Chloe Timberg, Josh Awotunde and Sean Dolan all produced sensational performances at Sunday's USATF National Indoor Championships at Ocean Breeze on Staten Island.
TIMBER TIME
Timberg, who graduated from Rutgers last spring, won the women's pole vault by clearing 15-5, which met the qualifying standard to make the U.S. Team that will compete at the World Championships, which is scheduled for March 20-22 in Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Poland
Timberg, the 2024 NCAA Champion in the pole vault who starred at Central Bucks West High in Pennsylvania, made 15-3 on her final attempt and then cleared 15-5 on her second attempt to lock up her spot in the team!
BIG SHOT
Awotunde, a 2013 graduate of Delsea High who won the U.S. National Outdoor title in the shot put this past summer, unloaded a season best bomb of 69-1.25 on his final throw to finish third.
While the top 2 finishers who have met the World Championship standard of 69-6.50 automatically qualify for the U.S. team, Awotunde, who is just short of the standard, has made the U.S. squad, according to an announcement made during the broadcast of the meet. Awotunde, coming off a recent shoulder injury, made the team based on his world ranking of 10.
This is the fifth World Championship Team Awotunde has made.
Dolan, needing to finish in the top 2 in the 800 and hit the standard of 1:45.90 to automatically make the U.S. Team, got the finish he needed by running a 53.54 final 400 to secure a runner-up finish in a season best 1:47.17. Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 17 year-old high school phenom, won the race in 1:46.68.
Although he didn't hit the standard, Dolan, a 2019 graduate of Hopewell Valley High, has until March 8 (this Sunday) to run 1:45.90 or faster to make the U.S. Team. He said after his race that he will find a really fast 4-lapper this weekend and let it rip and chase after that time!!