COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, June 06 — The inaugural edition of the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix was hot and humid — and that was just fine for several athletes, particularly Gabby Thomas and Tate Taylor.
Thomas’ 21.70 (0.7) world leader in the women’s 200 made a strong statement about her return from injury. In the men’s half-lap, Taylor made a statement about his career progression, notching the first-ever sub-200 by a high schooler: 19.97 (0.1). (Erriyon Knighton sprinted then-World U20 Records of 19.88 and 19.84 at the ’21 Olympic Trials while a high school student but had a full pro contract so the marks were not accorded HSR status.)
“Today, the race felt really good,” said Olympic champ Thomas, who missed Worlds last year due to an Achilles problem. “I am not gonna lie. It’s my first race back in about a month. And I’ve been training really hard, and I’ve been working on staying healthy, focusing on recovery, and most importantly, having fun.”
“The training group has been really great,” said Thomas, who trains 100 miles away in Austin. “My training partner, Cambrea [Sturgis] is looking really good and pushes me every day.”
Thomas said the road back has been about learned wisdom as much as anything else.
“As an athlete, being injured is always just really hard. First, it’s fighting through the pain, and then it’s admitting that you’re injured, and then coming back is the next part of it. You don’t quite feel like yourself, you’re worried that the pain’s gonna come back. You’re worried about managing it, and so I’ve been focused on being healthy and prioritizing rest and recovery when I need to. So I feel really good. I feel healthy, and that comes with maturity.”
Taylor’s record came while chasing the 19.88 PR of Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba.
“It’s a painful feeling,” Taylor laughed, still catching his breath during his NBC interview after lowering his 20.05 standard set at the Jones Memorial in April.
“I love [Texas] A&M’s track,” said the Texas Tech commit. “A&M’s track, indoor and outdoor, has pretty much been the place to be. I love coming here. I love competing here.”
Several other athletes also left E.B. Cushing Stadium with either personal bests or solid marks.
Jamar Marshall’s PR 13.04 in the 110 hurdles would have equaled the WL if not for Trey Cunningham’s 12.98 in Rome two days earlier.
In the longer hurdles, Nigeria’s Nathaniel Ezekiel — formerly an NCAA champ just up the road at Baylor — won a tight battle with American Trevor Bassitt. Both clocked 47.37, a PR for the latter. Caleb Dean was right on their heels at 47.42.
Despite flags flying straight, few marks were wind-aided. A 3.8 breeze pushed eight of the nine competitors in the 100 to sub-10, led by Trayvon Bromell’s 9.85w. He was chased by the 9.91s of Canada’s Andre de Grasse and Jamaica’s world champion, Oblique Seville.
The field events were strong, too.
On the field adjacent to the stadium, Curtis Thompson launched the javelin to 278-6 (84.88) and Canadian Olympic and World hammer champ Camryn Rodgers continued her strong season at 260-4 (79.36). She edged Rachel Richeson by only an inch.
In the vault, Chris Nilsen cleared 19-¼ (5.80).
LONE STAR GP MEN’S RESULTS
(Continental Tour Gold)
100(3.8): 1. Trayvon Bromell (US) 9.85w; 2. Andre De Grasse (Can) 9.91w; 3. Oblique Seville (Jam) 9.91w; 4. Pjai Austin (US) 9.92w; 5. Zharnel Hughes (GB) 9.93w; 6. Ronnie Baker (US) 9.97w; 7. Jake Odey-Jordan (GB) 9.98w; 8. Brandon Hicklin (US) 9.99w; 9. Kadrian Goldson (Jam) 10.06w.
200(0.1): 1. Makanakaishe Charamba (Zim) 19.88 PR;
2. Tate Taylor (US) 19.97 HSR (old HSR 20.05 Taylor ’26) (6, x WJ; 2, x AJ);
3. Aaron Brown (Can) 20.11; 4. Kyree King (US) 20.32; 5. Johnnie Blockburger (US) 20.33 PR; 6. Michael Norman (US) 20.40; 7. Cameron Crump (US) 20.52; 8. Adrian Kerr (Jam) 20.62; 9. Demar Francis (Jam) 20.79.
400: 1. Chris Bailey (US) 44.35; 2. Bryce Deadmon (US) 44.74; 3. Elija Godwin (US) 45.00; 4. Christopher Morales Williams (Can) 45.04; 5. Antonio Watson (Jam) 45.17; 6. Randolph Ross (US) 45.31; 7. Quincy Hall (US) 45.51; 8. Brian Faust (US) 45.72; 9. Roshawn Clarke (Jam) 46.17.
800: 1. Navasky Anderson (Jam) 1:46.33; 2. Abraham Alvarado (US) 1:46.75; 3. Sean Dolan (US) 1:46.90; 4. Handal Roban (StV) 1:46.97; 5. Abdullahi Hassan (Can) 1:47.25; 6. Mouad Zahafi (Mor) 1:47.42; 7. Shane Cohen (US) 1:49.47; 8. Sam Whitmarsh (US) 1:49.52; 9. Isaiah Jewett (US) 1:56.02.
110H(0.5): 1. Jamar Marshall (US) 13.04 PR; 2. De’vion Wilson (US) 13.24; 3. Connor Schulman (US) 13.29 PR; 4. Moyosore Adesola (SA) 13.38; 5. Eric Edwards (US) 13.38; 6. Louis Rollins (US) 13.44; 7. Rasheem Brown (Cay) 13.45; 8. Tade Ojora (GB) 13.52; 9. Johnny Brackins (US) 13.53.
