Sha’Carri Richardson has the benefit of a Tokyo wild card but triumphed for the USA 100 title the last two years. (JEFF COHEN)
FEARLESS FORECASTING by Roy Conrad
as of May 23
TEAM USA for September’s World Championships in Tokyo will be chosen at the later-than-usual USATF Championships (Eugene, July 31–August 03). Collegiate athletes will face a long break between the NCAA and the USATF meets.
From the exceedingly tenuous vantage point of 11 weeks out, here’s our Top 10 charting for each women’s event at USATF. The listing of an athlete in a discipline doesn’t guarantee she’ll contest that event (or events).
Athletes who have met the Tokyo qualifying standard are noted with an asterisk. Achieving a Q isn’t mandatory for making the team, as WA will fill out about half the fields in each event from its world rankings.
The U.S. will have 3 Wild Card slots (meaning 4 can qualify instead of the standard 3), given to reigning WC gold medalists: Sha’Carri Richardson (100), Chase Jackson (SP) & Lagi Tausaga (DT).
Here’s our Top 10s (the number in the right-hand column represents the athlete’s placing in last year’s U.S. Rankings as compiled by T&FN):
100 METERS
1
*Sha’Carri Richardson
(Nike)
1
2
*Melissa Jefferson
(Nike)
2
3
*Tamari Davis
(adidas)
3
4
*Anavia Battle
(adidas)
nr
5
*McKenzie Long
(adidas)
9
6
*TeeTee Terry
(Nike)
4
7
Jacious Sears
(Nike)
nr
8
Kayla White
(unattached)
nr
9
*Cambrea Sturgis
(adidas)
nr
10
Indya Mayberry
(TCU)
nr
200 METERS
1
*Gabby Thomas
(New Balance)
1
2
*Tamari Davis
(adidas)
nr
3
*Anavia Battle
(adidas)
6
4
*JaMeesia Ford
(South Carolina)
7
5
*Brittany Brown
(Nike)
2
6
*McKenzie Long
(adidas)
3
7
Jenna Prandini
(Puma)
nr
8
Tamara Clark
(adidas)
9
9
*Madison Whyte
(USC)
nr
10
*Dana Wilson
(North Carolina HS)
nr
400 METERS
1
*Aaliyah Butler
(Georgia)
5
2
*Alexis Holmes
(Nike)
1
3
*Bella Whittaker
(unattached)
7
4
*Kaylyn Brown
(Arkansas)
2
5
*JaMeesia Ford
(South Carolina)
nr
6
*Bailey Lear
(unattached)
nr
7
Madison Whyte
(USC)
nr
8
Quanera Hayes
(Nike)
6
9
*Rosey Effiong
(Arkansas)
10
10
Lynna Irby-Jackson
(adidas)
9
800 METERS
1
*Addy Wiley
(adidas)
1
2
*Michaela Rose
(LSU)
6
3
*Sage Hurta-Klecker
(On AC)
5
4
*Nia Akins
(HOKA)
2
5
*Meghan Hunter
(BYU)
nr
6
Emily Richards
(Atalanta NYC)
nr
7
Victoria Bossong
(Harvard)
nr
8
Makayla Paige
(North Carolina)
nr
9
Roisin Willis
(Stanford)
nr
10
Athing Mu
(unattached)
nr
1500 METERS
1
*Nikki Hiltz
(lululemon)
1
2
Josette Andrews
(On AC)
nr
3
Krissy Gear
(HOKA)
nr
4
Shelby Houlihan
(unattached)
nr
5
Sinclaire Johnson
(Nike)
4
6
*Heather MacLean
