INDIANAPOLIS — The nation’s best have converged on Eugene, Oregon for the 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships. Below is an event-by-event preview of all events.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 10.76, Sha'Carri Richardson 2022 World Championships team members entered – Aleia Hobbs, Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry Melissa Jefferson was a surprise winner in 2022, zipping to a windy 10.69. To defend her title she will need to turn back USATF indoor 60m champion and American 60m record holder Aleia Hobbs, who has clocked 10.86 already, as well as Sha'Carri Richardson, the fastest American in 2023 at 10.76. Richardson ran a stunning wind-aided 10.57 in April with a strong 4.1 mps breeze behind her, the third-fastest time ever run in any conditions. TeeTee Terry has a slew of windy sub-11 times this year and won the Nairobi Continental Tour-Gold meet, while high school record holder Shawnti Jackson and Tamari Davis have both gone 10.89. Nine women in the field have dipped under 11 seconds this season, and NCAA runner-up Kennedy Blackmon ran a windy 10.87 to take silver at the collegiate championships. Oregon high schooler Mia Brahe-Pedersen is very familiar with the Hayward track and has run 11.00 thus far.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 22.05, Gabby Thomas 2022 World Championships team members entered – Abby Steiner, Tamara Clark, Jenna Prandini Reigning champion Abby Steiner was the top American finisher at the Wold Championships, taking fifth, and she will have her hands full with the likes of Olympic bronze medalist Gabby Thomas, the fastest American in 2023 at 22.05, and Sha'Carri Richardson, who won the Nairobi Continental Tour-Gold meet in 22.07. Tamara Clark was one place behind Steiner at the Worlds and took second at the USATF NYC GP at the end of June. Two-time Olympian Jenna Prandini is a fearsome curve runner and a local favorite after competing collegiately at Oregon, and her 21.89 PB from 2021 puts her in the mix. 2021 double NCAA sprint champion Cambrea Sturgis and this year's NCAA silver medalist, McKenzie Long, have shown they can be contenders for a podium spot.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 49.13, Britton Wilson 2022 World Championships team members entered – Lynna Irby-Jackson, Talitha Diggs, Kendall Ellis One of the most compelling matchups on paper has two incredible hurdlers forsaking the barriers to try the flat one-lapper. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has done everything possible in the 400m hurdles, winning Olympic and World Championships gold and setting several world records, so her 49.51 flat 400 PB that she set at NYC two weeks ago is not a big surprise. She has potential to challenge the AR of 48.70 if all comes together. NCAA 400m silver medalist Britton Wilson was fifth in the 400H at the World Championships behind McLaughlin-Levrone, and leads the world list for 400m at 49.13. Wilson's Arkansas teammate, Rosey Effiong, set her PB of 50.17 at the NCAA first round meet, and last year's USATF and NCAA indoor and outdoor champion Talitha Diggs ran 49.99 to win the collegiate outdoor crown last June. Olympic and World Championships veterans Kendall Ellis and Lynna Irby-Jackson went 2-3 in 2022 and should challenge for podium spots again as both have dipped under 50 seconds in their careers.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 1:58.16, Ajee' Wilson 2022 World Championships team members entered – Raevyn Rogers, Ajee' Wilson Olympic and world champion and American record holder Athing Mu has opted to run the 1,500m here as she has a bye into the World Championships in the 800m, but the event certainly isn't lacking in talent. Former AR holder Ajee' Wilson won the 2022 World Indoor Championships and has won four USATF outdoor titles. Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Raevyn Rogers is coming back into form and has loads of experience, and she is featured on the Hayward Tower. Winner of the NCAA indoor mile in 2021, Sage Hurta-Klecker has established herself as a solid two-lap foe, and took second at the Monaco Diamond League meet last summer in a PB 1:57.85. NCAA champion Michaela Rose of LSU has tremendous potential and has run 1:59.08, and Allie WIlson just missed a World Championships berth in 2022 after placing fourth at the USATF meet. Six entrants have entry marks faster than 1:59, and this could be a year of unprecedented depth in the final.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 4:00.61, Cory McGee 2022 World Championships team members entered – Sinclaire Johnson, Cory McGee World Championships finalists Sinclaire Johnson and Cory McGee went 1-2 at last year's USATF meet and are again favored to contend for top honors. McGee leads the U.S. list in 2023 at 4:00.61, set en route to a 4:18.11 mile at Oslo, and Johnson ran 4:00.77 to win at Portland two weeks ago. Heather MacLean was seventh at the World Indoor Championships in 2022 and has a PB of 3:58.76, and 2019 Pan American Games champion Nikki Hiltz was a World Championships finalist that year and chopped their personal best to 4:01.42 behind McGee at Oslo. If she chooses to run, last year's USATF 5,000m champion, Elise Cranny, has to be reckoned with as she has a PB of 3:59.06 and has superior strength. Emily Mackay sliced almost six seconds off her lifetime best in mid-June and brings 4:01.52 credentials to the party, and Helen Schlachtenhaufen is another sub-4:02 athlete.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 9:11.41, Courtney Wayment 2022 World Championships team members entered – Courtney Frerichs, Emma Coburn, Courtney Wayment The top five finishers from last year's USATF meet are back, including current and former American record holders Courthney Frerichs and Emma Coburn. Coburn has won eight U.S. titles in a row and 10 overall, by far the most by any female U.S. steepler, and was the world champion in 2017. She earned Olympic bronze at Rio in 2016 and was the 2019 World Championships silver medalist at Doha in 2019. Frerichs set the AR of 8:57.77 on the Hayward track in 2021 and was the silver medalist at Tokyo in 2021 and the World Championships in 2017. Last year's USATF runner-up and NCAA champion, Courtney Wayment, tops the U.S. list in 2023 at 9:11.41. Outside of that trio, Notre Dame's Olivia Markezich won NCAA gold in June and Madie Boreman and Krissy Gear are also capable of times in the low 9:20s. Gabi Jennings was fourth last year, one spot ahead of Katie Rainsberger.