BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS, February 04 — Noah Lyles brought new fire to the New Balance Grand Prix. In his season opener, the WC double-dash champ showed that he can get up to top speed faster than ever, his 6.44 victory in the dash slashing 0.07 off his PR set here a year ago.
“I was just worried about the 10 to 20,” said Lyles. “I knew that my first 10m are always going to be kind of sluggish [and they were]. As long as I’m next to everybody, I don’t care. But that 10 to 20 needs to be nasty. It needs to be getting that power into the track.”
He did so successfully, pulling even with fast-starting Ackeem Blake with just a stride or so to go to score the win by 0.01, leaving Ronnie Baker (6.54) and Fred Kerley (6.55) behind. The time tied Lyles for the No. 7 position on the U.S. all-time list. He says he has his sights focused on the World Indoor, “because that’s the only team I haven’t made.”
For ’22 world 100 champ Kerley, his 6.57 heat before the final appeared to be his first-ever indoor 60, preceded only by a sluggish outdoor race in the weird pandemic summer of ‘20.
In the 1500, Jake Wightman returned to the track for the first time in 13 months, but the ’22 world champion had to contend with 20-year-old Hobbs Kessler. After being rabbited through the first 1000 in 2:23.90, Kessler ran behind Vince Ciattei, with Wightman a stride behind. Then, just after 1100, Kessler caught the field off guard by launching his kick early. He never looked back and only Wightman could give him a good chase. However, Kessler built up a 6-meter margin at the bell and though Wightman ran a faster final lap (26.36–26.87), the youngster prevailed in 3:33.66, missing Yared Nuguse’s U.S. Record by just 0.44 in becoming the No. 3 American of all time.
Said Kessler, who was just 10th in the New Balance mile a year ago, “It feels good to go from last to come back and win.”
“Not the best outcome for me,” admitted Wightman, who finished in 3:34.06, “but you’ve gotta start somewhere. It’s been a long time, so I’m just glad I’m in one piece and running alright. Training you don’t have to make these race decisions and you’re in control of the reps. In that race I was never in control. I never got to the point that I was. I was hoping with a lap to go I could’ve been, but Hobbs held me off, to his credit.”
In the 1000, Canada’s Marco Arop chased the World Record in a rabbit-less solo attempt. After passing through 800 in 1:46.69, the outdoor 800 world champ closed in 28.05 to record a 2:14.74, the No. 2 time in history. Behind him, Bryce Hoppel kicked best to score a 2:16.91, the No. 4 U.S. performance ever, with Sam Ellis (2:17.10) and Josh Hoey (2:17.23) becoming the Nos. 5 and 6 Americans all-time.
Grant Holloway dominated the hurdles in 7.35, staying well ahead of Trey Cunningham and Daniel Roberts (both 7.49) and Cordell Tinch (7.55). Now riding a string of 3 straight seasons atop the 110H World Rankings, Holloway’s last loss over the indoor 60 sticks came at the prep-level New Balance Indoor in 2014 when he was a high school soph.
In the 3000, Indoor WR holder Lamecha Girma, set off on an attempt on his own mark. Aggressive mid-race running saw him get ahead of the pacing lights, but he started to slip with 700m left and wound up finishing in 7:29.09. Well behind him, PRs went to Kenyan Edwin Kurgat in 2nd (7:39.38), Washington’s Irish alum Brian Fay (7:40.09) and Canada’s Ben Flanagan (7:40.19).
The only field event saw Jamaican Arkansas alum Carey McLeod hit 26-11 (8.20) in the long jump to top Britain’s Jacob Fincham-Dukes (26-3¾/8.02) and JuVaughn Harrison (25-10/7.87).
NEW BALANCE GP MEN’S RESULTS
(200 banked)
60: 1. Noah Lyles (US) 6.44 PR (=7, x A);
2. Ackeem Blake (Jam) 6.45 PR; 3. Ronnie Baker (US) 6.54; 4. Fred Kerley (US) 6.55 PR; 5. Kendal Williams (US) 6.58; 6. Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (Jpn) 6.60; 7. Brandon Carnes (US) 6.64; 8. Josephus Lyles (US) 6.69.
400: 1. Vernon Norwood (US) 45.76; 2. Zakithi Nene (SA) 46.15 PR; 3. Champion Allison (US) 46.23; 4. Trevor Stewart (US) 46.33.
600: 1. Mark English (Ire) 1:16.64 PR; 2. John Rivera (PR) 1:16.67 PR; 3. Olivier Desmeules (Can) 1:16.68; 4. Hazem Miawad (US) 1:17.03 PR; 5. Jake Ulrich (US) 1:17.22.
1000: 1. Marco Arop (Can) 2:14.74 NR (2, 2 W); 2. Bryce Hoppel (US) 2:16.91 (x, 4 A); 3. Sam Ellis (US) 2:17.10 PR (5, 6 A); 4. Josh Hoey (US) 2:17.23 PR (6, 7 A);
5. Mariano Garcia (Spa) 2:17.97 NR; 6. Ryan Clarke (Neth) 2:18.35 PR; 7. Nathan Green (US) 2:18.56 PR.
1500: 1. Hobbs Kessler (US) 3:33.66 PR (3, 3 A);
2. Jake Wightman (GB) 3:34.06 PR; 3. Craig Engels (US) 3:37.04; 4. Sam Prakel (US) 3:37.24; 5. Vincent Ciattei (US) 3:37.33 PR; 6. Ignacio Fontes (Spa) 3:37.59; 7. Kieran Lumb (Can) 3:37.75; 8. Yohannes Asmare (Eth) 3:38.35 PR; 9. Thomas Keen (GB) 3:38.40 PR; 10. Samuel Zeleke (Eth) 3:39.32.
3000: 1. Lamecha Girma (Eth) 7:29.09; 2. Edwin Kurgat (Ken) 7:39.38 PR; 3. Brian Fay (Ire) 7:40.09 PR; 4. Ben Flanagan (Can) 7:40.19 PR; 5. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 7:40.36 PR; 6. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (Can) 7:41.12 PR; 7. Maximilian Thorwirth (Ger) 7:43.15; 8. Mahadi Abdi Ali (Neth) 7:44.21 PR; 9. James West (GB) 7:50.44.
60H: 1. Grant Holloway (US) 7.35 (x, =8 W; x, =5 A);
2. Trey Cunningham (US) 7.49 (7.482); 3. Daniel Roberts (US) 7.49 (7.485); 4. Cordell Tinch (US) 7.55; 5. Michael Dickson (US) 7.57; 6. Lafranz Campbell (Jam) 7.66; 7. Andre Korbmacher (US) 7.67 PR; 8. Louis Rollins (US) 7.70.
LJ: 1. Carey McLeod (Jam) 26-11 (8.20) PR; 2. Jacob Fincham-Dukes (GB) 26-3¾ (8.02); 3. JuVaughn Harrison (US) 25-10 (7.87); 4. LaQuan Nairn (Bah) 25-5½ (7.76); 5. Will Williams (US) 25-4½ (7.73); 6. Jarrion Lawson (US) 25-1¾ (7.66); 7. Rayvon Grey (US) 25-¾ (7.64).