GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, March 29–30 — Perfect weather conditions made for top performances at the Florida Relays.
In the 110H, unheralded Auburn frosh Ja’Kobe Tharp, just 18 years old, scored a breakthrough win. Tharp hurdled 13.72 legal and 13.32 with wind aid over 39-inch hurdles as a Tennessee high schooler last year. Here he showed he’s adjusting nicely to the 42-inchers. In his heat Tharp PRed with 13.69 and in the final he earned a same-time win from Nebraska senior and ’23 NCAA finalist Darius Luff at 13.46. The performance carried Tharp to =9 on the World Junior all-time list and to No. 2 on the American U20 ATL. Among U.S. hurdlers, only Renaldo Nehemiah, in his 1978 frosh season at Maryland that is the stuff of legend, put up faster marks as a Junior. Not since Grant Holloway in 2017 has a U.S.-born frosh hurdled faster.
Penn State senior Cheickna Traore impressed with a 20.23 win in the 200m. After finishing 2nd at the NCAA Indoor in 20.30, he had hoped for a better result.
“I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone and go 19, get the Olympic standard and go under 20,” said Traore. “It’s not what I wanted. I felt I executed decently and there were some parts that I couldn’t, but I will definitely take a PR for my first outdoor race of the season.”
In the 4 x 100, the Gainesville Elite team of Grant Holloway, PJ Austin, Erriyon Knighton and Joseph Fahnbulleh blazed to a 37.67 win. USA Red team of Brandon Carnes, Christian Coleman, Kendal Williams and Noah Lyles were in contention, but a missed final baton pass to Lyles ended their hopes of a win.
“We’ve been training all fall and last week we practiced the handoffs,” said Gainesville Elite anchor Fahnbulleh. “We have elite guys on the team, but to have the chemistry and trust, that adds a whole different level to it.”
Marco Arop, the 800 world champion, took a page out of last year’s preparations in winning the 1500 in 3:40.81. Arop followed Florida junior Matthew Mulé through 800m before taking the lead and finishing in 55.56 to turn back hard-charging Auburn senior Ryan Kinnane.
“I was trying to stay composed and not get too ambitious early on and fighting to finish strong. I think I executed my plan,“said Arop who won last year’s event in 3:38.36. “This time around I wasn’t chasing a PR. The strength is still there and the focus is a little different. I did a great job at the World Champs last year, but this year I want to maintain that focus throughout the season including Diamond League races.”
Tokyo Olympic 200 silver medalist Kenny Bednarek followed his 46.00 win over 400 a week earlier at the UCF Knight Invitational with a 3rd-place 46.20. He was ambitious in the beginning, scorching the early part of the lap before being overtaken by Alison dos Santos, who won in 45.25.
“I haven’t been training for this. Last time I did anything more than a 250 was in the fall,” said Bednarek who suffered a hamstring pull in the middle of last season which derailed his preparations for the World Championships. “We’re trying to be strategic this year and not put too many miles on my legs. I haven’t been healthy since 2021. This year I’m dangerous, I’m healthy. This year is going to be a really good year.”
On the women’s side, South Carolina frosh JaMeesia Ford continued to motor, streaking to a 22.37 win over teammate Jayla Jamison (22.58).
“I’m out here trying new things and having a new coach,” said the NCAA indoor champion in the event. “I’m actually enjoying the environment I’m in right now and that’s all a part of my process.”
After jetting through a 12.78 heat in the 100 hurdles, host Florida’s Grace Stark took the final in 12.70 — a world leader and fastest-yet season opener for the Gator senior, who won from Central Florida’s Rayniah Jones at 12.78.
In the prep division, a Bullis (Potomac, Maryland) girls 4×4 squad sped to a new High School Record, 3:35.23. The team of Payton Payne, Kennedy Brown, Sydney Sutton and Morgan Rothwell were pressed most of the way by a Northwestern (Miami) squad clocked in 3:36.12. The time moved Northwestern to No. 5 school with the No. 7 all-time mark. Bullis’s time clipped 0.26 from the record Poly of Long Beach (California) set 20 years ago.