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 14:34.88, Alicia Monson 2022 World Championships team members entered – Elise Cranny, Karissa Schweizer The outcome of this race depends largely on which athletes are able to double back after the 10,000m, which is on day one. Elise Cranny and Karissa Schweizer were the top two finishers in 2022, but neither has competed much this season, so eyes turn to Alicia Monson, who ran a U.S.-leading 14:34.88 at the Paris Diamond League meet on June 9, and Josette Andrews, who won the Track Fest at Mt. SAC with a PB 14:43.36. Emily Infeld, third in 2022, also has a slim scorecard in 2023, but has run 14:50.90. Eight women have entry marks faster than 15:00, with Natosha Rogers going 14:52.21 indoors. Rogers, the 2022 NACAC champion, was third in the 10,000m at last year's USATF Championships and took 15th at the World Championships. World Cross Country 21st-place finisher Weini Kelati was fifth in the Oslo 3,000m in mid-June with a PB of 8:32.50 and also turned in a 5,000m PB of 14:53.41 five days earlier in France. Elly Henes won the 2021 NCAA crown for North Carolina State and has a 14:52.87 PB.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 30:03.82, Alicia Monson 2022 World Championships team members entered – Karissa Schweizer, Alicia Monson, Natosha Rogers With much the same cast as the 5,000m, the top five finishers from the 2022 championship race that was held May 27, prior to the USATF Championships, are back, led by champion Karissa Schweizer and runner-up Alicia Monson, who bettered the American record in March with a 30:03.82. Schweizer was also the top American in the World Championships final, taking ninth in a PB 30:18.05. Natosha Rogers placed 15th in that race and set a PB of 30:48.69 in March. Elise Cranny has the second-fastest PB in the field at 30:14.66, while Weini Kelati and Ednah Kurgat are also solid challengers, and Emily Venters was the NCAA silver medalist.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 12.35, Keni Harrison 2022 World Championships team members entered – Alia Armstrong, Keni Harrison, Nia Ali, Alaysha Johnson Loaded doesn't begin to describe the wealth of American talent in this event, which may be the hardest team in the world to make. Former world record holder Keni Harrison holds a tenuous lead atop the 2023 U.S. list at 12.35, .01 ahead of Kentucky's NCAA runner-up, Masai Russell. Alia Armstrong was fourth at the World Championships and earned bronze at the NCAA meet in June, while Alayasha Johnson was the USATF silver medalist in a PB 12.35. Tonea Marshall and Tia Jones went 4-5 at the USATF Championships, with Jones rolling to a 12.38 PB at Brussels last September. 2019 world champion Nia Ali was also the silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics and sports a lifetime best of 12.34. If anyone can break into that top seven, it may be 2021 Olympic seventh-place finisher Gabbi Cunningham, who also earned bronze in the 60H at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. Talie Bonds of Arizona, fourth at the NCAA meet, is an up-and-comer with a 12.65 best.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 53.23, Britton Wilson 2022 World Championships team members entered – Dalilah Muhammad, Shamier Little Former world record holder and 2016 Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad won the 2019 world title and was the bronze medalist last year. In the absence of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Muhammad is the top name but will need to improve on her season best of 55.72 to have a chance at beating Shamier Little. Little has run 53.38 this season and was fourth at the World Championships last year. She won the Rabat Diamond League race and was second at Florence. Anna Cockrell was an Olympian at Tokyo and has run 54.20 this year, while 2015 World Championships bronze medalist Cassandra Tate is back in top form and has put together a solid string of races this season with a best of 54.68. Campbell University's Chastity Pickett dramatically lowered her PB to 54.86 to earn NCAA bronze in Austin, and Deshae Wise has also shown great improvement to run a best of 55.15 in 2023. Rio Olympics bronze medalist Ashley Spencer and last year's USATF fifth-place finisher Shannon Meisberger also merit a mention.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 1:37:46 Miranda Melville 2022 World Championships team members entered – Robyn Stevens, Miranda Melville Miranda Melville won the USATF 20K and 35K titles last year and has won three out of three races this season, including the USATF Indoor 3K gold. Melville was 35th at the World Championships, where the top American was Robyn Stevens in 24th. Stevens is the American record holder at 35K and has gone 1:32:15 for 20K. Eight-time U.S. champion Maria Michta-Coffey was 22nd in the 35K race at the World Championships and has the fastest PB in the field at 1:30:49. Katie Burnett won the 2019 USATF title, which was contested over 10K, and Stephanie Casey was 24th in the 35K walk at the World Championships last summer.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 2.00m/6-6.75i, Vashti Cunningham 2022 World Championships team members entered – Vashti Cunningham, Rachel McCoy Five times in a row Vashti Cunningham has won the U.S. title, and the odds are strong that she will add No. 6 this year. Cunningham has dominated the American women's high jump scene since she popped onto the scene in 2016, and she continues to operate at lofty levels. Her 2.00m/6-6.75 entry mark is almost three inches better than her nearest competitor, so the only real challenge is – how high can she go? In her wake will be NCAA champion Charity Griffith, who took the collegiate gold with a PB 1.93m/6-4 leap, and last year's bronze medalist, Rachel McCoy. McCoy has a PB of 1.96m/6-5 from two years ago, as does Jelena Rowe. If any of the challengers should falter, Rylee Anderson of Kansas has cleared a best of 1.90m/6-2.75 and could sneak into the top three.