USA Track and Field Championships 2022 day 4: Live updates from Hayward Field

Jenna Prandini made her first World Athletics Championship team in 2015 when she was just a junior at Oregon.

Seven years later, she did it again, finishing third in the women’s 200 final in a season-best 22.01.

Prandini, a two-time Olympian who won a 4x100-relay silver medal in Beijing in 2015, was leading Sunday’s final coming out of the turn but couldn’t match the closing speed of eventual champion Abby Steiner or runner-up Tamara Clark.

Steiner, the NCAA champion from Kentucky, finished in a world-leading and personal-record 21.77. Clark ran a PR 21.92.

Gabby Thomas, the returning U.S. champion and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, finished last in 22.47.

Raevyn Rogers gets her Oregon22 qualifier

Raevyn Rogers will be coming home in three weeks.

The former Duck earned her world championships qualifier with a third-place finish in the women’s 800, running a season-best 1:57.96.

She was in sixth place with 200 meters to go when she leaned on her kick to get into qualifying position.

Rogers, a member of the Portland-based Union Athletics Club, won bronze at the Olympics last summer and silver at the 2019 world championships.

Reigning Olympic champ Athing Mu won in 1:57.16, surviving a strong challenge from Ajee Wilson, who pulled even with Mu down the homestretch before finishing second in a season-best 1:57.23.

Bryce Hoppel won the men’s 800 in 1:44.60 in a final that didn’t include reigning world champion Donavan Brazier, who ran in the prelims Thursday but then scratched out of the race as he holds an automatic spot in Oregon22.

Jonah Koech and Brandon Miller also made the U.S. team, finishing second and third, respectively.

Koech came up clutch as his time of 1:44.74 gives him the world championships standard. Miller ran 1:45.19 and dove across the finish line to relegate 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Clayton Murphy to fourth place in 1:45.23.

Bowerman Track Club gets both 5K champs

It was good morning for the Bowerman Track Club.

The Portland-based professional training group had a 1-2 finish in both the men’s and women’s 5,000 finals, led by championship performances from Grant Fisher and Elise Cranny.

Fisher ran a meet-record 13:03.86 in a dominant performance for the Olympian, who was also the runner-up in the 10,000, making him a two-time qualifier for the World Athletics Championships.

Fisher’s training partner Woody Kincaid moved from fourth to second in the final lap to finish in 13:06.70.

Northern Arizona’s Abdihamid Nur was third in 13:08.63.

Former Oregon stars Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker scratched from the race Sunday morning, and two-time Olympic medalist and defending U.S. Paul Chelimo struggled to an 11th-place finish in 13:24.82.

Cranny, who was a late scratch from the women’s 10,000 championship race a month ago at the Prefontaine Classic, returned to the track Sunday morning and came away a national champion.

Cranny won her second-straight U.S. 5,000 title, passing BTC training partner Karissa Schweizer down the homestretch to cross in 15:49.15.

Schweizer, who won the 10,000 title, finished second in 15:49.32 after leading for the final four laps until Cranny slipped past.

Emily Infeld was third in 15:49.42. Infeld was a longtime training partner with Cranny and Schweizer before switching coaches this year.

Hocker and Teare scratch from 5,000 final

Former Oregon stars Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker have scratched from the men’s 5,000-meter final Sunday morning.

Teare is coming off a win in the 1,500 Saturday afternoon, securing his spot in the World Athletic Championships.

He was fourth in the 5,000 last summer at the Olympic Trials and is one of the top Americans at that distance.

For Hocker, the 5,000 represented his last chance to make the world championship team after failing to make the final in the 1,500 on Friday after finishing sixth in his semifinal heat.

Hocker, who was the 2021 U.S. champion in the 1,500 and an Olympic finalist, has been battling an injury in recent weeks, according to his agent Ray Flynn.

McLaughlin ends Day 3 with a WR

Sydney McLaughlin did it again.

For the third time in the past 12 months, the American track star has broke the world record.

Unchallenged and with an effort that looked effortless to the naked eye, McLaughlin won the women’s 400 hurdles in 51.41.

McLaughlin first set the world record during the Olympic Trials last summer at Hayward Field when she won in 51.90, becoming the first women to run under 52.0.

She then reset that record in Tokyo during the Summer Games when she won gold in 51.46.

NCAA champion Britton Wilson came in second Saturday in a personal-record 53.08 and Shamier Little was third in 53.92.

Daliliah Muhammad, who was the previous world record holder, didn’t compete this weekend. As the 2019 world champion, Muhammad is automatically qualified for Oregon22.

