CALI, Colombia — Team USATF's women's 4x100m squad broke the oldest American U20 relay record on the books and helped increase the U.S. medal total to 13 on day five of the World Athletics U20 Championships at rain-soaked Pascual Guerrero Stadium. The team also tops the point standings with 138. There was no beating the Jamaican squad that set a World U20 record in the women's 4x100m relay with their 42.59, but Team USATF took down a 16-year-old American U20 record* by .01 seconds with their 43.28 for silver. Fresh off her 200m silver medal performance an hour before, Jayla Jamison (Gaston, South Carolina/USATF South Carolina) ran a strong lead leg to pass to Autumn Wilson (Liberty Hill, Texas/USATF Texas Southern) in good position. The handoff between Wilson and Iyana Gray (Arlington, Texas/USATF Southwestern) stretched the zone to the max but was legal, and then 100m bronze medalist Shawnti Jackson (Wake Forest, North Carolina/USATF North Carolina) sped down the final stretch to break the previous national U20 record that was set August 8, 2006. Following a lengthy weather delay, the women's 200m final lined up with Jayla Jamison (Gaston, South Carolina/USATF South Carolina) in the lane outside favored Brianna Lyston of Jamaica. Lyston charged from the blocks and made up much of the stagger on Jamison around the bend, but the USATF U20 champion shifted gears and stayed close down the straightaway to take silver in a lifetime best 22.77. Mia Brahe-Pedersen (Lake Oswego, Oregon/USATF Oregon) ran a very strong final half of the race to place fourth in 23.06. After a strong pair of runs by Laurenz Colbert (Bowie, Maryland/USATF Potomac Valley) and Michael Gizzi (Covington, Georgia/USATF Georgia), a bobbled pass at the second exchange slowed the U.S. but Brandon Miller (Fenton, Michigan/USATF Michigan) pulled the quartet back into medal contention around the bend. Johnny Brackins (Lee’s Summit, Missouri/USATF Missouri Valley) wasn't able to hold off strong challenges by Japan and Jamaica over the final 20m and the Americans ended up fourth in 39.57. South Africa won the race but were subsequently disqualified for a lane violation by their leadoff runner, moving the U.S. up to bronze. In the men's triple jump, Floyd Whitaker (Clementon, New Jersey/USATF New Jersey) bounded out to a lifetime best of 16.01m/52-6.5 on his final attempt to move into fifth. Solomon Washington (Round Rock, Texas/USATF Texas Southern) opened up with what would turn out to be his best effort of 15.55m/51-0.25, placing eighth. A 69.25m/227-2 throw in round three of the men's javelin earned Evan Niedrowski (Wyomissing, Pennsylvania/USATF Mid-Atlantic) three more attempts and, ultimately, eighth place. Talia Green (Oakland, California/USATF Pacific) finished 28th in the women's 10,000m race walk in 51:12.16, with Angelica Harris (Bartlett, Illinois/USATF Illinois) 33rd in 52:32.40. Clearly favored to medal coming into the meet, the women's 4x400m relay team did their job efficiently and effectively, winning the first heat easily in 3:32.94. Mekenze Kelley (Stone Mountain, Georgia/USATF Georgia) ran a solid opening leg of 53.3 and handed off with a lead to Madison Whyte (Newport News, Virginia/USATF Virginia). Whyte increased the lead a bit with a 53.0 carry, and then Zaya Akins (Kansas City, Missouri/USATF Missouri Valley) blew it wide open with a sterling 52.1 split. All that was left for Kennedy Wade (Seabrook, Texas/USATF Gulf) was to get the stick around safely one more time, and she did so in 54.6. The American men's 4x400m relay didn't have as big a winning margin as the women before them, but still came away with a 3:07.82 win in the first heat to advance to the final. Ashton Schwartzman (Wautoma, Wisconsin/USATF Wisconsin) clocked 47.5 on the leadoff leg and handed off in second to 400m hurdles finalist Kody Blackwood (McKinney, Texas/USATF Southwestern). Blackwood put the team back into contention with a 46.7 split and then fellow hurdler Grant Williams (Celina, Texas/USATF Southwestern) added to the lead with a 47.9 on the third leg. Will Sumner (Canton, Georgia/USATF Georgia) was the best of the foursome with a 45.8 anchor carry to seal the victory. Both American men qualified for the final of the discus, led by Kevin Grubbs (Humble, Texas/USATF Gulf), who threw a lifetime best 60.29m/197-9 to rank fifth overall. Desmond Coleman (Charlotte, North Carolina/USATF North Carolina) was one spot behind Grubbs with his 59.79m/196-2. A lifetime best 13.09m/42-11.5 in the first round propelled Agur Dwol (Littleton, Colorado/USATF Colorado) to the final of the women's triple jump as the eighth-best qualifier overall. Suzan Ogunleye (Round Rock, Texas/USATF Texas Southern) did not advance after recording a best of 12.35m/40-6.25. Jalaysiya Smith (Glenn Heights, Texas/USATF Southwestern) looked confident and comfortable in winning the first semifinal of the women's 100m hurdles in 13.20. Eddiyah Frye (Miami Gardens, Florida/USATF Florida) hit hurdle four hard in the second semi and couldn't recover to full speed, placing fifth in 13.92. As the rain continued to fall intermittently, Samuel Rodman (Bealeton, Virginia/USATF Virginia) toed the line for the first semi of the men's 800m. Rodman was in good position through 200m in 26.80 and was third at the bell in 54.74. He started to struggle in the third 200m, dropping back to fifth, and he ended up seventh in 1:49.47. Rumbling thunder and heavier rain greeted Miles Brown (Novi, Michigan/USATF Michigan) in the second semi and despite a gallant effort he wasn't able to make any headway in a speedy final 200m, taking sixth in 1:50.17.
A full list of results can be found here. Join the conversation with USATF on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #JourneyToGold. *Pending ratification