Scantling and Crouser book Belgrade places with world-leading victories at US Indoor Championships

With their victories on the final day of the US Indoor Championships in Spokane on Sunday (27), Garrett Scantling and Ryan Crouser showed that they will be formidable opponents at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 next month.

Scantling, the fourth-place finisher in the decathlon at the Tokyo Olympics, produced the series of his life to win the heptathlon with 6382. Bookended by PBs in the 60m (6.86) and 1000m (2:43.04), his marks also included 7.34m in the long jump, 16.16m in the shot put, 2.05m in the high jump, 7.81 in the 60m hurdles and 5.20m in the pole vault.

His winning score of 6382 elevates him to ninth on the world all-time list and third on the US all-time list, just ahead of Erki Nool and Bryan Clay, the 2000 and 2008 Olympic champions respectively.

Scantling’s performance also sets the tone for another great heptathlon at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, where he will likely take on world decathlon record-holder Kevin Mayer as well as some of the other leading performers from last year’s Olympic Games.

Crouser, like Scantling, also made light work of booking his place on his first World Indoor Championships team. The Olympic champion and world record-holder opened the shot put final with a world-leading throw of 22.03m, then improved to 22.24m in round three and 22.51m in round four. Josh Awotunde was second with a PB of 21.74m.

Grant Holloway extended his winning streak in the 60m hurdles. The world champion and world indoor record-holder won the title in 7.37, equalling Terrence Trammell’s meeting record from 2009. World indoor silver medallist Jarret Eaton, who has confirmed he will retire this year, was second in 7.47.

Olympic finalist Gabbi Cunningham smashed her PB to win the women’s 60m hurdles title in 7.82. While she won relatively comfortably, it was close for the next three places as Alaysha Johnson took second place in 7.91, just ahead of world indoor silver medallist Christine Clemons (7.92) and Dior Hall (7.93).

The women’s 60m was similarly close. Mikiah Brisco, the 2017 NCAA 100m champion, equalled her season’s best of 7.07 to get the victory just ahead of Marybeth Sant Price, who was second in 7.08.

World 100m champion Christian Coleman equalled the world lead of 6.45 to win the men’s title from 2014 world indoor silver medallist Marvin Bracy, who was second in an equal PB of 6.48.

Jarrion Lawson uncorked an 8.19m leap in the final round of the long jump to take victory. Marquis Dendy was close behind with 8.14m, and Olympic finalist JuVaughn Harrison was third (8.05m).

Sandi Morris also came from behind to take a late pole vault victory. The defending world indoor champion had one failure at 4.60m, which meant she trailed Olympic champion Katie Nageotte for most of the competition. Nageotte recorded no misses up to and included 4.75m, but ultimately went no higher. Morris, however, got over 4.80m on her second try.

Five athletes cleared 5.81m in the men's pole vault on Saturday, but only one managed 5.91m and that clinched Chris Nilsen the title.

That kind of depth had never before been achieved at a national championships for any country, indoors or out, but Nilsen, KC Lightfoot, Zach McWhorter, Matt Ludwig and Jacob Wooten all managed the mark. Lightfoot went on to clear 5.86m to finish second, while Nilsen later had three attempts at a North American indoor record height of 6.03m. He had managed 5.91m on his first attempt.

Also on Saturday, Maggie Ewen improved her outright PB to 19.79m to claim the shot put crown, that mark moving her to second on this season’s top list behind Auriol Dongmo’s world-leading 19.90m from earlier in the day.

Ewen backed it up with throws of 19.50m, 19.37m and 19.10m, while Chase Ealey threw 19.10m to finish second.

There was a thrilling finish to the women’s 1500m and it saw Heather MacLean triumph ahead of Josette Norris and Elle Purrier St Pierre, the top two gaining selection for the World Indoor Championships but Purrier St Pierre missing out by just 0.01. With a strong late surge, MacLean dipped over the finish line in 4:06.09 to Norris’ 4:06.13 and Purrier St Pierre’s 4:06.14.

Heather MacLean pips Josette Norris and Elle Purrier St. Pierre to the US 1500m title (© Kirby Lee)

 

Purrier St Pierre returned to the track 24 hours later for the 3000m and succeeded in securing her place on the team for Belgrade by winning convincingly in 8:41.53 from Alicia Monson (8:43.86).