Former Duck Johnson keeps rolling

Alaysha Johnson started her outdoor season unheralded and unsponsored. It’s doubtful it’ll end that way.

The former Oregon star and school record holder qualified for her first world championship team with a second-place finish in the women’s 100 hurdles.

Johnson didn’t get off to a great start but found an extra gear as she flew over the final hurdles to finish in personal-record 12.35.

The only person she couldn’t catch was world record holder Keni Harrison, who won in a world-leading 12.34.

NCAA champion Alia Armstrong from LSU was third in a PR 12.47.

Reigning world champion Nia Ali, who has an automatic berth into the world championships,  ran the fastest time during the semifinal heats, but she scratched from the final.

Teare kicks to victory in 1,500

Cooper Teare is a U.S. champion.

The former Oregon star who missed making the 2020 Olympic team by one spot last summer, won the men’s 1,500 championship Saturday afternoon to earn his way into the World Athletics Championships next month.

Teare was in fourth place with 100 meters to go but kicked his way past the leaders to win in 3:45.86.

Johnathan Davis was second in 3:46.01 and Josh Thompson of the Portland-based Bowerman Track Club was third in 3:46.07.

Oregon senior Reed Brown was fifth in 3:46.28, and former Ducks Johnny Gregorek (3:46.36) and Sam Prakel (3:46.49) were sixth and eighth, respectively.

Teare, who was fourth in the 5,000 at the Olympic Trials in 2021, is also entered in that final on Sunday.

The women’s 1,500 title was won by Sinclaire Johnson of Portland-based Union Athletics Club.

Johnson, who was 12th at the Olympic Trials last year, has been the top American this season and that played out again on Saturday as she ran 4:03.29 to get the victory. 2020 Olympians Corey McGee (4:04.52) and Elle St. Pierre (4:05.14) were second and third, respectively.

Allen advances in 110 hurdles

Mission accomplished for Devon Allen as the former Duck looked sharp while winning his 110 hurdle preliminary heat in 13.27.

He’ll be back Sunday for the semifinals and potentially the final.

Reigning world champion Grant Holloway also won his heat in 13.11 — the fastest time of the day overall — and NCAA champ Trey Cunningham from Florida State won his heat in 13.13.

Former Ducks Prandini, King make 200 semifinals

Jenna Prandini won her 200-meter preliminary heat in 22.65 seconds Saturday afternoon, sending the two-time Olympian from Oregon into Sunday’s semifinals.

NCAA champ and collegiate record-holder Abby Steiner from Kentucky had the fastest time Saturday at 22.15. Olympic bronze medalist Gabby Thomas won her heat in 22.59, holding off Sha’Carri Richardson, who was second in 22.69 to advance.

Richardson, who came into the meet as a favorite in the 100, didn’t advance out of the prelims in that event Thursday.

In the men’s 200 prelims, former Duck Kyree King advanced to the semifinals with a second-place finish in his heat in 20.24.

Reigning world champ Noah Lyles ran 19.95 for the fastest time out of the four heats, with recent high school grad Erriyon Knighton also a heat winner in 20.08.

Fred Kerley, who was crowned the 100 champion Friday, also advanced, as did Christian Coleman and 2020 Olympian Kenny Bednarek.

Friday field event champions

Ryan Crouser threw a world-leading 75 feet, 10¼ inches to win the men’s shot put title, as the two-time Olympic champion held off 2019 world champion Joe Kovacs. Kovacs was second in 75-½.

Crouser’s winning throw came in his third attempt and started a run of four straight throws of at least 75-4¾.

Josh Awotunde was third at 70-7.

Olympic gold medalist Valarie Allman came into the meet as an automatic qualifier for Oregon22 because of her 2021 Diamond League title. She still put in a winning effort in the women’s discus as her throw of 219-7 secured a U.S. title.

Laulauga Tausaga-Collins was second with a PR mark of 211-7, and Rachel Dincoff was third at 203-10.

In the women’s high jump, Vashti Cunningham won her fifth U.S. title with a clearance of 6-4.

Rachel Glenn was second at 6-2¾ and Rachel McCoy third at 6-2¾, though neither has the world championships standard of 6-5.

It was a rough day for the favorites in the men’s long jump as a pair of 2020 Olympians didn’t even make the final round.

JuVaughn Harrison — who was fifth in Tokyo — and Marquis Dendy lasted only three rounds on Friday in an event won by LSU’s Rayvon Grey at 26-10½. Olympian Steffin McCarter was second at 26-9 and Florida State’s Jeremiah Davis was third at 26-7¼.

