Kincaid's kick highlights opening day of Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships

NEW YORK CITY — Woody Kincaid used a 54.89 final lap to win his third career USATF men's 10,000 title in 30:13.66 Thursday night on the first day of the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Icahn Stadium, outkicking Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher in a thrilling finish to a race that closed out competition at the first outdoor nationals in the Big Apple in 35 years. This year marks the 150^th anniversary of the first American national championships, which were held in 1876 in New York City.
 
Kincaid and Fisher bided their time with the rest of the field as the pack went through 5K in 16:12 led by Oregon's Luke Tewalt. One more slow kilometer turned into a much quicker pace in the final four kilometers as Fisher went to the front and pushed it. Fisher, Kinkaid and Drew Bosley pulled away from the remainder of the field and that trio fought it out in the final laps for bragging rights. Bosley attempted to take the lead on the last lap, but Kinkaid quickly seized it and held off Fisher's attempts to unseat him. Fisher was second in 30:14.46, and Bosley was six seconds back, placing third in 30:20.60.
 
Swirling winds early in the competition caused some headaches for the men's long jumpers, but as conditions improved a bit the bigger leaps came. Defending champ Isaac Grimes took the lead in round one at 7.85 and never relinquished it as he improved to 8.16 in the fourth round and then 8.18 to finish the day. Malcolm Clemons came the closest, hitting 7.98 in the fourth and then 8.06 and 8.07 to end up second, while this year's USATF indoor champion, Steffin McCarter, placed third at 7.97. 2025 110 hurdles world champion Cordell Tinch gave it a good go on the runway and came in fourth with a best of 7.94.
 
Adding another highlight to her best season ever, Madison Wiltrout picked up her first USATF title in the women's javelin with a best of 61.53 in round three. Wiltrout, the American leader at 63.88 in 2026 and ranked sixth all-time among U.S. throwers, took the lead on her first attempt with a 59.72 and then hit her best two rounds later. She was pushed by last year's champ, Evie Bliss of Bucknell, who threw 60.41 in round two, but nobody could overtake her. Maddie Harris, who won the 2023 title, was third at 57.14.
 
"Pedestrian" would have been generous in describing the first few laps of the women's 10,000 as the pack went through 800 in 3:13 and the mile in just under six minutes. Sydney Vaught took them through 5K in 18:09.44 and from there the tempo picked up dramatically. Vaught knocked out the next kilo in 3:00.85 and then settled in for a few 3:07s  before closing out the race with a 2:57.64 to win her first USATF track title in 33:30.60. Katie Izzo pursued Vaught gamely and crossed the line in 33:36.98 for second, while Allie Buchalski claimed third in 33:42.29.
 
American record holder Rudy Winkler won five of the past nine USATF men's hammer titles in alternating years, and this year he finally won his first back-to-back crowns with a 77.05 in round five. Winkler trailed Alex Young through three rounds before a 76.55 in round four elevated him to the lead. Young hit 74.93 on his opening attempt and held onto second with Trey Knight coming through for bronze at 73.70 on his final throw, moving up from fifth.
 
Kyle Garland had a solid but not spectacular first day in the men's decathlon to take the lead after five events with 4,423 points, 25 in front of Garrett Scantling and 94 ahead of '26 U.S. leader Hakim McMorris. Garland, the defending champ and bronze medalist at the World Championships in Tokyo, was second in the 100 at 10.72 and then long jumped 7.53. He had a best of 15.20 in the shot put before clearing 2.07 in the high jump, and polished off the day with a 48.50 in the 400. Scantling won the shot with a big 16.07 toss, and McMorris took the 100 in 10.61 and 400 in 46.43.
 
The women's heptathlon lead is held by Erin Marsh with 3,722 points. Marsh won the 100 hurdles in 12.92, the only athlete to dip under 13 seconds, but faltered in the high jump with a 1.65 clearance that allowed Hollan Powers to briefly take the overall lead. Marsh recovered with a 13.91 in the shot put and then won the 200 in 23.77. Powers put together a very nice first day to tally 3,633, and Timara Chapman is third at 3,575.
 
Vincent Ciattei and Addy Wiley led the qualifiers to the finals in the 1500, with Ciattei clocking the fastest men's time at 3:41.30 and Wiley setting a season best of 4:04.17. Ciattei unleashed a 53.63 final 400 after a quite slow opening pace left the race in the final of three heats wide open.
 
Nathan Green and Luke Houser were the other men's heat winners. Green, who won the USATF Indoors crown this year and placed sixth at the World Indoors, won the second heat in 3:42.91 and edged Gary Martin by .03. Houser, a two-time NCAA indoor mile champ and the bronze medalist at the 2025 World Indoors, took the slowish first heat in 3:44.02.
 
The women ran only two heats, and three-time defending champion Nikki Hiltz used a patented sizzling kick to win the second section in 4:04.54. Hiltz can win from a slow pace or a fast pace and looked quite comfortable exercising their tactical plan. Behind Hiltz were PB runs by Teagan Schein-Becker at 4:04.91 and Taryn Parks at 4:05.14. Emily Mackay and Heather MacLean were second and third behind Wiley in heat one, and Carlee Hansen notched a PB of 4:04.92 in fourth. Kylee Finger (4:05.78) and Jessica Kain (4:06.21) were the others who set PBs.
 
Heats in the men's 100 didn't produce any surprises as the favorites eased their way into the next round. Christian Coleman was the fastest overall, winning heat one in 9.96 off an explosive start, and Olympic champion Noah Lyles responded with a 9.97 to take the next heat after a very comfortable start and quick close. Defending champ Kenny Bednarek was a clear winner in heat three at 10.04, and Courtney Lindsey took the final section in 10.06 after several recalls and a false start made for a tentative start across the board.
 
With only 27 women in the 100, the heats served as a seeding opportunity as all advanced to the semis. 2023 world champion Sha'Carri Richardson looked scary good in zipping to a 10.90 in the last section to record the fastest overall time, and Kayla White e also went sub-11 with a 10.98 season best to win heat one. Other heat victories went to Anavia Battle in 11.00 and Melicia Mouzzon in 11.30.
 
Parker Stokes, the winner of the USATF LA Track Festival and the 2024 NCAA champion, had the fastest qualifying time in the men's 3000 steeplechase, winning heat two in 8:23.04. Olympian Benard Keter was not far behind Stokes in second, clocking 8:23.65, and three other men in that heat dipped under 8:25. The opening heat went to Oregon's Benjamin Balazs, the Big 10 champion and fifth in the NCAA meet. Balazs won in 8:31.04 with Carson Williams and Cooper Cawthra rounding out the top three. A new champion is guaranteed as 2024 Olympic silver medalist and three-time defending champ Kenneth Rooks did not advance.