ALBUQUERQUE — Some of the nation’s top athletes are set to return to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the USATF Indoor Championships February 16-18 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. A field of Olympians, world champions, and rising stars is poised for big marks - how many records will fall?
The fastest woman in the world this year at 6.98 and undefeated in seven straight 60m heats and finals in 2023, Aleia Hobbs must have at least a little bit of a notion that she could break the American record of 6.95 in the friendly confines of the Convention Center. Christian Coleman's men's world indoor record of 6.34 was set here in 2018, and Hobbs will have Mikiah Brisco and Marybeth Sant Price pushing her here. Brisco won the 2022 USATF indoor dash title and went on to take silver at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in 6.99, while Sant Price was runner-up at the USATF meet and a bronze medalist at the worlds in 7.04. 2019 World Championships 200m silver medalist Brittany Brown and Destiny Smith-Barnett are two other contenders for the podium if one of the top three falters.
Depending on how her day goes Thursday in the pentathlon, multi-talented Anna Hall will be favored here, too. With the fastest entry time at 51.45, Hall has NaAsha Robinson and Brittany Aveni as her top two challengers. Robinson and Aveni were both on the U.S. 4x400m relay at last year's World Indoors after clocking 52.50 at the USATF indoor meet.
Michaela Meyer is the top returnee from last year's Championships after placing fourth in Spokane, and two more of the women behind her in that final will also toe the line. Meyer has a best of 1:58.55 outdoors and hopes to carry that over to the 200m oval, with Sammy Watson and Nia Akins looking to improve on their 6-7 finish in 2022. Akins has the better PB, an outdoor 1:58.78 last summer, and Watson is seeking her first sub-2:00 clocking. Standing in the way of this trio is Allie Wilson, who has been running very well this season, as evidenced by her 1:26.40 600m at Millrose and a 2:36.31 1,000m at Boston in January to move to No. 8 on the all-time U.S. indoor performer list.
On paper this is an exciting and close contest between Nikki Hiltz, Sage Hurta-Klecker and Emily MacKay, all ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. in the indoor mile this season, with Hiltz the best at 4:24.68. Hiltz was the 2019 Pan American Games gold medalist in the 1,500m and was a finalist at the 2019 World Championships, setting an outdoor PB of 4:01.52. They were sixth at Millrose in an indoor PB 4:06.59. Hurta-Klecker won the 2021 NCAA indoor mile for Colorado and has an indoor 1,500m PB of 4:06.43. She ran 1:57.85 for 800m at the Monaco Diamond League meet last summer. Winner of the 3,000m at Boston last weekend in a PB 8:40.75, MacKay set her 1,500m and mile lifetime bests at the New Balance GP two weeks ago, going 4:08.73 in the 1,500m en route to a 4:26.09 mile.
Coming off a stunning 8:30.13 runner-up finish at the Millrose Games, Whittni Morgan is now the No. 5 all-time U.S. indoor performer. Morgan won the NCAA cross country individual title for BYU in 2021. She is six seconds better than her next closest challenger, Elly Henes, the 2021 NCAA 5,000m champion for North Carolina State who was fourth at Millrose in a PB 8:36.48. Emily MacKay, who is doubling in the 1,500, has an 8:40.75 PB, while Tokyo Olympic Games 3,000m steeplechase finalist Val Constien set her indoor 3,000m PB of 8:41.77 in finishing second to MacKay last week and is familiar with racing at altitude after attending the University of Colorado. Her former Buffs teammate, Abby Nichols, dropped her PB to 8:48.58 in January. World Championships steeplechase finalist Courtney Wayment won NCAA indoor titles at 3,000m and 5,000m for BYU and was the NCAA steeple winner last June, and is due for a PB based on her 9:09.91 steeplechase lifetime best that was set last August in Monaco.
A semifinalist at the 2022 World Indoor Championships, Alaysha Johnson has been on a hot streak in Europe of late, lowering her PB to 7.82 at Val-de-Reuil, France, two weeks ago and winning three meets. She also made Team USATF for the World Outdoor Championships in Eugene in the 100m hurdles. Millrose Games second place finisher Tonea Marshall has run sub-8.00 twice this season and has a PB of 7.86, while Anna Cockrell has run 7.93 in her career. Cockrell, the 2021 NCAA 100m hurdles/400m hurdles gold medalist for USC, was an NCAA silver medalist in the 60mH in 2018. Heptathlete Taliyah Brooks has neared her lifetime best with an 8.04 thus far in 2023, a time she shares with Cha'Mia Rothwell.