Rogers leads trio of Ducks into women's 800 final

Come Sunday, Raevyn Rogers will get a chance to compete for another world championship team.

The former Oregon star finished second in her 800-meter semifinal heat Friday to automatically qualify for the finals.

Rogers, who was the silver medalist at the 2019 World Athletics Championships and the bronze medalist at the 2020 Olympics, finished in 2:01.15, in between heat winner Ajee Wilson (2:00.81) and NCAA champion Kristie Schoffield (2:01.43) of Boise State.

Two other former Ducks also made the final, as Brooke Feldmeier and Sabrina Southerland both earned time qualifiers, taking advantage of a speedy pace set by Athing Mu, who won the second heat in 1:57.55.

Feldmeier finished fifth overall in a PR 1:59.44 and Southerland, who is a member of Eugene-based Oregon Track Club Elite, finished sixth overall in 1:59.70.

Hanna Green and Angel Piccirillo, also of OTC Elite, finished sixth and eighth, respectively, in the first heat and didn’t advance. Green ran 2:02.55 and Piccirillo ran 2:03.70.

Micah Williams fourth in 100 final

Micah Williams’ quest to compete in the men’s 100-meters at the World Athletics Championship meet came up short by one place in the standings and .02 seconds on the clock.

Despite a strong start, the Oregon sprinter finished fourth in the final Friday in 9.90. Only the top three finishers made Team USA.

Fred Kerley, who ran a meet-record and PR 9.76 in the semifinals earlier on Friday, won the U.S. title in 9.77. Marvin Bracy-Williams equaled his PR with a 9.85 for second and Trayvon Bromell was third in 9.88, edging out Williams.

Former Duck Kyree King was sixth in PR 9.96.

Christian Coleman scratched from the finals after running 9.87 in the semifinals. As the 2019 world champion, Coleman is an automatic qualifier for Oregon22.

Coastal Carolina’s Melissa Jefferson, who finished eighth at the NCAA championships two weeks ago, is now a U.S. champion after winning the women’s 100 in 10.69.

Jefferson’s strong finish moved her ahead of Aleia Hobbs (10.72) and Twanisha Terry (10.74), who also qualified for the world championships with a second- and third-place finish, respectively.

None of the top-four finishers from the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer made the women's world team.

Favorites all advance in women's steeplechase semifinals

The women’s 3,000 steeplechase semifinal went off without any surprises Friday evening, setting up what should be an entertaining final Sunday afternoon.

Olympians Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs, Colleen Quigley and Val Constien were among the 14 who advanced, as was NCAA champion and U.S. leader Courtney Wayment.

Frerichs, the American record holder and 2020 Tokyo silver medalist who trains with Portland-based Bowerman Track Club, had the fastest time of the two semifinal heats at 9:31.25.

Oregon's Williams makes final in the 100

Micah Williams’ season will last at least one more hour as the Oregon star sprinter qualified for the final of the men’s 100 meters Friday evening.

Williams overcame a race that included two false-start callbacks to finish fourth in his heat in 9.94 seconds to earn one of the two time-qualifier spots in the final, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Former Duck Kyree King automatically qualified for Friday’s final, finishing third in his heat in 9.99.

The frontrunner after the semifinals is Fred Kerley, who ran a wind-legal 9.76 to set a personal and meet record.

Trayvon Bromell (9.81), Marvin Bracy-Williams (9.86) and Christian Coleman (9.87) also ran well in the semifinals.

In the women’s 100 semifinals, former Ducks Jenna Prandini finished fifth in her heat and didn’t make Friday’s final. The two-time Olympian in the 200 is entered in that event, which begins Saturday.

Johnson soars into semifinals

Former Oregon standout Alaysha Johnson announced her presence in the women’s 100 hurdles by running 12.41 seconds in the preliminaries Friday evening.

The UO record holder had the fastest time overall out of the three heats to qualify for Saturday’s semifinals, with world record holder Keni Harrison the next fastest at 12.47.

Hocker doesn't qualify for 1,500 final

There will be four Oregon Ducks in Saturday’s final of the men’s 1,500 meters.

Shockingly, Cole Hocker will not be among them.

The defending U.S. champion and 2020 Olympic finalist didn’t advance out of his semifinal round Thursday during the opening night of the USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field.

Hocker was leading the first heat with 50 meters to go when he started to fade as a pack of five passed him and beat him to the finish line.

He finished in sixth place in 3:39.57, putting him on the bubble as only the top-three finishers from each of the three heats plus the next three overall fastest made the final.

The second heat was slower as former Duck Sam Prakel won in 3:40.91, but the third heat had seven runners finish faster than Hocker’s time.