(New Balance)
7
7
Dani Jones
(New Balance)
8
8
*Emily Mackay
(New Balance)
3
9
Addy Wiley
(adidas)
nr
10
Margot Appleton
(Virginia)
nr
STEEPLE
1
*Courtney Wayment
(On AC)
2
2
*Val Constien
(Nike)
1
3
Krissy Gear
(HOKA)
nr
4
Lexy Halladay-Lowry
(BYU)
8
5
*Gabbi Jennings
(adidas)
3
6
Olivia Markezich
(On AC)
5
7
Kaylee Mitchell
(Nike)
6
8
Annie Rodenfels
(unattached)
9
9
Sophie Novak
(unattached)
nr
10
Angelina Ellis
(Under Armour/DS)
nr
5000 METERS
1
*Josette Andrews
(On AC)
10
2
*Karissa Schweizer
(Swoosh)
2
3
*Elise Cranny
(Nike)
3
4
Shelby Houlihan
(unattached)
nr
5
*Whittni Morgan
(adidas)
4
6
Bailey Hertenstein
(Nike)
nr
7
Parker Valby
(New Balance)
6
8
Grace Hartman
(NC State)
nr
9
Courtney Frerichs
(unattached)
nr
10
Jane Hedengren
(Utah HS)
nr
10,000 METERS
1
*Elise Cranny
(Nike)
nr
2
Weini Kelati
(Under Armour/DS)
1
3
Parker Valby
(New Balance)
2
4
Karissa Schweizer
(Swoosh)
3
5
Taylor Roe
(Puma Elite)
nr
6
Emily Infeld
(Brooks)
nr
7
Jessica McClain
(Brooks)
4
8
Grace Hartman
(NC State)
nr
9
Ella Donaghu
(Nike)
nr
10
Amanda Vestri
(Brooks)
6
100 HURDLES
1
*Masai Russell
(Nike)
1
2
*Grace Stark
(adidas)
2
3
*Tia Jones
(adidas)
nr
4
*Keni Harrison
(adidas)
6
5
*Alaysha Johnson
(unattached)
3
6
*Christina Clemons
(unattached)
7
7
*Tonea Marshall
(Nike)
4
8
*Alia Armstrong
(unattached)
nr
9
Destiny Huven
(unattached)
nr
10
Jaiya Covington
(Texas A&M)
nr
400 HURDLES
1
*Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
(New Balance)
1
2
*Anna Cockrell
(Nike)
2
3
*Rachel Glenn
(Arkansas)
5
4
*Dalilah Muhammad
(Nike)
6
5
*Akala Garrett
(Texas)
7
6
Tyra Wilson
(Florida State)
nr
7
Saira Prince
(Arkansas)
nr
8
Cassandra Tate
(adidas)
8
9
*Shamier Little
(adidas)
4
10
*Jasmine Jones
(unattached)
3
20K WALK (compiled by Michael J. Roth)
1
Lauren Harris
(Walk USA)
nr
2
Miranda Melville
(New York AC)
2
3
Maria Michta-Coffey
(Oiselle/Walk USA)
nr
4
Katie Burnett
(Harrier TC)
4
5
Stephanie Casey
(Tracksmith)
5
6
Ruby Ray
(Walk USA)
8
7
Talia Green
(unattached)
10
8
Lydia McGranahan
(unattached)
6
9
Katie Miale
(New England Walkers)
nr
10
Angelica Harris
(Chicago Walkers)
nr
HIGH JUMP
1
Vashti Cunningham
(Nike/Red Bull)
1
2
Charity Hufnagel
(unattached)
4
3
Sanaa Barnes
(unattached)
5
4
*Rachel Glenn
(Arkansas)
2
5
Jenna Rogers
(Nebraska)
3
6
Emma Gates
(Arizona)
10
7
Cheyla Scott
(South Carolina)
nr
8
Cierra Allphin
(unattached)
9
9
Jamari Drake
(unattached)
7
10
Kya Crooke
(Indiana HS)
nr
POLE VAULT
1
*Katie Moon
(Nike)
1
2
*Amanda Moll
(Washington)
9
3
*Sandi Morris
(Puma)
2
4
*Hana Moll
(Washington)
5
5
