Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Ajee' Wilson each advanced to the finals with very strong races to highlight action by New Jersey athletes at Friday's USATF Nationals at Hayward Field in Oregon.
Focusing on just the flat 400, McLaughlin-Levrone, a 4-time Olympic gold medalist and the world record holder in the 400 hurdles, dropped the fastest time in the semifnals in the 1-lapper with a time of very comfortable 49.59.
McLaughlin-Levrone, a 2017 graduate of Union Cathiolic High School, was the only runner to break 50.00. She will be the overwhelming favorite to win the 400 final, scheduled for Saturday at 4:03 p.m. McLaughlin-Levrone, who has a 400 PR of 48.74, has a great shot at taking down the American record of 48.70 set in 2006 by Sanya Richards-Ross.
Wilson, a 2012 graduate of Neptune High, ran a season best 1:58.30, the second fastest time of the semfinals, to place second in her heat to advance to the 800 final, which is scheduled for Sunday at 4:18 p.m. Wilson, the 2021 World Indoor Champ in the 800 and a 2-time Olympian, looked very smooth and ran a smart race, finishing just behind Nia Akins (1:58.09) to secure a berth in the final.
The women's 800 was stacked with NJ talent, but Wilson was the only Garden State native to advance.
Athing Mu-Nikolayev (Trenton High-Class of 2020) ran a season best 1:59.79, missing the final by one place. Mu won the gold in the 2-lapper at 2021 OIympic Games and is the American outdooor record holder in the event. Olivia Baker (Columbia High-Class of 2014) ran 2:00.16, and 2024 Olympian Allie Wilson, a graduate of Monmouth University, ran 2:00.41.
English Gardner, a 2-time Olympian who struck gold at the 2016 Olympics in the 4x100 relay, ran 11.17 to place ninth in the women's 100 dash final. Gardner graduated from Eastern High in 2010.
MORE NJ RESULTS
Jenna Rogers NJ (Rutherford High-Class of 2020) placed fifth in the women's high jump by clearing 6-2.
Sean Dolan (Hopewell Valley-Class of 2019) ran 1:46.36 to place fifth in his semfinal heat of the men's 800. The top two from each semfinal automatically advanced.
Princeton University's Greg Foster (Lawrenceville-Class of 2022) finished 8th in the men's long jump with a mark of 25-10.25.