Hocker, who is also entered in the 5,000 on Sunday, didn’t talk to the media after his race.

It was different story for Hocker’s training partner Cooper Teare, who was second in his heat in 3:41.27 to make the final.

“I was just trying to race how I race and not change anything,” said Teare, who was fourth in the 5,000 at the Olympic Trials last summer. “It’s the USAs so there’s no Saturday without Thursday so just trying to make sure not to leave too much today. I know it’s hard. Sometimes you want to save something for the final and try not to go all out but to make the final these days takes a big effort.”

For Prakel, that meant taking the lead going into the final lap and never relinquishing.

“It was what I needed to do,” he said. “I wanted to run a hard last 400 and make sure I didn’t leave anything to chance and get that top three. I knew I had the fitness to sustain a kick like that.”

Former Duck Johnny Gregorek had the second-fastest time of the night overall as he ran 3:38.95 in the third heat to finish second.

Oregon’s Reed Brown, who just ended a disappointing senior season that included not qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, was one of the runners who passed Hocker down the home stretch and finished third in 3:39.04.

“My race was definitely better than expected,” Brown said. “I think after my NCAA season and not doing too well towards the end of it just with a bunch of hiccups, I wasn’t really expecting too much from this race but I just came out here and gave it my all and kind of felt like my old self again and had a great race. … I think it’s just a big rebound from the end of the season

Among those not making the semifinals was Ben Blankenship of Eugene’s Oregon Track Club Elite and a 2016 Olympic finalist.

Blankenship finished sixth in his heat in 3:42.59.

Also missing the cut were former Ducks Colby Alexander, Eric Jenkins, Jack Yearian and Matt Wisner, and Vincent Ciattai of OTC Elite.

Richardson doesn't advance in women's 100

There was a stunning development in the women’s 100 prelims as defending U.S. champion Sha’Carri Richardson finished fifth in her heat in 11.31 and didn’t advance to the semifinals.

Richardson, who missed the 2020 Olympics due to a failed drug test for marijuana, recently ran 10.85 in her final tune-up race two weeks ago and looked ready to contend for a top-three finish.

The meet also came to an end for former Duck English Gardner, who ran 11.32 to finish sixth in her heat.

It was a different story for former Oregon star Jenna Prandini, as the two-time Olympian in the 200 ran 11.18 to make Friday’s 100 semifinal.

In the men’s 100, Oregon’s Micah Williams finished third in his heat in 10.11 to automaticaly advance to the semifinals. It was Williams’ first race since his disappointing seventh-place finish in the final at the NCAA Outdoor Championships two weeks ago.

Former Duck Kyree King also advanced with a second-place finish in his heat in 10.17.

Good day for Ducks in 800 preliminaries

It was a good day for some former Ducks during the first round of the women’s 800 meters as the USA Track and Field Championships got underway Thursday at Hayward Field.

Raevyn Rogers, Brooke Feldmeier and Sabrina Southerland all advanced to Friday’s semifinals. Southerland also joins her Oregon Track Club Elite training partners Hanna Green and Angel Piccirillo in the semifinals.

Rogers, the 2019 world championships silver medalist, ran 2:01.10 to finish second in her heat and automatically qualify. She was just a step ahead Southerland who was third in 2:01.28.

Feldmeier also automatically advanced as she finished third in her heat in a personal-best 2:01.45.

Green and Piccirillo qualified on time as they finished fourth in their heats, with Green crossing in 2:01.80 and Piccirillo in 2:02.77.

Donavan Brazier doesn’t need to go all out this week as his Oregon22 qualifier is already secure since he’s the reigning world champion in the men’s 800 from 2019.

That didn’t keep him from giving an honest effort Friday. Brazier, who trains with Portland’s Union Athletics Club, ran the fastest time in any of the four first-round heats in 1:46.49 to make Friday’s semifinal.

Racers to watch:Dozens of Ducks flock back to Hayward Field for USATF Outdoor Championships

UO's Nakato makes World Juniors meet

Oregon’s Kohana Nakato became the Ducks’ first world championships qualifier of the weekend.

The freshman won the women’s javelin title during the USATF U20 Outdoor meet, throwing 157 feet, 10 inches on her fifth attempt to make the top of the podium.

"(Today) felt amazing. It was great especially with the weather and getting back to throwing,” she said. “ It's been awhile after regionals so I'm proud of my performance.”

Nakato qualified for World Athletics U20 Championships in Colombia in August.

Return:Sprinter Richardson's speed, swagger returns to Hayward for USATF nationals

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: USA Track and Field Championships 2022 updates from meet at Hayward