for the fastest time globally this year at the American Track League event at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tenn.

McLaughlin, a New Balance professional athlete who attended Union Catholic High in New Jersey before competing for one year at Kentucky, ran 52.23 in the 2019 championship to place second behind world record-holder and fellow American Dalilah Muhammad (52.16).

McLaughlin’s performance Sunday gave her five sub-53 efforts in her career, tying 2011 World champion Lashinda Demus for the most in history. Jamaica’s Leah Nugent (55.34) and Canada’s Sage Watson (56.04) finished second and third.

In the high school boys mile, Newbury Park became the first team to have four athletes run under 4:10 in the same race, with Colin Sahlman winning in 4:05.79, prevailing against a 4:06.68 effort from North Carolina State signee Miles Ally of Martin Luther King High in Tennessee – the Festival of Miles winner Thursday in St. Louis in 4:06.42 – along with Landen McNair of Bartlett High in Tennessee (4:07.42) and Ruben Reina of Har-Ber High in Arkansas (4:07.53), who has signed with the Razorbacks.

Sophomore twins Leo Young (4:07.66) and Lex Young (4:08.76) finished fifth and sixth for Newbury Park, with Aaron Sahlman clocking 4:09.30 to secure seventh.

Newbury Park chose to travel to Tennessee to compete at the Music City Track Carnival instead of participating in the CIF-Southern Section postseason, a decision that paid dividends in both prep mile races.

Junior Samantha McDonnell won the girls high school mile event representing Newbury Park, edging BYU signee Carmen Alder of Pinecrest High in North Carolina by a 4:43.11 to 4:43.22 margin.

Sadie Engelhardt, an eighth-grader from Cabrillo Middle School in Ventura, Calif., lowered her own fastest mile time by a junior high athlete since the turn of the century by clocking 4:44.40 to take third overall, as 10 athletes achieved sub-5 performances.

Dani Aragon, representing Empire Elite Track Club, rallied from fourth with a lap remaining in the women’s pro 1,500, surging past three-time World Championship medalist and 2011 winner Jenny Simpson to clock a personal-best 4:05.46 and earn the standard to compete at the Olympic Trials.

Simpson clocked a season-best 4:06.18, with Canada’s Natalia Hawthorn taking third in 4:06.63.

Clayton Murphy held off Brett Meyer – a Fort Hays State graduate assistant who won the St. Louis Track Club Men’s Mile on Thursday at Festival of Miles – by a 3:38.07 to 3:38.10 margin Sunday in the men’s pro 1,500, with New Zealand’s Nick Willis (3:38.43) and Belgium’s Peter Callahan (3:38.46) also producing sub-3:40 efforts.

Sean Torpy of Miami (Ohio) led three athletes with sub-4 performances in the men’s mile, clocking a personal-best 3:59.04. Wesley Meyer of Lipscomb was runner-up in 3:59.69 and Michael Coccia of Ole Miss, representing Canada, took third in 3:59.90.

Katie Nageotte, a Nike athlete and world leader in the pole vault at 16-2 (4.93m), cleared 15-11 (4.85m) on her first attempt Sunday. Nageotte missed three opportunities at 16-2.75 (4.95m).

New Zealand’s Tom Walsh became the fourth male athlete to achieve the 22-meter mark outdoors in the shot put this year, producing a 72-2.25 (22.00m) performance in the third round.

Danniel Thomas-Dodd of Jamaica triumphed in the women’s shot put with a sixth-round mark of 63-2.25 (19.26m), improving on her own No. 8 performance in the world this year. Americans Jessica Ramsey and Raven Saunders placed second and third with efforts of 61-7.50 (18.78m) and 60-8.50 (18.50m), respectively.

Ashland University (Ohio) star Trevor Bassitt not only secured the Olympic standard, but elevated to No. 3 in the U.S. and eighth in the world this year by clocking 48.80 in the men’s 400 hurdles, just ahead of fellow Americans Kenny Selmon (48.96) and CJ Allen (48.97).

Americans Sam Kendricks and Matt Ludwig both cleared 18-8.75 (5.71m) in the men’s pole vault, with Kendricks prevailing on fewer misses at the deciding height.

Vincent Crisp, competing for Under Armour District Track Club, edged Algerian standout Takieddine Hedeilli in the men’s 800 by a 1:47.80 to 1:47.92 margin in a showdown of Texas Tech standouts.

Shannon Osika, representing Nike, closed in 59.87 to run a personal-best 2:00.60 in the women’s 800, just ahead of Nike Oregon Track Club Elite athlete Chanelle Price (2:00.87). Sabrina Southerland, Price’s teammate and the No. 2 American outdoor competitor this year at 1:58.82, took third in 2:01.59.

Jessica Beard prevailed in the women’s 400 in 51.44, ahead of former Alabama A&M standout Na’Asha Robinson, who achieved a personal-best 51.94, along with Francena McCorory (52.01).

Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas clocked 45.06 in the men’s 400, with Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor running 45.67 to finish second.

Dezerea Bryant triumphed in the women’s 100 by clocking 11.24 running into a headwind.

Andrew Hudson was victorious in the men’s 100 in 10.27.

Although the race occurred following the NCAA Division 3 championship meet, Emily Pomainville of SUNY Geneseo won the women’s developmental 1,500 in 4:13.45 to lower her all-time mark, faster than the 4:13.69 she achieved the prelims May 27 in Greensboro, N.C.

Pomainville covered the final lap in 66.71 to rally from third and secure the victory. Stefanie Parsons of Edinboro, seventh place May 29 at the Division 2 final, produced a personal-best 4:14.22 to take second.

Sam Ellis of Princeton held off Kansas graduate Bryce Richards by a 3:40.73 to 3:40.76 margin in the men’s developmental 1,500.

Daniel Nixon won the men’s developmental 800 in 1:47.35, as Stanford signee John Lester of Amador Valley High in California followed his 1:47.65 effort Thursday at the Stumptown Twilight event in Portland by clocking 1:48.50 to finish fourth.

Skylyn Webb, a former NCAA Division 2 champion at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, emerged victorious in the women’s developmental 800 in 2:02.49 to achieve the Olympic Trials standard. Bailey Sharon, this year’s Division 2 winner from Western Colorado, placed fourth in 2:04.13. 

Samantha Blair of Eagle Valley High in Colorado secured victory in the high school girls open mile in 4:54.47, with Newbury Park’s Fiona Hawkins finishing second in 4:55.39.

Miles Brush of Chelsea High in Alabama won the high school boys open mile in 4:15.41, with Connor Williams of Crested Butte Community School in Colorado clocking 4:15.43. Brush also won the 3,200 on Saturday in 9:08.01, with Nick Goldstein of Newbury Park placing second in 9:11.44.

Madison Jones of Saltillo High in Mississippi, a Jacksonville signee, won the girls high school 3,200 on Saturday in 10:47.36, leading three athletes under 11 minutes.

Sam Chelanga, collegiate record holder in the 10,000 at Liberty University, won both the men’s 5,000 (13:39.08) and 10,000 (30:35.41). Zach Panning (13:40.09) and Isaac Harding (13:44.52), both Division 2 champions at Grand Valley State, were second and third overall.

Carrie Verdon, a Colorado graduate, won the women’s 5,000 event Saturday in 15:34.30, ahead of Brooks-Hansons athlete Anne-Marie Blaney (15:37.74), a teammate of Panning.

Australian Edward Trippas of Princeton prevailed Friday in the men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 8:30.89.

Kayla Windemuller, who attends Michigan, triumphed Friday in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase in 9:55.73.