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 4.83m/15-10i, Katie Moon 2022 World Championships team members entered – Katie Moon, Sandi Morris, Gabriela Leon Two of the world's top women's vaulters meet yet again with U.S. bragging rights at stake. Olympic and world champion Katie Moon has the best mark by an American this year, an indoor 4.83m/15-10, and is looking to regain the title she won at the Trials in 2021. Sandi Morris is the reigning champion and going for her fifth national outdoor gold. She holds a 47-16 lifetime head-to-head edge over Moon and was the silver medalist behind Moon at last summer's World Championships. Another World Championships team member, Gabriela Leon, was fourth at the USATF meet in 2022 and will need to scale a season best to get on the podium, as Bridget Williams has her eyes on the third spot with an outdoor best of 4.70m/15-5 so far in 2023. Runner-up at the USATF Indoor Championships, Emily Grove brings a PB of 4.75m/15-7 and was on the World Championships team in 2017.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 7.07m/23-2.5, Tara Davis-Woodhall 2022 World Championships team members entered – Quanesha Burks, Tiffany Flynn, Jasmine Moore Frenetically entertaining on the runway and one of the top jumpers in U.S. history already, Tara Davis-Woodhall was sixth at the Tokyo Olympics and won NCAA indoor and outdoor golds for Texas in 2021. Davis-Woodhall tops the U.S. outdoor list in 2023 at 7.07m/23-2.5 and has a PB of 7.14m/23-5.25 that ranks her fifth on the all-time U.S. performer list. Defending champion Quanesha Burks has a windy 7.04m/23-1.25 on her card this season and finished fourth at the World Championships last summer. Jasmine Moore, who just turned pro after a storied collegiate career at Florida, won the NCAA indoor title in March and was the outdoor bronze medalist. She has a best of 7.03m/23-0.75 to sit third on the all-time collegiate performer list. A finalist at the World Championships and fourth at the World Indoor Championships last year, Tiffany Flynn is consistent and will be in the hunt for a podium spot, while former Texas Tech star Monae' Nichols is looking to capitalize on her 6.91m/22-8 PB and nab her first global championship berth.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 15.12m/49-7.25i, Jasmine Moore 2022 World Championships team members entered – Tori Franklin, Keturah Orji, Jasmine Moore As good as she is in the long jump, Jasmine Moore is even better in the triple jump. Moore swept the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in 2022 and 2023 and set an American indoor record of 15.12m/49-7.25 at the NCAA meet in March. World Championships bronze medalist Tori Franklin and outdoor AR holder Keturah Orji can never be counted out. Franklin has a best of 14.86m/48-9, while Orji's outdoor AR is 14.91m/48-11, and both are fearsome competitors who bring out the best in each other. Though Orji holds an 18-5 lead in head-to-head meetings, Franklin has come out on top the last four times the two met. After the top three the quality drops off dramatically, but Arianna Fisher of Missouri has the next best PB, an indoor 14.06m/46-1.5, and Oregon's Pac-12 champion, Lexi Ellis, is seeking her first 14m+ effort on her home facility.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 20.45m/67-1.25, Maggie Ewen 2022 World Championships team members entered – Chase Ealey, Jessica Woodard, Maggie Ewen, Adelaide Aquilla Suddenly the United States has a pair of 20m shot put women! World champion and defending U.S. champion Chase Ealey was dominant in 2022, moving to No. 2 on the all-time U.S. performer list with her 20.51m/67-3.5 that won the USATF gold. She took the world title with a 20.49m/67-2.75 blast on her first attempt. Enter Maggie Ewen, an all-around talent who rocketed up to third on the all-time U.S. list with her 20.45m/67-1.25 to win the USATF Los Angeles GP in May. Ewen was fourth at the 2019 World Championships and ninth last summer, but had never previously cracked the 20m barrier. She tacked on a third-place finish at the Paris Diamond League meet and a runner-up effort at Oslo in the run-up to these Championships. Jessica Woodard was eight at the World Championships last year, and Ohio State's NCAA indoor champion Adelaide Aquilla was an Olympian in 2021 and on the worlds team last year.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 70.25m/230-5, Valarie Allman 2022 World Championships team members entered – Valarie Allman, Lagi Tausaga-Collins, Veronica Fraley American record holder, Olympic champion, four-time reigning U.S. champion… all Valarie Allman lacks to complete her trophy collection is a world title. Allman earned bronze at the World Championships last year and will be supremely motivated to improve that at Budapest, should she make the team. Her 2023 best of 70.25m/230-5 is the best in the world and when she is on form she is almost unbeatable. Allman showed she is fallible though, at the most recent Diamond League meet in Stockholm, fouling three times in foul, wet weather. Lagi Tausaga-Collins and Veronica Fraley are worthy foes despite being some way behind Allman on paper. Tausaga-Collins was second at the USATF meet in 2022 with a PB throw of 64.49m/211-7, and Fraley made the World Championships team after taking fourth at the USATF meet. She has a best of 63.51m/208-4, set two weeks ago at the USATF NYC GP. Coming back from injury, 2021 Olympic Trials runner-up Micaela Hazlewood needs to regain the form that took her to a 62.54m/205-2 PB if she wants a chance at Budapest.