Cole Hocker claimed his second national title in the men’s 3000m, running 7:47.50 on Saturday to finish more than a second ahead of Emmanuel Bor with 7:48.64, while Dillon Maggard was third in 7:49.05. Hocker returned to the track on Sunday and won the 1500m in 3:39.09. The first five men finished inside the previous meeting record.

Elsewhere, Bryce Hoppel won the 800m in a season’s best of 1:45.30. Trevor Bassitt took the men’s 400m in 45.75 with world 800m champion Donavan Brazier taking second place in an indoor PB of 46.14.

Double NCAA champion JuVaughn Harrison won the high jump with a 2.28m clearance, while Quanesha Burks took the women’s long jump with a 6.55m leap.

The pentathlon was won by Chari Hawkins thanks to a PB 4492-point score.

 

Steiner breaks North American indoor 200m record

Performances continue to hot up with less than three weeks until the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 and with a World Championships on home soil in Oregon later this year. While athletes were battling for Belgrade team places in Spokane, Washington, this weekend, many were also making their mark at collegiate conferences across the country.

Abby Steiner is among them. Racing at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships in Texas, the 22-year-old became the second-quickest women’s indoor 200m runner in history, clocking 22.09 to break the North American indoor record. Only Merlene Ottey with her world record of 21.87 from 1993 has ever gone quicker.

A NEW AMERICAN INDOOR RECORD OF 22.09 FOR @abbysteiner1. WOW! 🏆

GREATEST. OF. ALL. TIME.#UKTF x #SECTF pic.twitter.com/xw7MMaedBE

— UK Track & Field (@KentuckyTrack) February 27, 2022

Finishing second behind the University of Kentucky athlete was Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, who again improved her own African indoor record to 22.46. The day before, Steiner and Ofili had won their heats in 22.44 and 22.61 respectively.

Also on Friday in Texas, Anna Hall achieved a world-leading performance to win the pentathlon, clocking a 2:05.33 800m as part of her PB 4618-point score.

Competing for the University of Florida, the 20-year-old opened with 8.33 in the 60m hurdles and cleared 1.79m in the high jump. She then threw 12.85m in the shot put and recorded 5.99m in the long jump before storming to a time of 2:05.33 for her world-leading tally. Mississippi State’s Shayla Broughton was second with 4260 points.

Mercy Chelangat ran a meeting record of 15:43.64 to take the women’s 5000m and the men’s final was won by Patrick Kiprop in 13:49.09.

The women’s long jump was won by Jasmine Moore with a 6.75m leap, while Carey McLeod leapt 8.07m to win the men’s long jump over Matthew Boling with 7.90m. Boling also went quickest in the 60m heats, clocking a PB of 6.59, and returned on Saturday to win the final in 6.64. Alia Armstrong took the women’s title in 7.11, with Steiner third in 7.19, an hour before her 22.09 200m. Lance Lang won the men’s 200m in 20.32 after his third place in the 60m in 6.69. A day after her long jump win, Moore took the triple jump with a 14.11m leap.

Kerr runs 3:48.87 European indoor mile record

Britain's Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Josh Kerr moved to third on the world indoor mile all-time list, breaking the European record with 3:48.87 at the Boston University Last Chance Meet on Sunday (27). 

Only Yomif Kejelcha with his world record of 3:47.01 and Hicham El Guerrouj with 3:48.45 have ever gone faster indoors.

Kerr also broke the British indoor 1500m record with his split of 3:32.86, a time that improves on Peter Elliott's long-standing mark of 3:34.20 set in 1990. The performance puts Kerr second on the European indoor all-time list behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen's recent world indoor record and eighth on the world indoor all-time list.

At the ACC Indoor Championships in Blacksburg, Virginia, Trey Cunningham moved further up the 60m hurdles season top list as well as the world all-time list, clocking a PB of 7.40 in the heats on Friday and then 7.42 in Saturday's final. The Florida State athlete is now No.2 behind world 60m hurdles record-holder Grant Holloway’s world-leading 7.35 this season and joint 13th on the world all-time list.