Crouser records best series since ‘87 at 2020 Drake Blue Oval Showcase Presented by Mediacom

Des Moines, Iowa -- The Drake Blue Oval Showcase Presented by Mediacom was the first major outdoor track and field competition held in the U.S. this year. With extra precautions taken to ensure everyone’s safety, star-studded fields competed in nine events, six on the track and three in the field, but it was Ryan Crouser that stole the show.
 
Fans can watch a replay of competition here on usatf.tv+. 
 
With the best series since Italy’s Alessandro Andrei broke the world record three times at Viareggio in 1987, reigning Olympic champion Crouser (Fayetteville, Arkansas) put on a clinic in the men’s shot put, blasting a best of 22.72m/74-6.5 in round two to smash his own stadium record and equal the 13th best performance in history. Crouser’s shortest mark of the day was a 22.27m/73-0.75 on his opening attempt, and he had four throws better than 74-feet. Nick Ponzio (Phoenix, Arizona) and Payton Otterdahl (Fargo, North Dakota) both had bests of 21.19m/69-6/25, and Ponzio placed second based on a better second-best effort.
 
In the men’s USATF 1 Mile Championship, Abraham Alvarado (Atlanta, Georgia) led a large pack into Drake Stadium and stayed in front through the first 300m on the track before a trio of Joe Klecker (Minnetonka, Minnesota), Colby Alexander (Strongsville, Ohio) and Sam Prakel (Seattle, Washington) started to move past him. Heading into the final stretch that trio were within a stride of each other before Prakel surged to the front and ran away to win in 3:58.3, covering the final 400m in 53.4. Alexander was a half-second back in 3:58.8, while Klecker also dipped under 4:00 with a 3:59.0 in third.
 
Emily Lipari (Greenvale, New York) and Marisa Howard (Pasco, Washington) pulled the pack through the first quarter in 69.0 and had a 5m lead going behind Drake Stadium in the women’s USATF 1 Mile Championship. Howard was first into the stadium, with Lipari 2m back and the rest of the chase pack 15m behind. Lipari passed Howard with 200m to go and pushed on to win for the second time in three years with a 4:29.3, covering the final circuit in 63.0. Howard had her best performance in a national championship race, claiming second in 4:31.1, and Megan Mansy (Newark, New Jersey) came through for third in 4:32.0. 
 
Last year's NCAA Division I Indoor 200m champion, Kayla White (Miami, Florida), improved her season best by a quarter-second with a technically-sound 11.18 to win the Mediacom women’s 100m. Kristina Knott set a Philippines national record in second with an 11.27.
 
Rocketing through the curve in section two of the men’s 200m, Josephus Lyles (Alexandria, Virginia) turned back Panamanian Olympian Alonso Edward to win in 20.32. Justin Robinson (St. Louis, Missouri), a recent graduate from Hazelwood (Missouri) High School and the fastest 400m man of the year, stepped down a distance and came away with a windy 20.67 victory in the first section, his first time under 21 seconds. That was good for second place overall, with Edward third in 20.69.
 
Last year’s Toyota USATF Outdoors fifth-placer Michael Dickson (Beaufort, South Carolina) had a marginally better start than 2019 bronze medalist Devon Allen (Phoenix, Arizona) in the second section of the KT Tape men’s 110m hurdles, and those two were stride-for-stride throughout the race before Dickson outleaned Allen to win by .006 as both men clocked 13.54. In his first outdoor race of the year, Toyota USATF Indoors fourth-placer Chad Zallow (Warren, Ohio) ran his third-fastest time ever in the first heat to win in 13.74 and place third overall.
 
Toyota USATF Indoors 60m hurdles runner-up Payton Chadwick (Springdale, Arkansas) had the fastest time by an American woman this year in the first section of the KT Tape women’s 100m hurdles, winning in 12.97 to place third overall. Britain’s Tiffany Porter won the second section in 12.90, but most eyes were on 2008 Olympic champion Dawn Harper-Nelson (St. Louis, Missouri), who was running her first race since 2018. Harper-Nelson ran well to clock 13.17 and place fourth overall.
 
Outdoor American record holder Sandi Morris (Fayetteville, Arkansas)won the women’s pole vault with her first attempt, sailing over 4.55m/14-11. It took her three tries to scale 4.65m/15-3, and the 2016 Olympic silver medalist then had three attempts at 4.75m/15-7, but couldn’t keep the bar on the pegs. Megan Clark (Chula Vista, California) was second with a best of 4.45m/14-7.25.
 
2012 Olympic 4x100m relay finalist Jeff Demps (Winter Garden, Florida) sped to his fastest time since 2018 in the first section of the men’s 100m, winning in 10.09 over Devin Quinn’s (Gainesville, Florida) 10.12. That held up as the overall winner after Kyree King took section two in 10.19.
 
American decathlon record holder Jordan Gray (Ball Ground, Georgia) came away with an upset win in the Prairie Meadows women’s long jump, spanning 6.16m/20-2.5 on her final attempt. Reigning Olympic champion Tianna Bartoletta (Berkeley, California) had trouble hitting the board and ended up third.
 
A pair of 400m specialists finished atop the heats of the women’s 200m, led by Lynna Irby’s (Indianapolis, Indiana) 22.52 with a hefty 3.7 meters per second wind in the second section. The 2020 world leader for one lap at 50.50, Irby held off a challenge from NCAA record-holder Kyra Jefferson (Detroit, Michigan), who clocked 22.69 behind her. Winner of the Toyota USATF Outdoors 400m last year on the blue oval, Shakima Wimbley (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) pulled away from the field in the first section to win in a wind-aided 23.07.
 
Official results can be found here.
 
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