*Brynn King
(Roberts Wesleyan)
4
6
Emily Grove
(unattached)
6
7
Chloe Timberg
(Rutgers)
7
8
Gabriela Leon
(Puma)
8
9
Olivia Lueking
(Oklahoma)
nr
10
Molly Haywood
(Baylor)
nr
LONG JUMP
1
*Tara Davis-Woodhall
(Nike)
1
2
*Claire Bryant
(adidas)
5
3
*Lexi Brown
(Baylor)
6
4
*Jasmine Moore
(Puma)
2
5
Monae’ Nichols
(Puma)
3
6
Quanesha Burks
(unattached)
4
7
Nicole Warwick
(VS Athletics)
7
8
Jacoria Humphrey
(Illinois)
nr
9
Alyssa Jones
(Stanford)
10
10
Sydney Willits
(unattached)
nr
TRIPLE JUMP
1
*Jasmine Moore
(Puma)
1
2
Agur Dwol
(Oklahoma)
nr
3
Tamiah Washington
(Texas Tech)
nr
4
Ryann Porter
(Oregon)
9
5
Simone Johnson
(San José State)
nr
6
Mylana Hearn
(unattached)
8
7
Skylynn Townsend
(Georgia)
nr
8
Xiamara Young
(San Diego State)
6
9
Euphenie Andre
(unattached)
7
10
Cassandra Atkins
(Oregon)
nr
SHOT
1
*Chase Jackson
(Nike)
1
2
*Maggie Ewen
(Nike)
4
3
*Jaida Ross
(Nike)
2
4
*Mya Lesnar
(Colorado State)
7
5
Jessica Ramsey
(adidas)
6
6
*Raven Saunders
(Nike)
3
7
*KeAyla Dove
(Houston)
10
8
Jessica Woodward
(Iron Wood TC)
8
9
Adelaide Aquilla
(unattached)
5
10
*Abria Smith
(Illinois)
nr
DISCUS
1
*Valarie Allman
(Asics/New York AC)
1
2
*Lagi Tausaga
(unattached)
4
3
*Jayden Ulrich
(Louisville)
3
4
*Veronica Fraley
(unattached)
2
5
*Erika Beistle
(Grand Valley State)
5
6
Shelby Frank
(Texas Tech)
6
7
*Gabi Jacobs
(unattached)
nr
8
Elena Bruckner
(unattached)
7
9
Micaela Hazlewood
(unattached)
8
10
Cierra Jackson
(Fresno State)
nr
HAMMER
1
*DeAnna Price
(Nike/NYAC)
3
2
*Brooke Andersen
(Nike)
1
3
*Rachel Richeson
(EAN)
5
4
*Annette Echikunwoke
(Nike)
2
5
Janee’ Kassanavoid
(Nike)
4
6
Jillian Shippee
(EAN)
nr
7
Erin Reese
(Velaasa)
6
8
Janeah Stewart
(New York AC)
7
9
Shelby Frank
(Texas Tech)
8
10
Madi Malone
(unattached)
9
JAVELIN
1
Maggie Malone Hardin
(unattached)
1
2
Madison Wiltrout
(unattached)
3
3
Maddie Harris
(Nebraska)
5
4
Avione Allgood-Whetstone
(unattached)
4
5
Evelyn Bliss
(Bucknell)
6
6
Jada Green
(unattached)
9
7
Kelsi Oldroyd
(Utah Valley)
nr
8
Kate Joyce
(North Carolina)
nr
9
Sarah Blake
(unattached)
7
10
Arianna Ince
(unattached)
8
HEPTATHLON
1
*Anna Hall
(adidas)
1
2
*Michelle Atherley
(unattached)
2
3
Taliyah Brooks
(Asics)
3
4
Jadin O’Brien
(Notre Dame)
7
5
Timara Chapman
(unattached)
6
6
Allie Jones
(unattached)
5
7
Erin Marsh
(unattached)
nr
8
Katie Eidem
(unattched)
nr
9
Annika Williams
(Oregon)
nr
10
Lexie Keller
(unattached)
nr
About the author: we’re never quite sure where reclusive Special Projects Editor Roy Conrad will show up next, although he is halfway to retirement at this point.
