Here are some notes and highlights from the USATF Championships and Junior Championships being held this weekend in Sacramento, California. These won't be live updates but I'll periodically update with any big news and after each day of competition.
USATF Junior New Jersey Highlights
If I am missing any New Jersey top finishers from this let me know at rkellert@milespit.com.
- Running 1:53.86 Rey Rivera finished third in the second heat on Friday at the USATF Junior National Championships advancing as the sixth seed to the final.
- Cory Poole of East Orange Campus qualified third overall for the final winning the fourth heat by over a second with a time of 50.64. Eyeing up that sub 50 time!
- Amaya Chadwick of Union Catholic finished sixth in her heat and 12th in preliminaries posting a time of 14.30.
- In the shot put Alyssa Wilson of Donovan Catholic finished second throwing 53-03 and Nickolette Dunbar (Whippany Park'16) fifth 52-0. Wilson also went on to finish fifth in the discus at 167-8 and still has a hammer throw result on the way.
- Alyssa Wilson WON the hammer throw going 185-11 on her second attempt!
- Tia Livingston, who graduated from Union Catholic in 2016 and now competes at UPenn, advanced to the 400 meter hurdle finals running 1:00.38.
- Tim Bason, who graduated from West Windsor Plainsboro South in 2016 won the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 9:15.40, a close finish only winning by .02!
- Cory Poole now holds the New Jersey 400m Hurdle state record!! He placed second in the finals with a time of 49.88. The previous record was held by Taylor McLaughlin with his 50.20 in 2015.
- Rey Rivera finishes seventh in the finals with a time of 1:56.91.
- Tia Livingston finished sixth in the 400 meter hurdle finals running 1:02.84.
USATF Championships New Jersey Highlights
If I am missing any New Jersey top finishers from this let me know at rkellert@milespit.com.
- Day 1
- Keturah Orji wins the triple jump with a mark of 46-9.5 on her second of six attempts.
- Ajee' Wilson moved on to the next round of the 800 meter as the third seed running 2:02.84. Olivia Baker finished 18th at 2:05.41.
- Joe White moves on in the 800 meter running the 17th fastest time of the first round at 1:48.23.
- In the 1500 meter Robby Andrews runs the 12th fastest in Round 1 with a 3:42.25, was second in his heat.
- Jess Woodard finished 13th in the discus with a mark of 169-11.
- Johnny Jackson earned second in the men's hammer with a throw of 235-02, the mark came on his fifth attempt, second in the final.
- Day 2
- Travis Mahoney moves on in the 3000m Steeplechase placing fifth in his heat with a time of 8:39.18.
- Sydney McLaughlin advances to the 400m Hurdle semis as the sixth seed with a time of 55.41, she finished second in her prelim heat.
- Ajee Wilson has the fastest semi-final time with her 1:58.94 out of heat 1.
- English Gardner sprints to a sixth place finish in the 100 meter dash final, a time of 11.16.
- Eric Bethea was 16th in the triple jump with a mark of 48-0.5.
- Kelly Yanucil 15th in the javelin at 143-3.
- Joe White ends his weekend finishing 10th overall at 1:46.20 in the 800m semis, was sixth in his heat.
- Day 3
- Sydney McLaughlin moves on! She finished 5th overall in the 400m Hurdles semis with a time of 54.76.
- Monique Riddick, a Bishop Ahr 2007 graduate, placed fourth in the shot put with a throw of 61-11.75.
- Jess Woodard, who graduated from Cherokee HS in 2013, finished eighth in the shot put with a mark of 57-05.75, came on her first throw of the competition.
- Robby Andrews does it! Andrews kicked it home to win the 1500m championship running 3:43.29.
- Day 4
- Out of lane 8 Sydney McLaughlin improves her own World Junior 400m Hurdle record with a time of 53.82. She finishes sixth in a heat full of talent.
- Ajee' Wilson wins the 800 meter championship running 1:57.78! Opened 59.66 and came back 58.13.
- Travis Mahoney finished 10th in the 3000m Steeplechase final running 8:34.97.
- Corey Crawford jumped to ninth in the long jump with a mark of 25-9.25.