With 10 USATF indoor race walk golds to her credit, Maria Michta-Coffey is the winningest walker in U.S. women's indoor history. Defending the title she won in 2022, Michta-Coffey has a PB of 12:33.75 from 2016 and won the USATF 1 Mile Race Walk Championships at the Millrose Games last week. The women who were 3-6 in 2022 are also entered, led by 2017 World Championships 50km walk competitor Katie Burnett, who has a 13:14.09 PB. Jannelle Branch, Celina Lepe and Katie Miale will all be hoping to move up onto the podium.
When you talk about U.S. women's high jumping in the last seven years, Vashti Cunningham is the name that always comes to the fore. Winning the World Indoor title at Portland as an 18-year-old in 2016, Cunningham has captured six straight USATF Indoors golds and added a 2018 World Indoors silver to go with her two Olympic Games finals appearances. She has cleared 1.97m/6-5.5 already in 2023 and is aiming to improve on her 2.00m/6-6.75 indoor PB. Stephen F. Austin's Nissi Kabongo and Mercedeez Francis are the next best entrants with 1.85m/6-0.75 efforts, while Oregon high schooler Jaiceonna Gero-Holt is an intriguing and multi-talented athlete who represented Team USATF in the heptathlon at last summer's World U20 Championships.
In a rematch of last week's Millrose Games, Olympic and world champion Katie Moon will again take on up-and-comer Bridget Williams. Moon went over 4.81m/15-9.25 for the U.S. lead at Millrose, taking that mantle from Williams, who sports a 4.77m/15-7.75 PB from two weeks ago in Boston. She grabbed the world indoor lead with a 4.83m/15-10 win at Lievin, France, Wednesday. Moon and Williams went 2-3 at the USATF Indoors in Spokane, with Washington high schooler Amanda Moll just behind them in fourth. Moll has upped her national prep record to 4.61m/15-1.5 this season, but her twin sister, Hana Moll, won the world U20 gold in Colombia in 2022. Rachel Baxter and Gabriela Leon, a Team USATF member at the World Outdoor Championships in Eugene, are also in contention for a podium spot.
Charismatic and dynamic Tara Davis Woodhall leads the entry list with a 2023 best of 6.75m/22-1.75 and was sixth at the Tokyo Olympic Games. She will be up against the top four finishers at the USATF Indoor Championships, including champion Quanesha Burks, who was fifth at the World Indoors and fourth at the World Outdoors in 2022. Tiffany Flynn was second to Burks at Spokane, but fourth at the World Indoors before making the World Outdoors final and placing 12th. Rhesa Foster improved her indoor PB to 6.60m/21-8 in January and was a bronze medalist at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
Reigning champion and American outdoor record holder Keturah Orji is opening her season at this meet and is the class of the field with an indoor PB of 14.60m/47-10.75 that she set here in 2020. Orji has been a finalist at seven Olympic, World Indoor and World Outdoor meets since 2016 with best placings of fourth at the 2016 Games and 2016 World Indoors. Last year's bronze medalist at the USATF Indoors, Imani Oliver, is Orji's top challenger.
A small but very talented field is headed by co-American indoor record holder Chase Ealey, the 2022 World Outdoor champion who leads the 2023 world list with her 20.03m/65-8.75 winning throw at the Millrose Games. Defending U.S. indoor champion Maggie Ewen also had a big throw at Millrose, going 19.49m/63-11.5 and was fifth at the 2022 World Indoors, while Jessica Woodard was eighth at the World Outdoor Championships in Eugene after taking third at the USATF Outdoors with a PB 19.40m/63-7.75.
Five of the all-time top 10 U.S. throwers will fight it out in one of the highest-quality competitions ever in the event. Janeah Stewart tied the American record with a massive 25.60m/84-0 at Vanderbilt in January, but hammer throw World Championships gold medalist Brooke Andersen recently moved to No. 5 on that all-time list with a 25.07m/82-3 toss. Ranked No. 7 all-time, Erin Reese brings in a PB of 24.93m/81-9.5, with Annette Echikunwoke sitting in eighth with a 24.78m/81-3.75. 2019 hammer world champion DeAnna Price is No. 10 at 24.71m/81-1 and is doing well on her road to recovery from assorted injuries. Defending USATF champion Janee' Kassanavoid earned bronze in the hammer last summer at the World Championships and set her PB of 24.28m/79-8 in winning at Spokane last February.
The American record of 4,805 points was set at Albuquerque in 2014, winning the USATF title for Sharon Day-Monroe, but the record has to be in danger from last year's NCAA pentathlon and heptathlon gold medalist Anna Hall. Hall has already notched lifetime bests indoors in the 400m, 60mH, long jump and shot put in 2023, and has potential to scare the 5,000-point barrier on a perfect day. Defending champion Chari Hawkins scored a PB 4,492 to win the U.S. title in 2022 and was 12th in the heptathlon at the 2019 World Championships. Shaina Burns leads the 2023 list at 4,324.