Bullis soph Quincy Wilson won the 400 in 45.19, the third-fastest soph time ever. With a 45.5 relay split, Wilson anchored his school’s 4 x 400 team to a HS-list-leading 3:09.95.
FLORIDA RELAYS MEN’S RESULTS
100(0.7): 1. *Favour Ashe’ (Aub-Ngr) 9.99 (WL).
Inv100: I(1.8)–1. Pjai Austin (adidas) 10.02; 2. Joe Fahnbulleh’ (Lbr) 10.09.
200(1.1): 1. Cheickna Traore’ (PennSt-CI) 20.23.
Inv200(1.6): 1. Alexander Ogando’ (DR) 20.26.
400: I–1. Johnnie Blockburger (USC) 45.38. II–1. *Jenoah McKiver (Fl) 45.33.
Inv400: 1. Alison dos Santos’ (Bra) 45.25; 2. Ogando’ 45.26; 3. Kenny Bednarek (Nik) 46.20.
800: 1. Josh Hoey (adidas) 1:45.54; 2. ***Parvej Khan’ (Fl-Ind) 1:46.12; 3. **Handal Roban’ (PennSt-StV) 1:46.26.
1500: 1. Marco Arop’ (Can) 3:40.81.
110H(0.2): 1. ***Ja’Kobe Tharp (Aub) 13.46 (=9, x WJ; 2, x AJ) (a-c: 3, x AJ);
2. Darius Luff (Nb) 13.46; 3. ***Joseph DeRosier (FlAM) 13.55.
Inv110H(2.1): 1. Joshua Zeller’ (GB) 13.44w.
400H: 1. Yeral Nuñez’ (DR) 49.53; 2. Alistair Chalmers’ (GB) 49.54.
4 x 100: 1. South Florida 39.03; 3. Campbell 39.22.
Inv4 x 100: I–1. Gainesville Elite 37.67 (WL) (Holloway, Austin, Knighton, Fahnbulleh’);
2. USA Blue 38.23.
4 x 400: 1. Florida 3:01.51 (McKiver 44.81); 2. Virginia Tech 3:01.62 (Lincoln 44.30); 3. South Florida 3:02.16.
Inv4 x 400: 1. Gainesville Elite 3:01.68; 2. adidas 3:02.99; 3. Canada 3:03.73.
HJ: 1. Dontavious Hill (unat) 7-2½ (2.20).
PV: 1. ***Cody Johnston (Il) 18-4½ (5.60).
LJ: 1. *Malcolm Clemons (Fl) 26-3 (8.00); 2. Caleb Foster (Fl) 25-8¾ (7.84); 3. **Jordan Turner’ (FlSt-Jam) 25-7¼ (7.80).
TJ: 1. Donald Scott (adidas) 55-9¼w (17.00); 2. Sean Dixon-Bodie (Fl) 54-8¾w (16.68); 3. Christian Tayor (Nik) 54-4w (16.56).
SP: 1. *Christopher Licata (SC) 65-7½ (20.00); 2. *Dylan Targgart (SC) 65-4¾ (19.93).
DT: 1. Milton Ingraham (Mia) 200-1 (60.99); 2. Kai Chang’ (Fl-Jam) 199-7 (60.83); 3. **Desmond Coleman (Lib) 198-7 (60.53).
HT: 1. *Kenneth Ikeji’ (Harv-GB) 239-4 (72.94).
JT: 1. **Keyshawn Strachan’ (Aub-Bah) 242-9 (74.01).
FLORIDA RELAYS WOMEN’S RESULTS
100: I(2.3)–1. **Jassani Carter (USC) 11.19w.
Open100(0.3): 1. Audrey Leduc’ (Can) 11.08.
200: I(0.9)–1. ***JaMeesia Ford (SC) 22.37; 2. *Jayla Jamison (SC) 22.58.