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 80.17m/263-0, Brooke Andersen 2022 World Championships team members entered – Brooke Andersen, Janee' Kassanavoid, Annette Echikunwoke For the first time ever, Team USATF had two women on the medal stand in the hammer at a global championships as Brooke Andersen took gold and Janee' Kassanavoid bronze last summer in Eugene. Both women are in medal-winning form again and will be joined in the fray by 2019 world champion DeAnna Price, who holds the American record at 80.31m/263-6. Andersen is the best in the world this year with an 80.17m/263-0 PB that put her third on the world all-time performer list behind Price and Poland's world record holder, Anita Wlodarczyk. Kassanavoid is No. 7 on that list with a PB of 78.00m/255-11, while last year's third U.S. team member for the World Championships, Annette Echikunwoke, has a lifetime best of 75.49m/247-8. Showing her versatility, Maggie Ewen has also topped 75m in the hammer with a best of 75.10m/246-5 to put her in the picture. NCAA runner-up Madi Malone of Auburn is the top collegian and has thrown 72.37m/237-5.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 62.28m/204-4, Maggie Malone 2022 World Championships team members entered – Ariana Ince, Maggie Malone Retirement has called American record holder and World Championships silver medalist Kara Winger, and her clutch performance to earn that medal won't soon be forgotten by the Hayward faithful. Former American record holder Maggie Malone is the top U.S. thrower now and leads the national list with a 62.28m/204-4. Malone was an Olympic finalist in Tokyo and capable of challenging Winger's AR in the right conditions since she has a PB of 67.40m/221-1. Veteran Ariana Ince was the 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalist and has been on three World Championships squads. Ince set her PB of 64.38m/211-3 in Croatia last September. Nebraska's NCAA fourth-place finisher Maddie Harris is the best of the collegians and has thrown 58.85m/193-1 this year.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 6,988 points, Anna Hall 2022 World Championships team members entered – Anna Hall, Michelle Atherley One of the most exciting combined events talents to emerge since the days of world record holder Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Anna Hall has brought joyful energy to an event ready for another American superstar. Hall earned bronze at the World Championships in her senior international debut, and she exploded to a score of 6,988 points to win the Hypo Meeting in Götzis, Austria in May, making her the No. 2 alltime U.S. performer and No. 5 on the world all-time list. Hall has few weaknesses, and with a little improvement in her throws could become only the fifth woman ever to break the 7,000-point barrier. Erica Bougard and Annie Kunz are fifth and sixth on the all-time U.S. list, and Bougard has vast experience with four World Championships trips and a ninth-place effort at the Tokyo Olympics. Her PB of 6,725 is only 22 better than Kunz, the 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist who was sixth at Tokyo in 2021. Kunz won the Olympic Trials in 2021 and is almost fully recovered from injuries that hampered her 2022 campaign. Other contenders include Taliyah Brooks, who boasts a PB of 6,330, and Pac-12 champion Allie Jones of USC, who has scored 6,234 this season. 2019 World Championships 12th-place finisher Chari Hawkins is coming off a win at the St. Georges meet in Grenada, where she tallied a season best 6,216.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 9.88, Fred Kerley 2022 World Championships team members entered – Marvin Bracy-Williams, Trayvon Bromell, Christian Coleman When you have 12 men who have entry marks better than 10.00, someone very good ain't making the final. In any other country, except maybe Jamaica, the 12th man would be lauded as a national treasure and make almost every international team year after year. Here we have an intriguing set of circumstances. With world champion and 2022 U.S. champ Fred Kerley opting to run the 200m since he has a bye into Budapest in the 100m, we have 200m American record holder and world champion Noah Lyles, who also has a bye, dropping down to the 100m, where he has run 9.95. Here he will go up against Marvin Bracy-Williams and Trayvon Bromell, the men who joined Kerley in the Team USATF sweep of dash medals at Eugene last July. Both are capable of going sub-9.8 in perfect conditions. Throw in 2019 world champion Christian Coleman, who ran 9.76 to win that gold and also set a world indoor record in the 60m in 2018, and the melee for medals will be compelling. NCAA champion Courtney Lindsey of Texas Tech and Florida's Pjai Austin had 9.89 clockings at the collegiate championships, while Cravont Charleston has been a revelation in a breakout season that has seen him lower his PB to 9.90 while winning some big meets in Finland. Local favorite honors go to Oregon's Micah Williams, who has a 9.99 season best.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 19.67, Noah Lyles 2022 World Championships team members entered – Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton The ol' switcheroo has 100m world champion Fred Kerley doubling his distance to take on Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, who took silver and bronze behind Noah Lyles to complete the Team USATF medal sweep at last year's World Championships. Kerley, who is undefeated at all distances in 2023, has a best of 19.92 this season and a PB of 19.76, plus the ideal combination of 400m speed endurance and pure speed. Bednarek's PB of 19.68 came in earning silver at the Tokyo Olympics, while Knighton has the fastest PB of anyone in the field, a 19.49 that places him third on the all-time U.S. performer list behind Lyles and Michael Johnson. Knighton is still only 19 years old, and he has been virtually untouched in his three races over 200m this season, winning at the Florence and Oslo Diamond League meets. World 400m champion Michael Norman is no slouch at 200m, either, and brings a PB of 19.70 from 2019. NCAA silver medalist Courtney Lindsey ran a PB of 19.86 to earn that medal, and Robert Gregory of Florida also went under 19.9 with a 19.89 to place fourth at the NCAA meet. Josephus Lyles carries the family flag and is ready for a breakthrough as he looks to improve on his 19.93 PB that earned him fifth last year at the USATF meet. Former world 100m champion Christian Coleman is also entered and has a PB of 19.85, though that was in 2017.