Last year's Jesse Owens Award winner as USATF's top male athlete, Noah Lyles, has lowered his PB in the 60m to 6.51 this season, winning the New Balance GP at Boston. He will be seeking his first national indoor title since 2017, when he traversed the Albuquerque oval for a world best and American indoor record of 31.87 in the 300m. Last year's USATF Indoors bronze medalist Brandon Carnes set his PB of 6.53 at Albuquerque in 2020 and has clocked 6.54 this season. Running at higher altitude in Colorado Springs in January, Coby Hilton zipped to a 6.51 and he was seventh at Spokane last year.
World Indoor Championships silver medalist Trevor Bassitt is no longer a secret weapon after earning bronze in the 400m hurdles at the World Championships in Eugene and adding gold on Team USATF's 4x400m relay. Bassitt rocketed to a PB 45.05 at Belgrade, but he will need all of that to hold off Noah Williams, the 2021 NCAA indoor champion for LSU who has run 44.71 in his indoor career. Williams won the New Balance GP in a season best 45.88 and was second at Millrose last weekend. Arizona State's Justin Robinson has a 2023 best of 45.87, and CJ Allen set a world best in the seldom-run indoor 400m hurdles at 48.88 in January.
Two-time defending champion Bryce Hoppel earned bronze at the World Indoor Championships and is the second fastest American ever indoors with a PB of 1:44.37. Hoppel set an American indoor record in the 1,000m at 2:16.27 in 2021, but that was later bettered by Shane Streich with a 2:16.16 at Louisville last February. Streich has an 800m indoor PB of 1:45.90 and was third at the USATF Indoors last year. The silver medalist in that race at Spokane, Isaiah Harris leads the U.S. list in 2023 at 1:45.64, a time that placed him second at the Millrose Games. Harris also placed seventh at the World Indoors in 2022. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Clayton Murphy ran a season best 1:46.83 for third at Millrose and has an indoor PB of 1:45.92.
With two of the top entrants doubling back from the 3,000m the day before, this is an uncertain field. Josh Thompson, Christian Noble and Sam Prakel have each shown capability to win at this distance. Thompson was the USATF runner-up and made the finals at the World Indoors last year and has run 3:37.02 so far in 2023. Noble hit 3:35.84 en route to a 3:53.50 mile at Boston last weekend, while Prakel's season best of 3:38.32 was also en route to a 3:53.58 mile, and he was fourth at Spokane in 2022. USATF Indoors bronze medalist Henry Wynne was the NCAA indoor mile winner in 2016 and has an indoor 1,500m PB of 3:36.09. Drew Hunter won the USATF Indoors two mile gold in 2019 and chopped his indoor mile PB to 3:55.52 at Millrose after winning the Dr. Sander Invitational mile.
Christian Noble and Sam Prakel are scheduled to attempt the distance double, with Noble bringing a season best of 7:42.55, and Prakel turned in a 13:15.96 5,000m at Boston in December. Former Colorado star Eduardo Hererra ran a 13:11.15 5,000m at the same meet where Prakel set his PB, but has never broken 8:00 in the 3,000m. Last year's NCAA outdoor 5,000m champion, Olin Hacker, notched a PB of 7:43.94 at Millrose last week, and Dan Schaffer has a best of 7:43.47 in 2023.
Standing clear of the field with a 2023 best of 7.52, Freddie Crittenden is the man to beat over the barriers. The silver medalist in the 2019 Pan American Games 110m hurdles, Crittenden also won the 2022 NACAC title in a superb 13.00. Closest to him this year is Louis Rollins, a 7.60 performer who starred at NCAA Division II Pittsburg State and was seventh in the USATF Indoors at Spokane last year. Jaylan McConico, the sixth-place finisher ahead of Rollins, is also back with a 7.59 PB. The 2021 NCAA 110m hurdles winner, Robert Dunning, is also a threat with a best of 7.60.
Nick Christie has won five USATF indoor titles, including the past four in a row, and holds the meet record at 11:35.34. He won the USATF 35km title in January and holds the American record in that event, and Christie was an Olympian in the 20km walk at Tokyo. The seven top finishers from last year's Championships are back, led by runner-up Dan Nehnevaj and bronze medalist Emmanuel Corvera. Nehnevaj was second at the 35km championships behind Christie. Last year's fourth-placer, Sam Allen, won the USATF 1 Mile Race Walk title at the Millrose Games ahead of John Cody Risch, third in the 35km championship race last month.
