MIRAMAR, FLORIDA, April 10 — “What else can I do?” The speaker was Sha’Carri Richardson for the April issue of T&FN, and she offered a partial answer: “Knowing I can improve, knowing what I could’ve run if I had run through [her 10.75 race at the ‘19 NCAA], it all just makes me more excited about training and actually doing what I can do with my talent and my potential.” Here at the Miramar Invitational, the second meet in USATF’s Journey To Gold series, she provided a more concrete and stunning reply. She tore down the 100 straight in 10.72, the world’s fastest clocking since Rio Olympic champ Elaine Thompson-Herah blitzed 10.70 in July of ‘16.
The just-turned-21 Texan’s blazing time — with appropriately hued fire-red tresses trailing behind her and a 1.6mps wind reading — moved her to No. 6 all-time in the dash and was the fastest 100 ever run so early in the year. The previous leader in that category was a May 09 Marion Jones time back in ’98. Each of the 5 women now ahead of Richardson on the ATL won Olympic or World Champs gold, or both, in her career.
‘18 USATF indoor 60 champ Javianne Oliver claimed 2nd in a PR 11.07.
What did Richardson’s time tell her? “That my season is going to be unbelievable, something that I haven’t been expecting, something the world hasn’t been expecting,” Richardson told usatf.tv.
Asked by commentator Ato Boldon what critique of the race she expected to hear from coach Dennis Mitchell, Richardson said, “He’s going to be proud, but he’s gonna say there’s more work to do. And I’m gonna definitely agree with him. There’s more work to be done, there’s ways to get faster, there’s ways to become better. So we’re going back to the drawing board.”
In another closely watched race, the 110H, world champion Grant Holloway moved on from his WR-setting indoor season to his fastest-ever outdoor opener, 13.04w (wind 2.2). The Gator alum exploded from the blocks to an instant lead and by hurdle 6 was roaring away from erstwhile collegiate nemesis Daniel Roberts (13.30w).
“It’s a season opener so I’m ecstatic,” said Holloway, who also noted tailwinds are not overly friendly to hurdlers his size. “Of course, we’ll find something. We’ll watch film, we’ll see what we did wrong — we have [the Tom Jones Invitational on Holloway’s home track at Florida] next weekend — and correct it. But stay in that consistent 13.0, 13.1, and then let’s just be ready for Trials. I still have to make the team.”
Of Roberts Holloway observed, “Daniel’s a phenomenal athlete but the biggest thing is I gotta worry about my lane, my space, I gotta be able to execute to the max when I start going against Omar Ortega, Sergey [Shubenkov], the list goes on and on.”
In the women’s barrier race Keni Harrison’s 12.38w gave her a convincing win after she had lowered the world lead to 12.54 in the heats.
In the full-lap hurdles, Kenny Selmon, who had starred in the first JTG race a week ago, improved his yearly world lead to 48.81.
Another 400H star, Shamier Little, running a lap without hurdles, joined the sub-50 club with her world-leading 49.91, edging Quanera Hayes by 0.01.
Super-vet Justin Gatlin, now 39, sprinted a close 2nd to Kyree King in the men’s 100, their times 9.97 and 9.98.
JOURNEY TO GOLD #2 MEN’S RESULTS
100: I(1.9)–1. Kyree King (Nik) 9.97; 2. Justin Gatlin (Nik) 9.98; 3. Cejhae Greene’ (Ant) 10.00; 4. Emmanuel Matadi’ (Lbr) 10.01; 5. Aaron Brown’ (Can) 10.08; 6. Marvin Bracy (unat) 10.09; 7. Cravon Gillespie (Nik) 10.13.
II(3.0)–1. Isiah Young (Nik) 10.02w; 2. Mike Rodgers (Nik) 10.05w; 3. Maurice Eaddy (unat) 10.26w; 4. Mario Burke’ (Bar) 10.27w; 5. Rob Moise’ (Hai) 10.31; 6. Jeff Demps (unat) 10.34w;… dnc—Cameron Burrell (NikRB).
200(4.0): 1. Kenny Bednarek (Nik) 19.65w (a-c WL, AL); 2. Matadi’ 20.20w; 3. EJ Floréal’ (Can) 20.41w; 4. Jaylen Slade (FlHS) 20.51w; 5. Jerome Blake’ (Can) 20.57w;… dnf—Akeem Bloomfield’ (Jam).
400: 1. Justin Robinson (unat) 45.23; 2. Wil London (Nik) 45.31; 3. Kahmari Montgomery (Nik) 45.39.
800: 1. Abraham Alvarado (AtlTC) 1:47.29; 2. Kameron Jones (Clem) 1:47.33; 3. Rajay Hamilton’ (Jam) 1:48.32; 4. Robert Downs (GSTC) 1:49.34; 5. Andrés Arroyo’ (PR) 1:50.21; 6. Matthew Centrowitz (NikBowTC) 1:50.97; 7. Brandon Lasater (AtlTC) 1:51.19.
1500: 1. Michael Saruni’ (Ken) 3:45.84; 2. Nanami Arai’ (Jpn) 3:46.20; 3. Peter Callahan’ (Bel) 3:46.67; 4. Rob Napolitano’ (PR) 3:46.78; 5. Robby Andrews (unat) 3:46.89; 6. James Randon (SaucF) 3:47.45.
110H: I(1.9)–1. Isaiah Moore (unat) 13.77; 2. Jeffrey Julmis’ (Hai) 13.80.