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 44.21, Rai Benjamin 2022 World Championships team members entered – Michael Cherry Wide open doesn't begin to describe this event in the absence of 2022 winner Michael Norman, who went on to take gold at the World Championships. It will be a clash of new and not so new, with Florida's NCAA silver medalist Ryan Willie facing veteran Vernon Norwood. Willie lowered his PB to 44.25 this season, while Norwood is a consummate international relay runner who also sports a lifetime best of 44.35 to go with his five Olympic and world 4x400m relay golds. Michael Cherry was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and earned relay gold there, but he has competed sparingly in 2023. His PB of 44.21 makes him a threat for the podium if he is healthy and sharp. Arizona State's Justin Robinson won the USATF Indoor Championships and has a PB of 44.51 that earned him fourth at the NCAA Championships. Two other excellent international relay veterans will also figure, with Bryce Deadmon and Elija Godwin boasting World Championships golds in the 4x400m relay. Deadmon has a best of 44.44, and Godwin set his PB of 44.34 to place third at last year's USATF Championships. Collegians Zarik Brown of Oklahoma and William Jones of USC are worth watching to see if they can step up onto the podium.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 1:44.26, Will Sumner 2022 World Championships team members entered – Bryce Hoppel, Brandon Miller Georgia freshman Will Sumner was a revelation this year, capping off his first collegiate season with a marvelous 1:44.26 to win the NCAA title. He has a serious finishing kick, which may come in handy against 2022 World Indoor Championships bronze medalist Bryce Hoppel and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Clayton Murphy. Hoppel was fourth at the 2019 world meet and has a best of 1:43.23 from 2020, while Murphy's PB of 1:42.93 is the fastest in the field and earned him that Rio bronze. He is the No. 4 all-time U.S. performer, and Hoppel is No. 7. Tokyo Olympian Isaiah Jewett clocks in at 1:43.85 on the PB chart and is seeking a return to his 2021 form, and last year's USATF third-place finisher Brandon Miller is another career sub-1:45 man. Nebraska-Kearney's Wes Ferguson ran away with the NCAA Division II title and his 1:45.46 PB elevated him to contender status overnight. In the best shape of his life after dropping a 1:45.20 PB in May, Kameron Jones is another relative newcomer worth watching.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 3:29.02, Yared Nuguse 2022 World Championships team members entered – Josh Thompson, Johnny Gregorek, Cooper Teare This year's breakthrough award has to go to Yared Nuguse, who set American indoor records in the 1,500m and mile and then notched the No. 2 all-time outdoor performance in the 1,500m with a 3:29.02 to take third at the Oslo Diamond League meet. Whatever tactics are employed, Nuguse seems to have the ability to respond. He goes against reigning champion Cooper Teare, who lowered his PB to 3:32.74 in May, and American U20 record holder Hobbs Kessler, who also set a PB in that race at 3:32.61. Tokyo sixth-place finisher Cole Hocker was the NCAA champion for Oregon in 2021 and has a lifetime best of 3:31.40, and last year's USATF third-place finisher, Josh Thompson, was 12th in the World Championships finals indoors and outdoors in 2022. Pan American Games silver medalist Johnny Gregorek set a PB of 3:34.35 in early June and was ninth at the 2017 World Championships. Lurking in the wings and always a threat is 2016 Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz, who has a 3:30.40 PB and still has some speed left in his legs to go with his racing savvy. Keep an eye on Eric Holt, winner of the USATF NYC GP.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 8:11.28, Hillary Bor 2022 World Championships team members entered – Benard Keter With last year's champion Hillary Bor sidelined due to injury, the podium is wide open and Olympic 11th-place finisher Benard Keter has the most experience. Keter ran his PB of 8:17.31 in the heats at Tokyo and has run 8:22.97 this season. Ahead of him on the U.S. list are collegians Kenneth Rooks, the NCAA champion for BYU, and Montana State's Duncan Hamilton, who was the NCAA silver medalist. Hamilton has a slight edge in PBs with an 8:16.23 to 8:17.62 for Rooks, and sandwiched between them are Anthony Rotich and Isaac Updike. Rotich was a three-time NCAA champion for UTEP and set his PB of 8:16.27 in finishing ninth at the Paris Diamond League meet in June, while Updike placed fifth at the 2021 Olympic Trials and has run 8:17.47 this year. Olympian Mason Ferlic and Daniel Michalski will likely be in the hunt, too.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 12:51.61i, Woody Kincaid 2022 World Championships team members entered – Grant Fisher, Abdihamid Nur, Woody Kincaid Scheduling will play a major role in this one as the 10,000m is first up on Thursday, with the 5,000m on Sunday. Reigning champion Grant Fisher bettered the American record last year with a 12:46.96 in Brussels and has a best of 12:56.99 in 2023. He was sixth at the World Championships in 2022 and ninth at Tokyo the previous year. This year's fastest American, Woody Kincaid, was second behind Fisher at last year's Championships and took 14th at Tokyo. Kincaid's PB is an indoor 12:51.61 from January. Third at the 2022 USATF meet, Abdihamid Nur lowered his PB to 13:05.17 to win the USATF Los Angeles GP in May and was 11th at last summer's World Championships.Two-time Olympic medalist Paul Chelimo is also entered and showed he is in good shape with a win at Vienna, Austria, in 13:03.12 on June 17. Chelimo earned silver at the 2016 Games and bronze in Tokyo and has a PB of 12:57.55. Reigning USATF 10,000m champion Joe Klecker is set to double back here and has three sub-13 outings in 2023, topped by a 12:54.99 indoors at Boston. Morgan Beadlescomb and Emmanuel Bor are two men who could benefit if there are withdrawals after the 10,000m. Beadlescomb cut more than four seconds off his PB with a 13:08.82 in May, and Bor ran 13:00.48 indoors in 2022.