Tokyo Olympians Shelby McEwen and Darryl Sullivan are after their first USATF Indoor Championships gold and will face World Championships team member Darius Carbin. McEwen was fifth at the World Championships, the highest-placing American, and was a finalist at Tokyo and has a PB of 2.33m/7-7.75. Sullivan has matched that height and was 10th at the 2022 World Indoor Championships after a runner-up finish in Spokane, while Carbin placed third at last year's meet and was the 2016 world U20 silver medalist.
One of the marquee events showcases three of the top four performers in U.S. indoor history in the form of American indoor record holder Chris Nilsen, Sam Kendricks, and KC Lightfoot. Nilsen is the reigning champion and set the AR of 6.05m/19-10.25 last year in France before earning bronze at the World Indoors. He went on to claim silver at the World Championships in Eugene to go along with his silver medal from Tokyo the year before. Kendricks holds the outdoor AR at 6.06m/19-10.5 and it was his indoor AR of 6.01m/19-8.5 that Nilsen twice broke in 2022. Twice a world outdoor champion in 2017 and 2019, Kendricks is the "old man" of the trio at age 30, and he picked up Olympic bronze in 2016 to go with three straight U.S. indoor golds from 2015-17. Lightfoot is the youngster at 23 and joined the 6m club in 2021 with a 6.00m/19-8.25 clearance at Texas Tech. He won the NCAA indoor gold and added a fourth-place finish at Tokyo. Standing ready to take advantage of any slips from the top three, Jacob Wooten has already had a solid indoor campaign in Europe and improved his undercover PB to 5.82m/19-1 in France. Austin Miller and collegian Branson Ellis of Stephen F. Austin are also over 5.80m/19-0.25 this year.
Spokane fourth-placer Will Williams is the best returnee from last year's Championships, and he was the NACAC champion after taking fourth at the USATF Outdoors. Williams won the 2018 NCAA indoor gold for Texas A&M with a PB 8.19m/26-10.5 that still stands and won the Dr. Sander Invitational in New York City last month. He was on Team USATF for the World Championships in Eugene. USATF outdoor champion Rayvon Grey won the 2019 NCAA indoor gold for LSU and has the same PB as Williams.
Seeking his fourth straight USATF Indoors gold in his season opener, Donald Scott was the World Indoor Championships bronze medalist last year and was sixth at the World Championships in Eugene. He set his indoor PB of 17.24m/56-6.75 at Albuquerque in 2020 and was an Olympic finalist in Tokyo. 2020 USATF Indoors runner-up Omar Craddock is also back and has an outdoor PB of 17.68m58-0.25 from 2019. Craddock was the 2019 Pan American Games gold medalist and was fifth at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland.
One of the greatest throwers in history, Joe Kovacs still has one piece of the puzzle to collect. His trophy cabinet has a pair of World Championships golds, two Olympic silver medals and two World Championships silvers, as well as two USATF outdoor golds. The only thing really missing is a national indoor title. Kovacs won the Diamond League title last summer with a huge 23.23m/76-2.75 throw that put him in elite company. Only he and world record holder Ryan Crouser have ever topped 76 feet. Kovacs opened with a 21.34m/70-0.25 to take second at Millrose last week, and he is going against NCAA leader Jordan Geist of Arizona, who has thrown 21.48m/70-5.75 this year, as well as Tripp Piperi, a World Championships eighth-place finisher last summer who won NCAA outdoor golds for Texas in 2019 and 2022.
Six of this year's top seven weight throwers in the world will step into the ring here, and Daniel Haugh has the best effort of all in 2023 at 24.89m/81-8. Haugh was eighth at the World Championships in the hammer last year after winning the USATF title, and he captured the 2019 USATF Indoors gold. Hammer American record holder Rudy Winkler won last weekend's Millrose title and is seeking his first USATF Indoors gold, while defending champion Alex Young already has a pair of golds from this meet in 2017 and 2022. Kennesaw State's Isaiah Rogers tops the collegiate list at 24.37m/79-11.5.
Will Daniels has the best 2023 score of the entrants, a 6,018 PB from Arkansas in January, but Olympian Steven Bastien was sixth at the 2022 World Indoor Championships with a lifetime best 6,074. Bastien was 10th in the decathlon at Tokyo and 16th at last year's World Championships. Sam Black finished second in the USATF Indoors last year with a 5,866 PB, while Devon Williams was the 2017 NCAA indoor champion for Georgia and competed in the decathlon at the 2017 World Championships. Williams has the highest PB in the field at 6,177, scored in winning that NCAA gold. Competition begins at 11 a.m. MT on Thursday, February 16 with the women’s pentathlon 60m hurdles. A full schedule of events can be found here. Fans can follow along on social media @usatf and can watch live on USATF.TV+ and on NBC from 4 - 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 18. Join the conversation with USATF on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #JourneyToGold.