II(0.8)–1. **Joyasia Smith (Char) 22.91
400: 1. *Jessica McDowell (Il) 51.41; 2. Kiah Williams (UCF) 51.55; 3. Jan’Taijah Jones (USC) 51.59; 4. ***Quincy Penn (AlSt) 51.91.
Inv400: 1. Kyra Constantine’ (Can) 51.50; 2. Zoe Sherar’ (Can) 51.64.
800: 1. *Victoria Bossong (Harv) 2:00.92; 2. **Hayley Kitching’ (PennSt-Aus) 2:01.17; 3. ***Judy Kosgei’ (SC-Ken) 2:01.66; 4. Jaqueline Weber’ (Bra) 2:01.90.
1500: 1. ***Judy Kosgei’ (SC-Ken) 4:14.22; 2. **Hayley Kitching’ (PennSt-Aus) 4:14.75.
100H(1.5): 1. Grace Stark (Fl) 12.70 (WL); 2. Rayniah Jones (UCF) 12.78; 3. *Danae Nembhard’ (Aub-Jam) 13.13; 4. Paige Magee (Ia) 13.14; 5. Chastity Pickett (Camp) 13.17.
Inv100H(0.2): 1. Mariam Abdul-Rashid’ (Can) 12.96; 2. Mulern Jean’ (Hai) 13.07; 3. Adaobi Tabugbo (unat) 13.08.
400H: 1. Pickett 55.70; 2. Brooke Overholt’ (Can) 56.28; 3. Grace Claxton’ (PR) 56.86.
4 x 100: 1. South Carolina 43.34; 2. Florida 43.89; 3. Penn 43.96; 4. UCF 44.17.
Inv4 x 100: 1. USA Red 42.85; 2. USA Blue 43.04; 3. Canada 43.20; 4. Liberia 43.37; 5. USA White 43.58.
4 x 400: 1. South Carolina 3:28.57 (Ford 49.38);
2. Penn 3:29.64; 3. Miami 3:30.23; 4. South Florida 3:30.77; 5. USC 3:31.57.
Inv4 x 400: 1. Empire Athletics 3:25.08; 2. Canada 3:30.62.
4 x 800: 1. Georgia Tech 8:51.37.
HJ: 1. *Bara Sajdokova’ (Il-CzR) 6-2¾ (1.90); 2. *Rose Yeboah’ (Il-Gha) 6-0 (1.83).
PV: 1. Riley Felts (Char) 14-1¼ (4.30); 2. **Alyssa Quinones-Mixon (Aub) 13-9¼ (4.20).
LJ: 1. Tionna Tobias (Ia) 21-4¼ (6.51); 2. Asherah Collins (UCF) 21-2 (6.45); 3. *Lishanna Ilves’ (Nb-Est) 20-11¼ (6.38).
TJ: 1. *Rhianna Phipps’ (Nb-Jam) 43-10 (13.36); 2. Natricia Hooper’ (Guy) 43-9¼ (13.34); 3. Asherah Collins (UCF) 43-7¾ (13.30).
SP: 1. **Amelia Flynt (Nb) 56-1 (17.09); 2. Veronica Fraley (Vand) 55-10¼ (17.02); 3. Sarah Omoregie’ (Vand-GB) 54-4½ (16.57); 4. ***Gracelyn Leiseth (Fl) 54-2½ (16.52).
DT: 1. **Alida van Daalen’ (Fl-Neth) 202-11 (61.84); 2. Fraley 197-1 (60.07); 3. Adrienne Adams’ (Jam) 184-3 (56.17); 4. *Mine De Klerk’ (Nb-SA) 181-0 (55.17).
HT: 1. Samaria McDonald (PennSt) 211-1 (64.34).
JT: 1. *Eniko Sara’ (Nb-Can) 177-11 (54.23); 2. *Emmanuela Casadei’ (Nb-Ita) 173-6 (52.88); 3. Brooke Stratman (Army) 172-6 (52.59); 4. *Skylar Ciccolini (Mo) 172-0 (52.43).