Twanisha Terry wins the 100m at the Mt SAC Relays (© Kirby Lee)
Twanisha Terry produced one of the fastest 100m performances in history by an U20 athlete with her 10.99 victory on the final day of the Mt SAC Relays on Saturday (21).
The 19-year-old, who is a student at the University of Southern California, had taken 0.17 off her lifetime best with her 11.20 run in Arizona two weeks ago. But she took an even bigger chunk off her best on Saturday to beat a quality field.
Aided by a 1.7m/s following wind, Terry finished 0.07 ahead of Ashley Henderson, who later won the 200m in 22.66. 2015 US 200m champion Jenna Prandini was third in 11.09.
Terry’s time puts her at equal fourth on the world U20 all-time list for 100m and second on the North American U20 all-time list, just 0.01 behind Candace Hill’s U20 continental record.
Terry’s collegiate teammate Michael Norman contested his first outdoor 400m of 2018 and his first 400m race since setting a world indoor record of 44.52 (pending ratification) for the distance at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Pushed by fellow USC sprinter Rai Benjamin, Norman won in an outdoor PB of 44.53, just 0.01 behind his indoor best. Benjamin finished second in 44.74, with Paul Dedewo (44.78) and Kahmari Montgomery (44.91) also finishing within 45 seconds.
World U20 silver medallist Lynna Irby won the women’s 400m in an outdoor PB of 50.95.
Olympic champion Brianna Rollins-McNeal won the 100m hurdles in 12.43 (1.5m/s), the fourth-fastest time of her career.
Having set an indoor 60m PB (6.40) and an outdoor 200m PB (20.55) already this year, world indoor 60m bronze medallist Ronnie Baker added another lifetime best to his collection by winning the 100m in 9.97 (0.5m/s).
Jeff Demps was second in 10.08 and Britain’s IAAF Diamond League champion CJ Ujah was third in 10.08.
Fred Kerley won the 200m in 20.48 (0.4m/s) while Baker won another heat in 20.62 (1.3m/s).
Elsewhere, Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad won the 400m hurdles in 55.25, Jarvis Gotch set a lifetime best of 8.27m (0.8m/s) to win the long jump, and Keturah Orji topped the triple jump with 14.33m (1.6m/s).
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF