The current chart has Gabby Thomas, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Tamari Davis scoring 5 of 6 team berths in the 100 and 200. (JOHN NEPOLITAN)
FEARLESS FORECASTING by Roy Conrad
as of June 04
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 9 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
*Melissa Jefferson
(Nike)
2
2
*Tamari Davis
(adidas)
3
3
*Anavia Battle
(adidas)
nr
4
*McKenzie Long
(adidas)
9
5
*TeeTee Terry
(Nike)
4
6
Jacious Sears
(Nike)
nr
7
Kayla White
(unattached)
nr
8
*Celera Barnes
(adidas)
10
9
*Alexis Brown
(Lenoir-Rhyne)
nr
10
*Sha’Carri Richardson
(Nike)
1
200 METERS
1
*Gabby Thomas
(New Balance)
1
2
*Tamari Davis
(adidas)
nr
3
*Melissa Jefferson
(Nike)
nr
4
*Anavia Battle
(adidas)
6
5
*JaMeesia Ford
(South Carolina)
7
6
*Brittany Brown
(Nike)
2
7
*McKenzie Long
(adidas)
3
8
Jenna Prandini
(Puma)
nr
9
*Madison Whyte
(USC)
nr
10
*Dana Wilson
(North Carolina HS)
nr
400 METERS
1
*Bella Whittaker
(unattached)
7
2
*Aaliyah Butler
(Georgia)
5
3
*Alexis Holmes
(Nike)
1
4
*Kaylyn Brown
(Arkansas)
2
5
*JaMeesia Ford
(South Carolina)
nr
6
Lynna Irby-Jackson
(adidas)
9
7
*Bailey Lear
(unattached)
nr
8
Madison Whyte
(USC)
nr
9
Quanera Hayes
(Nike)
6
10
*Rosey Effiong
(Arkansas)
10
800 METERS
1
*Addy Wiley
(adidas)
1
2
*Michaela Rose
(LSU)
6
3
*Sage Hurta-Klecker
(On AC)
5
4
*Meghan Hunter
(BYU)
nr
5
*Nia Akins
(Hoka)
2
6
Emily Richards
(Atalanta NYC)
nr
7
Victoria Bossong
(Harvard)
nr
8
Makayla Paige
(North Carolina)
nr
9
Roisin Willis
(Stanford)
nr
10
Laurie Barton
(Atlanta TC)
nr
1500 METERS
1
*Nikki Hiltz
(lululemon)
1
2
Josette Andrews
(On AC)
nr
3
Krissy Gear
(Hoka)
nr
4
Sinclaire Johnson
(Nike)
4
5
Shelby Houlihan
(unattached)
nr
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
Lexy Halladay-Lowry
(BYU)
8
4
*Gabbi Jennings
(adidas)
3
5
Krissy Gear
(Hoka)
nr
6
Olivia Markezich
(On AC)
5
7
Angelina Ellis
(Under Armour/DS)
nr
8
Sophie Novak
(unattached)
nr
9
Kaylee Mitchell
(Nike)
6
10
Annie Rodenfels
(unattached)
9
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
Amanda Vestri
(Brooks)
6
10
Ella Donaghu
(Nike)
nr
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
*Tonea Marshall
(Nike)
4
7
*Christina Clemons
(unattached)
7
8
*Alia Armstrong
(unattached)
nr
9
Destiny Huven
(unattached)
nr
10
Aaliyah McCormick
(Oregon)
nr
400 HURDLES
1
*Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
(New Balance)
1
2
*Anna Cockrell
(Nike)
2
3
*Dalilah Muhammad
(Nike)
6
4
*Akala Garrett
(Texas)
7
5
*Jasmine Jones
(unattached)
3
6
Sanaa Hebron
(Miami)
nr
7
Tyra Wilson
(Florida State)
nr
8
Cassandra Tate
(adidas)
8
9
*Shamier Little
(adidas)
4
10
*Rachel Glenn
(Arkansas)
5
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
Jenna Rogers
(Nebraska)
3
5
Emma Gates
(Arizona)
10
6
Cheyla Scott
(South Carolina)
nr
7
Cierra Allphin
(unattached)
9
8
Inika McPherson
(unattached)
nr
9
Jamari Drake
(unattached)
7
10
*Rachel Glenn
(Arkansas)
2
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
Gabriela Leon
(Puma)
8
7
Emily Grove
(unattached)
6
8
Chloe Timberg
(Rutgers)
7
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
Mylana Hearn
(unattached)
8
4
Tamiah Washington
(Texas Tech)
nr
5
Simone Johnson
(San José State)
nr
6
Skylynn Townsend
(Georgia)
nr
7
Ryann Porter
(Oregon)
9
8
Ashley Moore
(Oklahoma)
nr
9
Ciynamon Stevenson
(unattached)
nr
10
Christina Warren
(Miami)
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
Jessica Woodard
(Iron Wood TC)
8
8
Adelaide Aquilla
(unattached)
5
9
*Abria Smith
(Illinois)
nr
10
*KeAyla Dove
(Houston)
10
DISCUS
1
*Valarie Allman
(Asics/New York AC)
1
2
*Lagi Tausaga
(unattached)
4
3
*Jayden Ulrich
(Louisville)
3
4
*Gabi Jacobs
(unattached)
nr
5
*Veronica Fraley
(unattached)
2
6
*Erika Beistle
(Grand Valley State)
5
7
Shelby Frank
(Texas Tech)
6
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
Erin Reese
(Velaasa)
6
7
Janeah Stewart
(New York AC)
7
8
Jillian Shippee
(EAN)
nr
9
Shelby Moran
(unattached)
10
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
Shea Greene
(Princeton)
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
Allie Jones
(unattached)
5
5
Jadin O’Brien
(Notre Dame)
7
6
Timara Chapman
(unattached)
6
7
Erin Marsh
(unattached)
nr
8
Melanie Winters
(unattached)
nr
9
Blakelee Winn
(Pittsburg State)
nr
10
Katie Eidem
(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.
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