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 27:06.37, Woody Kincaid 2022 World Championships team members entered – Grant Fisher, Joe Klecker, Sean McGorty Three American men finished in the top 12 at the 2022 World Championships and that trio is back to battle for a trip to Budapest. Grant Fisher was the highest-placing U.S. runner in fourth and he bettered the American record last year with a 26:33.84. Fisher also took fifth at the Tokyo Olympics. Reigning USATF champion Joe Klecker outleaned Fisher for the national crown in 2022 and placed ninth at the World Championships. He has a PB of 27:07.57. 12th at the World Championships, Sean McGorty was third at the USATF Championships in 2022 and brings in a best of 27:18.15. McGorty's dad, Kevin, was a decathlete who competed at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Trials. Atop this year's U.S. list is Woody Kincaid after a 27:06.37 in March at San Juan Capistrano, California. Kincaid did not finish at the 2022 USATF Championships, but was 15th at the Tokyo Olympics. Coming off an 11th-place finish at the Boston Marathon, Conner Mantz has a PB of 27:25.23 and can push the pace from a long way out, while Paul Chelimo and Sean McGorty are also worthy challengers.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 12.96, Cordell Tinch 2022 World Championships team members entered – Grant Holloway, Trey Cunningham, Devon Allen, Daniel Roberts All seven men who contested the 2022 USATF Championships final are back, but there are two others who will draw a lot of attention. Reigning world champion Grant Holloway has a bye into Budapest and may or may not run all the rounds here. He zipped to a season best 12.98 to win the Paris Diamond League meet so there's no question about his fitness. One of the stories of 2023, Pittsburg State's Cordell Tinch has had a monster year after taking a few years off from the sport. The NCAA Division II champion in the 110H, high jump and long jump, Tinch set socials afire on June 23 with a world-leading 12.96 at Arkansas. The rangy Tinch moved to No. 11 on the U.S. all-time performer list with that effort and stamped himself as one to watch. Defending USATF champion Daniel Roberts and World Championships silver medalist Trey Cunningham have matching PBs at 13.00 and Roberts was close to that with his 13.01 to win the USATF NYC GP. Devon Allen, taking a break from his Philadelphia Eagles NFL career, was second to Roberts in that race at 13.04 and clocked 12.84 in 2022. Trying to muscle their way onto a crowded podium will be Freddie Crittenden, the NACAC champion with a 13.00 PB, and Robert Dunning, the 2021 NCAA champion who set a PB of 13.09 in May. NACAC silver medalist Jamal Britt has had a streak of solid performances in 2023, including a windy 12.99 to win the USATF Bermuda GP. He has a lifetime best of 13.08. Rounding out the returning finalists is Eric Edwards, the 2021 NCAA runner-up with a PB of 13.15.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 47.58, CJ Allen 2022 World Championships team members entered – Rai Benjamin, Trevor Bassitt, Khallifah Rosser Four men fighting for three spots on the Budapest roster. American record holder and Tokyo silver medalist Rai Benjamin was also the runner-up at last year's World Championships and has by far the best PB in the field at 46.17. He is four-for-four in 2023, including 400H wins at Mt. SAC and the Doha Diamond League meet and has a best of 47.74 so far. Topping the U.S. list is CJ Allen at 47.58. Allen has emerged as a top contender with four sub-48 clockings in 2023 and a win at the Paris Diamond League meet. World Championships bronze medalist Trevor Bassitt was third behind Allen in Paris and brings a PB of 47.39, while Khallifah Rosser placed fifth at the World Championships and has run 47.59 in his career. NCAA champion Chris Robinson of Alabama is an exciting young talent who ran 48.12 to win the collegiate title, and Taylor McLaughlin has a familiar last name to go with his fresh 48.38 PB that won him the Music City Carnival in Nashville. Yes, Sydney is his sister, so it seems hurdling excellence runs in the family.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 1:26:15, Nick Christie 2022 World Championships team members entered – Nick Christie, Daniel Nehnevaj Can Nick Christie make it five in a row? The dominant men's American race walker for several years, Christie has 14 overall national titles, including four straight at 20K. He was 31st at last year's World Championships and 50th at the Tokyo Games, and his PB of 1:22:44 puts him more than 20 seconds ahead of Dan Nehnevaj, the runner-up in 2022 and possessor of a 1:23:10 PB. The last man besides Christie to win the U.S. title, Emmanuel Corvera, will need to step up his walk game to contend with Samuel Allen and Jordan Crawford, a pair of youngsters who beat him at the Mt. SAC Relays in April. John Cody Risch is a solid competitor who placed third at the USATF 35K Championships in January.