II(2.2)–1. Grant Holloway (adi) 13.04w; 2. Daniel Roberts (Nik) 13.30w; 3. Ruebin Walters’ (Tri) 13.37w; 4. Ronald Levy’ (Jam) 13.39w; 5. Andrew Riley’ (Jam) 13.42w; 6. Wellington Zaza’ (Lbr) 13.52w; 7. Nick Anderson (unat) 13.70w; 8. Eddie Lovett’ (VI) 13.75w.
400H: 1. Kenny Selmon (unat) 48.81 (WL, AL);
2. Craig Allen (unat) 49.70; 3. Amere Lattin (Nik) 49.71.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Shelby McEwen (unat) 7-5 (2.26); 2. Donald Thomas’ (Bah) 7-3¾ (2.23); 3. David Smith’ (PR) 7-2½ (2.20); 4. Luis Castro’ (PR) 7-2½; 5. Roderick Townsend (unat) 7-½ (2.15); 6. Stefan Duvivier’ (Can) 6-10¾ (2.10); 7. Jeron Robinson (unat) 6-10¾.
LJ: 1. Tajay Gayle’ (Jam) 27-1¾ (8.27) (out WL) (f, 27-1¾, 26-10w, f, f, f) (f, 8.27, 8.18w, f, f, f);
2. Holland Martin’ (Bah) 26-9w (8.15); 3. Damarcus Simpson (unat) 26-5w (8.05); 4. Marquis Dendy (unat) 26-3¾w (8.02) (26-2¾/7.99); 5. Trumaine Jefferson (unat) 26-3 (8.00); 6. Charles Brown (unat) 26-1½ (7.96); 7. Marquise Goodwin (unat) 25-2¾ (7.69).
JTG #2 WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(0.6): 1. Ángela Tenorio’ (Ecu) 11.30; 2. Destiny Smith-Barnett (unat) 11.36; 3. Dezerea Bryant (Nik) 11.39; 4. Kasheika Cameron’ (Jam) 11.41.
II(1.6): 1. Sha’Carri Richardson (Nik) 10.72 PR (WL, AL) (6, x W; 4, =11 A);
2. Javianne Oliver (Nik) 11.07 PR; 3. Natalliah Whyte’ (Jam) 11.16; 4. Natasha Morrison’ (Jam) 11.19; 5. Kortnei Johnson (Nik) 11.22; 6. Kiara Parker (Asics) 11.27; 7. Teahna Daniels (Nik) 11.29; 8. Kristina Marie Knott’ (Phi) 11.35.
200(2.3): 1. Jenna Prandini (Puma) 22.29w; 2. Brittany Brown (Nik) 22.39w; 3. Candace Hill (Asics) 22.43w; 4. Elaine Thompson-Herah’ (Jam) 22.44w; 5. Kyra Jefferson (unat) 22.80w; 6. Briana Williams’ (Jam) 22.93w; 7. Marizol Landázuri’ (Ecu) 23.22w; 8. Srabani Nanda’ (Ind) 23.27w.
400: 1. Shamier Little (adi) 49.91 PR (WL, AL);
2. Quanera Hayes (Nik) 49.92; 3. Kendall Ellis (NBal) 50.48; 4. Stephenie Ann McPherson’ (Jam) 51.09; 5. Kaylin Whitney (Nik) 51.34; 6. Chrisann Gordon-Powell’ (Jam) 51.39; 7. Micha Powell’ (Can) 53.54.
800: 1. Ajee’ Wilson (adi) 2:00.57; 2. Natoya Goule’ (Jam) 2:00.92; 3. Allie Wilson (AtlTC) 2:02.58; 4. *Laurie Barton (Clem) 2:04.21; 5. Andrea Foster’ (Guy) 2:04.34; 6. Ce’Aira Brown (Hoka) 2:04.50; 7. Hannah Segrave’ (GB) 2:04.73; 8. Yolanda Ngarambe’ (Swe) 2:06.66; 9. Julia Rizk (UArm) 2:08.44.
100H(2.7): 1. Keni Harrison (adi) 12.38w; 2. Cindy Sember’ (GB) 12.55w; 3. Tiffany Porter’ (GB) 12.57w; 4. Taliyah Brooks (Asics) 12.75w; 5. Gabriele Cunningham (Nik) 12.77w; 6. Devynne Charlton (Bah) 12.85w; 7. Pedrya Seymour (Bah) 13.00w; 8. Ebony Morrison (TruF) 13.18w.Heats: II(2.0)–1. Harrison 12.54 (WL, AL).
Field Events
HJ: 1. Rachel McCoy (unat) 6-2¾ (1.90); 2. Shelley Spires (USAF) 6-1½ (1.87); 3. Ty Butts-Townsend (unat) 6-1½; 4. Nicole Greene (unat) 5-9¾ (1.77).
LJ: 1. Christabel Nettey’ (Can) 21-9w (6.63) (21-8¼/6.61); 2. Sha’keela Saunders (adi) 21-6¾w (6.57) (20-11¼/6.38); 3. Taliyah Brooks (Asics) 21-6¾ (6.57); 4. Tiffany Flynn (unat) 20-10w (6.35); 5. Yanis David’ (Fra) 20-8 (6.30).
SP: 1. Danniel Thomas-Dodd’ (Jam) 62-10¾ (19.17);
2. Maggie Ewen (Nik) 61-4 (18.69) (out AL);
3. Jessica Ramsey (adi) 61-¾ (18.61); 4. Sarah Mitton’ (Can) 60-9½ (18.53); 5. Chase Ealey (Nik) 60-1 (18.31);
6. Lloydricia Cameron’ (Jam) 59-5 (18.11); 7. Raven Saunders (Nik) 58-10¾ (17.95).