US sprint hurdler Kendra Harrison (© AFP / Getty Images)
In her first race of the year over barriers, world indoor champion Kendra Harrison won the 60m hurdles at the Martin Luther King Invitational in Albuquerque in 7.81.
The world silver medallist finished just ahead of African champion Tobi Amusan, who clocked a PB of 7.87 in second place.
The altitude of Albuquerque provided some welcome assistance in many of the sprints. 2017 NCAA 100m champion Mikiah Brisco equalled her PB to win the 60m in 7.08. Teenager Julien Alfred of St Lucia was close behind in 7.10, the fastest ever time by an U20 from Central America and the Caribbean and enough to move her to third on the world U20 indoor all-time list. World U20 silver medallist Twanisha Terry was third in 7.15, just 0.01 outside her PB.
The closest event of the meeting was the men’s 400m, where Isaiah Jewett and Jonathan Jones crossed the line together, timed at 46.19. Jewett was eventually given the verdict by just four thousandths of a second.
Decathlete Garrett Scantling made a stunning return to competition at the McCravy Memorial on Lexington’s oversized track.
The 26-year-old’s last competition was the 2016 US Olympic Trials, where he finished fourth in the decathlon with 8228, narrowly missing out on a place on USA’s team for the Olympics in Rio. But despite the long break in action, Scantling showed no signs of rust as he produced a heptathlon lifetime best of 6110.
He opened his campaign with 6.95 in the 60m, just 0.01 shy of his PB, and followed it with 7.12m in the long jump, a PB of 16.21m in the shot put, a 2.02m clearance in the high jump, a 7.91 PB in the 60m hurdles and an equal PB of 5.10m in the pole vault before completing his competition with 2:52.82 in the 1000m.
At the Dr Sander Columbia Challenge in New York, world 4x400m champion Wadeline Jonathas took more than a second off her indoor 400m PB in her first race of the year, clocking 51.71.
World bronze medallist Ajee Wilson won the 800m in 2:02.33, while Quanesha Burks won the long jump with 6.73m.
Jessica Ramsey won a quality shot put competition in 18.91m. Maggie Ewen was a close second with 18.80m with Chase Ealey third (17.75m) and Raven Saunders fourth (17.58m).
Elsewhere, 2012 Olympic pole vault champion Jenn Suhr scaled 4.75m at the Fas Trak Invitational in Houston.
Craig Engels won a close race in the mile at the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston, finishing just seven thousandths ahead of Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran. Both men were officially timed at 3:56.85. Canada’s Julie-Anne Staehli won the 3000m in 8:47.97.