400H: 1. Nathaniel Ezekiel (Ngr) 47.37;
2. Trevor Bassitt (US) 47.37 PR (9, x A);
3. Caleb Dean (US) 47.42; 4. Yeral Nuñez (DR) 48.31 PR; 5. Clement Ducos (Fra) 48.49; 6. CJ Allen (US) 48.58; 7. Malik James-King (Jam) 49.23; 8. James Smith (US) 49.31; 9. Tyrece Hyman (Jam) 56.79.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Romaine Beckford (Jam) 7-4½ (2.25); 2. Vernon Turner (US) 7-3¼ (2.22); 3. Kason O’Riley (US) 7-1½ (2.17); 4. Caleb Snowden (US) 7-1½; 5. Donald Thomas (Bah) 7-1½; 6. Eli Kosiba (US) 6-11½ (2.12); 7. Charles McBride (US) 6-11½.
PV: 1. Chris Nilsen (US) 19-¼ (5.80); 2. Tray Oates (US) 18-8¼ (5.70); 3. Cole Walsh (US) 18-8¼; 4. Clayton Simms (US) 18-8¼; 5. Jacob Wooten (US) 18-4½ (5.60); 6. tie, Austin Miller (US) & Ashton Barkdull (US) 18-4½ (5.60); 8. tie, Matt Ludwig (US) & Keaton Daniel (US) 17-10½ (5.45); 10. KC Lightfoot (US) 17-4½ (5.30).
JT: 1. Curtis Thompson (US) 278-6 (84.88) (278-6, 250-0, f, f, p, 275-1) (84.88, 76.21, f, f, p, 83.85); 2. Sindri Hrafn Guðmundsson (Ice) 256-11 (78.31); 3. Franck Di Sanza (Swi) 255-10 (77.98) PR; 4. Marc Minichello (US) 253-5 (77.25); 5. Arthur Wiborg Petersen (Den) 245-7 (74.87).
LONE STAR WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(1.6): 1. Sabrina Dockery (Jam) 10.92 PR; 2. Audrey Leduc (Can) 10.97; 3. Jodean Williams (Jam) 10.97 PR; 4. Tamari Davis (US) 10.99; 5. Rosemary Chukwuma (Ngr) 11.06.
200(0.7): 1. Gabby Thomas (US) 21.70 (WL, AL) (x, 8 A);
2. Kayla White (US) 22.07; 3. Favour Ofili (Ngr) 22.15; 4. Cambrea Sturgis (US) 22.16; 5. Jenna Prandini (US) 22.46;… 8. Deajah Stevens (US) 22.70; 9. Mariah Maxwell (US) 22.76.
400: 1. Ella Onojuvwevwo (Ngr) 49.47 PR; 2. Stacey-Ann Williams (Jam) 49.80; 3. Alexis Holmes (US) 50.42; 4. Bailey Lear (US) 50.53; 5. Laviai Nielsen (GB) 51.02; 6. Rosey Effiong (US) 51.39; 7. Talitha Diggs (US) 52.13; 8. Britton Wilson (US) 52.84.
800: 1. Shafiqua Maloney (StV) 1:57.34; 2. Kelly-Ann Beckford (Jam) 1:58.46 PR; 3. Victoria Bossong (US) 1:58.52 PR; 4. McKenna Keegan (US) 1:58.60 PR; 5. Adelle Tracey (Jam) 1:59.24; 6. Michaela Rose (US) 1:59.59; 7. Sammy Watson (US) 2:00.35; 8. Meghan Hunter (US) 2:01.04.
100H(1.3): 1. Demisha Roswell (Jam) 12.53; 2. Ackera Nugent (Jam) 12.61; 3. Rayniah Jones (US) 12.62; 4. Cyrena Samba-Mayela (Fra) 12.65; 5. Alia Armstrong (US) 12.68; 6. Grace Stark (US) 12.77; 7. Alexandra Webster (US) 12.83; 8. Danae Dyer (US) 12.90.
400H: 1. Kemi Adekoya (Bhr) 53.71; 2. Ashley Miller (Zim) 54.08 NR; 3. Shamier Little (US) 54.15; 4. Savannah Sutherland (Can) 54.63; 5. Andrenette Knight (Jam) 55.25; 6. Bianca Stubler (US) 55.57.
Field Event
HT: 1. Camryn Rogers (Can) 260-4 (79.36) (f, 244-2, 260-4, f, f, 252-11) (f, 74.43, 79.36, f, f, 77.09);
2. Rachel Richeson (US) 260-3 (79.33) PR (6, x W; 3, 7 A) (244-6, 236-6, 253-2, 260-3, f, 254-11) (74.53, 72.09, 77.17, 79.33, f, 77.71);
3. Jie Zhao (Chn) 250-2 (76.25); 4. Brooke Andersen (US) 248-8 (75.80); 5. DeAnna Price (US) 247-1 (75.31); 6. Annette Echikunwoke (US) 245-1 (74.71); 7. Jiale Zhang (Chn) 242-0 (73.76); 8. Erin Reese (US) 238-1 (72.58); 9. Janee’ Kassanavoid (US) 226-0 (68.90); 10. Janeah Stewart (US) 214-4 (65.33).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 2, 6)
