Richardson makes history with NCAA sprint double

These are the women who have had a better one-day double than Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100m and 200m:

Merlene Ottey.

That’s it.

Richardson, a 19-year-old from Dallas, bettered two world U20 records* at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, on Saturday (8).

She won the 100m in 10.75, setting a collegiate record and breaking the 42-year-old world U20 record of 10.88 by Marlies Gohr. In Usain Bolt style, Richardson raised both arms in victory five metres from the finish.

The collegiate record of 10.78, set at altitude at Provo, Utah, had been held by Dawn Sowell since 1989. Richardson’s previous best was 10.99.

Kayla White was second in 10.95 and Twanisha Terry third in 10.98. Times for places 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 were all the best in NCAA history.

Richardson’s time was fastest in the world since Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica ran 10.71 in June 2017. The teenager climbed to ninth on the world all-time list. And she was not finished.

SHA'CARRI RICHARDSON!!!!! 1️⃣0️⃣:7️⃣5️⃣

WORLD JUNIOR RECORD ✅
WORLD LEADER ✅
COLLEGIATE RECORD ✅
SCHOOL RECORD ✅ pic.twitter.com/n91WHBdCty

— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) June 8, 2019

In the 200m, Richardson could not overtake Anglerne Annelus, who retained her title. “I really wanted to back up the title,” Annelus said in an ESPN2 interview.

To thousandths of a second, Annelus’ time was 22.160 to Richardson’s 22.169.

Annelus’ 22.16 is a world leader. Richardson’s 22.17 betters under the world U20 record of 22.18 set by Allyson Felix at the 2004 Athens Olympics. (Felix clocked 22.11 at altitude in Mexico City in 2003, but the mark was unratified because organisers did not arrange for doping control.)

The three fastest collegiate women of all time represent Louisiana State University: Richardson, Sowell and Aleia Hobbs (10.85 last year).

“I did want to continue the legacy, and I’m happy I was able to do something for my team,” Richardson said on ESPN2.

Drama in the team race vanished when Southern California’s third runner in the 4x400m, 400m hurdles winner Anna Cockrell, stumbled coming out of the last turn and had the baton dislodged. USC and Arkansas were tied with 56 points before the final event. Arkansas’ second-place relay finish secured the team title, 64-57. LSU was third with 43 points.

With temperatures climbing to 36C, sprinters were as sizzling as the men were on Friday.

Texas A&M won the 4x400m in 3:25.57, faster than the previous world lead of 3:25.72 set by the victorious US team at last month’s IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019.

USC won the 4x100m in 42.21, under the world lead of a 42.51 by the US team at the World Relays – and 0.12 off LSU’s collegiate record. LSU, anchored by the hard-charging Richardson, was second in 42.29.

Janeek Brown was another history-maker. The 21-year-old won in a Jamaican record of 12.40, a world leader and just 0.01 off Brianna McNeal’s collegiate record. She was second in the 200m in 22.40, achieving the best such one-day double ever.

Behind Brown, Channel Brissett was second in a world age-19 best of 12.52 for sixth on the collegiate all-time list. Tonea Marshall, who beat Brown at the Texas Relays on this track, was third in 12.66. Cockrell was fifth in 12.80 before winning the 400m hurdles in 55.23.

Elsewhere, Sinclaire Jackson set a championship record of 4:05.98 in the 1500m, overtaking defending champion Jessica Hull with a 62.68 last lap. Hull, a 22-year-old Australian, was second in 4:06.27. Great Britain’s Hannah England had held the record of 4:06.19 since 2008.

Allie Ostrander won an unprecedented third straight 3000m steeplechase title in 9:37.23. Jenny Simpson won the steeplechase three times, but not consecutively.

Wadeline Jonathas won the 400m in a Haitian record of 50.60, while Laulauga Tausaga won the discus with a throw of 63.26m.

Ashtin Zamzow, 11th last year, scored 6222 to win the heptathlon for the host Texas Longhorns.

Jamaica had two more champions: Jazmine Fray, 2:01.31 in the 800m, and Shardia Lawrence, who produced a final-round leap of 13.99m to move from third to first in the triple jump. France’s Yanis David, the long jump champion, was second with 13.93m.

Attendance for the two days of finals was 11,037 for the men on Friday and 10,163 for the women Saturday.

Roy Jordan for the IAAF

*subject to the usual ratification procedures