WHAT PROMISES TO BE a very busy indoor weekend, what with both the USATF Championships and all the major collegiate conferences going off, opened on a high note, with both a High School and a Collegiate Record on Friday night.
The new HS standard went to Anna Hall (Valor, Highlands Ranch, Colorado), who absolutely crushed the old mark at USATF, totaling 4302. That also rates as the low-altitude American Junior (U20) best. Last year, as a junior, Hall had missed the all-time best (4068 by Kendell Williams in ’13) by just 14 points. Williams was the winner here, leading all the way in scoring a U.S.-list-leading 4496, easily turning back Emilyn Dearman’s PR of 4356.
Hall finished 3rd as she produced marks of 8.59, 5-11¼ (1.81), 41-8½ (12.71), 18-4½ (5.60) & 2:16.11. The high jump mark was equal-highest and the concluding 800 time was the fastest in the field. The Georgia-bound Hall said that the record “was definitely in the back of my mind. I was hoping for 4400 points and fell a little short of that but, I’m still happy with how I was able to execute with the best people I’ve ever competed against.”
The Friday session also crowned the weight champions, with Daniel Haugh raising his own yearly world lead to 79-1¾ (24.12) and Janaeh Stewart falling just 2cm shy of her world topper with an 81-4½ (24.80) whirl.
The Collegiate Record, in the men’s vault came from… surprise! Mondo Duplantis. LSU’s amazing frosh was perfect en route to the record, passing the first five heights before opening with a first-try make of 18-2 (5.54). Then came first-try makes at both 18-6 (5.64) and 19-0 (5.79) before the bar was raised to 19-5 (5.92), a centimeter above the CR set by Akron’s Shawn Barber in ’15. On his first shot Duplantis was over cleanly and the record was his (as was the yearly world lead, snatched back from professional rival Sam Kendricks). Mondo finished his day with a trio of misses at 19-8½ (6.01).
H O S S #GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/QMS7XY1PkD
— LSUTrackField (@LSUTrackField) February 23, 2019