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 2.33m/7-7.75, JuVaughn Harrison 2022 World Championships team members entered – Shelby McEwen, JuVaughn Harrison, Darius Carbin Two of the brighter spots in an event that has been in the relative doldrums of late are World Championships fifth-place finisher Shelby McEwen, the defending USATF champion, and multi-talented JuVaughn Harrison, an Olympian in the high jump and long jump at Tokyo. McEwen has a PB of 2.33m/7-7.75 and won the USATF indoor title in February. He was the 2019 NCAA champion for Alabama and was 12th at Tokyo. Harrison has the best PB in the field at 2.36m/7-8.75 and is undefeated in three 2023 outings, winning Diamond League meets at Doha and Florence and leading the U.S. list at 2.33m/7-7.75. NCAA runner-up Vernon Turner of Oklahoma has gone over 2.33m/7-7.75 indoors and was also the NCAA indoor silver medalist in March. Another 2.33m lifetime performer, Darryl Suillivan, is trying to return to the form that saw him make the Olympic team in 2021, and USATF Indoors silver medalist Darius Carbin has 2.30m+ potential.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 6.07m/19-11, KC Lightfoot 2022 World Championships team members entered – Chris Nilsen, Luke Winder Soaring over 6.07m/19-11 to better the American record at Nashville on June 2, KC Lightfoot threw down the gauntlet to Olympic and world silver medalist Chris Nilsen and former world champion Sam Kendricks. Lightfoot was fourth at the Tokyo Games after winning the NCAA indoor title for Baylor and is seeking his first outdoor World Championships berth. Nilsen owns a 6.05m/19-10.25 indoor PB and has been the second-best vaulter in the world the past two seasons. Also a member of the 6m club, Kendricks won world titles in 2017 and 2019 and was the bronze medalist at Rio in 2016. He has a best of 6.06m/19-10.5, set in winning the 2019 USATF Championships in Des Moines. Kendricks has won 10 national titles overall and took top honors at the USATF Indoor Championships in February. 2018 world U20 silver medalist Zach Bradford of Texas Tech was the other member of Team USATF at last summer's World Championships and took silver at this year's NCAA indoor meet. He and Branson Ellis of Stephen F. Austin are two of the stronger challengers for a podium spot.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 8.39m/27-6.5, Cameron Crump 2022 World Championships team members entered – Steffin McCarter, Marquis Dendy, Will Williams Steffin McCarter and Marquis Dendy went 5-6 at the World Championships last summer and Dendy is atop the U.S. outdoor list for 2023 at 8.34m/27-4.5. His trademark bucket hat helped him to a second-place finish at the Oslo Diamond League meet and he also won the Birmingham World Indoor Tour meet in England in February. McCarter was fourth at Oslo and took second at the USATF Bermuda GP. USATF Indoor champion Will Williams was fifth at the Paris Diamond League meet and set his PB of 8.23m/27-0 in winning the Mt. SAC Relays. NCAA indoor runner-up Cameron Crump of Mississippi State sailed to an 8.39m/27-6.5 twice during the indoor season, the longest jump by an American in 2023. He was fifth at the NCAA outdoor meet. Defending USATF champion Rayvon Grey set his PB of 8.19m/26-10.5 in winning the national title and was third at this year's USATF Indoor Championships. Florida State's Jeremiah Davis was the NCAA indoor bronze medalist and placed third at the 2022 USATF Championships. He notched a PB of 8.37m/27-5.5 at the NCAA indoor meet, but was seventh at the collegiate outdoor championships. Two others worth watching are 2021 Trials winner JuVVaughn Harrison and Cordell Tinch of Pittsburg State, the NCAA II champion.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 17.18m/56-4.5, Chris Benard 2022 World Championships team members entered – Donald Scott, Will Claye, Chris Benard, Christian Taylor Between them, Donald Scott and Will Claye have won the past six USATF outdoor golds. Scott is the defending champ and has a lifetime best of 17.43m/57-2.25. Claye, a two-time world indoor champion who has silver medals from the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and 2017 and 2019 World Championships, ranks second on the all-time U.S. performer list with a PB of 18.14m/59-6.25. The man ahead of him on that list is Christian Taylor, perhaps the greatest TJer in American history, holder of the American record at 18.21m/59-9 and a four-time world champion and twice the Olympic champion. Taylor is on the comeback trail after injuries and would love nothing more than to grab his seventh World Championships berth to cap off a stellar career. Chris Benard has twice repped Team USATF at the Olympics and World Championships, with his best finish a sixth-place effort at the 2017 Worlds. He leads this year's U.S. list at 17.18m/56-4.5, but his PB is a foot farther. NCAA runner-up Russell Robinson of Miami is a 17.12m/56-2 performer this year and placed fourth at the USATF Championships in 2022. Pan American Games gold medalist and three-time U.S. champion Omar Craddock took second at the USATF Indoor Championships and was fourth at the 2015 World Championships.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 23.56m/77-3.75, Ryan Crouser 2022 World Championships team members entered – Ryan Crouser, Joe Kovacs, Josh Awotunde, Tripp Piperi Team USATF men swept the podium in the men’s shot put in a historic moment at Oregon22, with all three medalists entered to compete this week in Eugene. Ryan Crouser topped the podium with gold, followed by Joe Kovacs’ silver and Josh Awotunde’s bronze. Tripp Piperi rounded out the quartet with his eighth-place finish. Crouser is clearly in championship shape, having bettered his own world record while showing off his new technique in May with a 23.56m/77-3.75 heave at the USATF Los Angeles GP. Two-time world champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Kovacs set the tone for the outdoor season in April at Nashville with a 22.69m74-5.5 blast after taking the USATF Indoor Championships gold in February. Not bad for a dad of twins who arrived in October 2022. Not yet fully into his competitive season, Awotunde has only had three meets in 2023, with a best of 20.91m/68-7.25. On the opposite end of the busy scale, Piperi has had 10 outings and placed third at the USATF Indoor Championships. He boosted his outdoor PB to 21.61m/70-10.75 in Poland last month and was in the top six at Diamond League meets in Florence and Lausanne. The newest member of the 22m club is Roger Steen, who hit 22.08m/72-5.25 at Tucson on May 19 to add more than two feet to his PB. Steen was the NACAC champion in 2022 and placed fifth at the USATF Championships. Payton Otterdahl and Darrell Hill are two others with solid shots (pun intended) at the podium.