Olympians Hocker, Nilsen, Harrison, Burks and MacLean Win Indoor Titles; Hawkins Comes Up Big In Pentathlon

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor 

SPOKANE, Wash. -- After missing the Olympic Games by one spot at the U.S. Trials, Maggie Ewen, to her credit, finished the summer of 2021 on an uptick. 

That trend continued on Saturday at the USATF Indoor Championships Presented by BD, where Ewen crushed her own personal best by 10 inches and took over the world lead in the women's shot put. 

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Ewen's victory was a highlight on Day One at The Podium, where a nearly full grandstand saw seven national champions crowned. A sellout crowd is expected for Sunday's session. 

"It's exactly what I wanted to come and do," Ewen said after her second attempt traveled 64 feet, 11.25 inches (19.79m). "I didn't realize I was going to do it so big, but I'm very happy."

The top two finishers in every event qualify for the U.S. team that is scheduled to compete at the World Athletics Indoor Championships next month in Belgrade, Serbia. 

It's too early to tell whether the Russian invasion Ukraine over the past few days will put that championship in jeopardy. For now, athletes competing in Spokane are trying to win the first available indoor national championships since 2020 and hoping for a chance to represent the country. 

Chris Nilsen, who won the men's pole vault and took three attempts at an American indoor record height of 6.03m (19-9.25), said he trust that the right decision will be made to protect athletes' safety. 

"The governing bodies will let things fall where they fall. I think when it comes to the safety of it all people are going to take the precautions that they need," Nilsen said. "It's kind of the same thing as COVID. We have something going on and we need to work around that."

Nilsen, the Olympic silver medalist, cleared 19-4.75 (5.91m) as an entertained crowd cheered him on. His victory came as five U.S. men cleared 19 feet in the same meet for the first time in history. And Sam Kendricks, who had not missed a U.S. team since 2014, did not compete. 

KC Lightfoot finished second with 19-2.75 (5.86m) to earn the second team slot. 

Cole Hocker zipped through the final lap of the 3,000 meters in 26.6 seconds and separated from Emmanuel Bor and the rest of the field to win his first U.S. indoor crown in 7:47.50. 

Hocker is set to compete in the 1,500 on Sunday. His former college teammate and training partner, Cooper Teare, was not able to compete because of a positive COVID test. 

An early suprise came in the women's 1,500 meters, where three women crashed the finish tape within .05 seconds. 

Olympian Heather MacLean beat her New Balance training partner Elle Purrier-St. Pierre for the first time, and also overtook Josette Norris in the final strides to finish in 4:06.09. 

Afterward, MacLean revealed she had an organ surgically removed last fall, but offered no explanation of "which one."

Purrier-St. Pierre, who seemed like a relatively safe bet, was the odd woman out and missed a top-two spot by .01 seconds. 

Chari Hawkins, a multi-athlete with an enormous social media following, enjoyed one of the best days of her career in the pentathlon. She scored new personal bests in the first three events of the day -- the 60-meter hurdles, the high jump (tied her best) and shot put -- and perfomed well enough in the long jump and 800 to defeat Olympian Kendell Williams for the national title with 4,492 points. 

Hawkins recovered from an ankle surgery and the disappointment of a sixth-place finish in the heptathlon at the U.S. Trials. After that, she revaled that she fell into a dark space mentally, she said.

"To come back and get a huge personal best and feel like I still have a lot more in the tank is such a beautiful feeling and I'm so proud of myself," Hawkins said. 

Williams finished second with 4,399 points, but other than long jump mark of 21-0, was slightly off her game. 

JuVaughn Harrison won the first of a possible two titles this weekend by winning the high jump with 7-5.75 (2.28m). Darryl Sullivan Jr. edged out Darius Carbin for second as both made 7-4.50 (2.25m).

Quanesha Burks hit a big mark in the fourth round of the long jump, 21-6 (6.55m). which withstood pressure in the final rounds from Tiffany Flynn and Sha'Keela Saunders for the title. The three jumpers were separated by less than three inches. 

UPDATE (2/27): Donavan Brazier was flagged by officials for a lane violation after winning his heat of the men's 400 meters but then appealed the ruling and was reinstated for Sunday's final.