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 67.49m/221-5, Sam Mattis 2022 World Championships team members entered – Sam Mattis, Andrew Evans, Brian Williams On paper this looks like a three-way tussle between 2019 U.S. champion Sam Mattis, NCAA winner Turner Washington and Josh Syrotchen. All three have bettered 66m thus far in 2023 and Mattis has the superior PB, a 68.69m/225-4 from last year. He was 11th at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships and eighth at the Tokyo Olympics. Washington produced a final-round 66.22m/217-3 to take the collegiate title in Austin, and he also nabbed silver in the shot put. His father, Anthony Washington, won five USATF golds in the 1990s and was the 1999 world champion. Syrotchen has improved to 66.21m/217-2 this year and was sixth at the 2021 Olympic Trials. Defending champion Andrew Evans needs to match the form that took him out to 66.74m/218-11 in 2022, while Brian Williams has twice been a World Championships team member and has a PB of 66.14m/217-0.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 80.88m/265-4, Rudy Winkler 2022 World Championships team members entered – Rudy Winkler, Daniel Haugh, Alex Young Proving that a good development program can produce elite results, this event has become a stronghold for the U.S. in the past few years, led by American record holder Rudy Winkler and last year's USATF champion, Daniel Haugh. Winkler, who was sixth at the World Championships and seventh at Tokyo, has already surpassed 80m this season with an 80.88m/265-4 at Tucson in May and has placed second at the Paris and Oslo Diamond League meets. Eighth at the World Championships, Haugh came back to win the USATF indoor 35-pound weight title in February and is rounding back into shape with the hammer, looking to improve on his 80.18m/263-1 PB that won the USATF gold last year. Behind those two stalwarts, a trio of very competent throwers will scrap for the third spot on the podium. Alex Young won the 2017 U.S. gold and was 12th at the 2022 World Championships after making it to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. He has thrown 78.32m/256-11 in his career. 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalist Sean Donnelly and Brock Eager are two more likely candidates should any of the top entrants fall short.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 80.82m/265-2 Ethan Dabbs 2022 World Championships team members entered – Curtis Thompson, Ethan Dabbs, Tim Glover Last year's top seven finishers from the USATF Championships are back, led by defending champion Ethan Dabbs of Virginia. Dabbs was the NCAA silver medalist this year behind LSU's Tzuriel Pedigo, and has a PB of 82.92m/272-0. Curtis Thompson launched himself into the No. 3 spot on the all-time U.S. performer list with an 87.70m/287-9 last year, and he placed 11th at the World Championships. Thompson has been consistently at or beyond 79m this season, which augurs well for his chances here. Despite a fifth-place finish at the USATF Championships in 2022, Tim Glover earned a World Championships berth by virtue of his world ranking. He has not yet competed in 2023. NCAA champion Pedigo was the world U20 silver medalist in 2018 and was the 2021 NCAA champion, as well. His 79.79m/261-9 PB won him this year's collegiate crown. Another collegian with a rocket arm is Marc Minichello of Georgia, the 2022 NCAA champion and winner of the 2019 USATF U20 gold. Minichello has a best of 81.17m/266-3 and was third at the 2022 USATF Championships. Ethan Shalaway and Capers Williamson are also 80m+ throwers and 2019 U.S. champion Michael Shuey is fifth on the all-time national performer list at 85.67m/281-1.
2023 U.S. leading performance – 8,630 points, Kyle Garland 2022 World Championships team members entered – Zach Ziemek, Kyle Garland, Steven Bastien After producing the best performance of his life to grab bronze at the World Championships, Zach Ziemek is back to seek his second USATF title. The national champion in 2018, Ziemek scored 8,676 points last year and is No. 10 on the all-time U.S. performer list. He has not seen a lot of action yet in 2023 but is experienced and a consummate competitor. His biggest challenge will come from NCAA and USATF runner-up Kyle Garland, who tallied 8,720 points last year at the USATF meet before taking 11th at the World Championships. Garland won the NCAA heptathlon crown for Georgia this year and has few weaknesses. Finishing 16th at the World Championships was Steven Bastien, the 10th-place finisher at Tokyo. Bastien has a PB of 8,485. Mt. SAC Relays winner Harrison Williams is finally fulfilling the potential he showed when he won the 2014 USATF U20 title and placed sixth at the world U20 meet. Williams upped his PB to 8,492 this year and has the ability to go much higher. Best of the rest are Michigan State's Heath Baldwin and Ryan Talbot and Iowa's Austin West. West was third at the NCAA Championships, while Baldwin was fifth.
The 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships and USATF U20 Championships will be broadcast live from Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Thursday through Sunday, July 6-9 via a mix of USATF.TV+, CNBC, and Peacock. CNBC and Peacock coverage will air from 10:00 p.m. - midnight ET on July 7 and 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET July 8-9. For the first time ever, USATF.TV+ will air every jump, every throw, and every race (outside the TV window) for the 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships and 2023 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships, including the multi-events. The entire USATF U20 Outdoor Championships will be shown on USATF.TV+. Follow along and join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtags #USATFOutdoors and #JourneyToGold.