Mt. SAC Relays Men — Kerley Edges Norman In 200

Michael Norman led for much of the race, but Fred Kerley (6) slipped by him in the last 10m. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

WALNUT, CALIFORNIA, April 13-16 — The Mt. SAC Relays always seems to have weather suited for early season success and this year’s edition, with the concurrently run USATF Golden Games providing lots of big names on Saturday, was no exception.

With brisk winds that added a “w” to many of the day’s marks, they weren’t a hindrance as they had been the previous week at the Bermuda Games, where virtually every race was smacked down by a headwind.

The buildup for the men’s portion centered around sprints, where showdowns in the 100, 200 and 400 would not disappoint, each providing a yearly world leader.

The biggest showdown of the day lived up to the premeet hype, as the 200 was loaded with the likes of Olympians Fred Kerley, Michael Norman, Rai Benjamin and Canada’s Jerome Blake.

Kerley entered the meet with a list-leading 20.04 while Norman and Benjamin were toeing the line for the first time this year. Tokyo 4×4 gold medalist Norman lined up in 5, with 100 silver medalist Kerley in his sights in 6, 400H silver medalist Benjamin in 7 and 4×1 silver medalist Blake in 8.

Norman got out the best and made up the stagger on Kerley as they entered the homestretch. It looked like Norman might pull away, but with 50m left, Kerley’s strength prevailed and he caught and passed Norman just 10m out, winning in 19.80 to Norman’s 19.83 (wind 1.6). Benjamin hung on for 3rd in 20.01, edging Blake’s PR 20.04.

Said the confident Kerley, whose only previous half-lap clash with Norman was a loss at the ’18 Sun Angel meet, “The race felt good and I finished strong. I got the W. You have to have rivalry in track & field. We come out to compete, that’s what we do best.”

The 400 was loaded with Tokyo medalists, with Bryce Deadmon (gold, 4×4) in lane 4, Michael Cherry (gold, 4×4) in 5, Kenny Bednarek (silver, 200) in 6 and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos (400H, bronze) in 7.

At the gun, Bednarek, running his first 400 since ’19, went out quickly and led down the backstraight. Cherry and dos Santos weren’t far behind and as the three entered the homestretch, Cherry passed fading Bednarek and powered his way to the way to the finish in a world-leading 44.28. Dos Santos also got by Bednarek and his 44.54 was a PR by 1.24 seconds. Deadmon ended up in 3rd (45.13), with Bednarek 4th (45.37).

Cherry summed up his day by saying, “I felt like it was a great time. I went out there and I’ve been training super, super hard, so I just wanted to show that today, and I think I did that. World lead, you can’t beat that!”

In the 100, it was no contest for Micah Williams. The Oregon soph burst out of the blocks and stormed down track for a more-than-convincing 9.83w victory, albeit with a +2.5 tailwind. Brandon Carnes was the runner-up in 9.93w, followed by Mouhamadou Fall and Emmanuel Matadi, both timing 10.07w.

When asked to sum up his performance, the overwhelmed Williams simply responded, “Insane, that’s all I can say. That has to be on ESPN Top 10 now, has to be. But that was amazing, that was amazing.”

Less than an hour after running the 100 heats aspiring pro footballer Devon Allen lined up for the 110 highs in lane 6, with Daniel Roberts to his immediate left and Jamaican Damion Thomas to his right.

Roberts was out first, with Aaron Mallett and Allen just behind, but he clobbered hurdle 3 and lost all his momentum. Shane Brathwaite was now in the mix and was even with Allen at midrace. Allen took charge as Brathwaite faded, but was still challenged from Britt in lane 1 and Mallett in 8. He crossed the line first, triumphantly pointing at the clock that read 13.35.

Asked what his aims were before heading to the NFL, Allen said, “My goals are to be in good shape, win Worlds and then go contribute for the Eagles and do everything I can to help them win.”

Sweden’s OG/WC discus gold medalist Daniel Ståhl threw 221-11 (67.65) to beat Cal’s Lithuanian prodigy Mykolas Alekna’s 218-6 (66.61), the No. 8 collegiate performance ever.

Three topped 70 in the shot, Darrell Hill’s fifth-round 71-1½ (21.68) turning back Josh Awotunde (70-11¾/21.63) and Tripp Piperi (70-7¼/21.52).

The meet had kicked off earlier in the week with notable multis action, Ayden Owens raising the decathlon CR to 8528.


USATF GOLDEN GAMES MEN’S RESULTS

100(2.5): 1. Micah Williams (Or) 9.83w (a-c WL, AL, CL) (a-c: =7, =7 C; =4, =4 AmC);

2. Brandon Carnes (US) 9.93w; 3. Mouhamadou Fall (Fra) 10.07w; 4. Emmanuel Matadi (Lbr) 10.07w; 5. Kyree King (US) 10.10w; 6. Ilias Garcia (US) 10.11w; 7. Aaron Brown (Can) 10.14w; 8. Raymond Ekevwo (Ngr) 10.15w; 9. Mike Rodgers (US) 10.19w;… dnc—Devon Allen (US).

200(1.6): 1. Fred Kerley (US) 19.80 (WL, AL);

2. Michael Norman (US) 19.83; 3. Rai Benjamin (US) 20.01; 4. Jerome Blake (Can) 20.04 PR; 5. Marqueze Washington (US) 20.59.

400: 1. Michael Cherry (US) 44.28 (WL, AL);

2. Alison dos Santos (Bra) 44.54 PR; 3. Bryce Deadmon (US) 45.13; 4. Kenny Bednarek (US) 45.37; 5. Alex Haydock-Wilson (GB) 45.70; 6. Lidio Feliz (DR) 45.82; 7. EJ Floréal (US) 45.96 PR; 8. Wil London (US) 46.63.

800: 1. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:47.27; 2. Ryan Sanchez (PR) 1:47.58; 3. Erik Sowinski (US) 1:48.29; 4. Jonathan Jones (Bar) 1:48.91.

110H(-0.5): 1. Allen 13.35; 2. Jamal Britt (US) 13.44; 3. Aaron Mallett (US) 13.48; 4. Shane Brathwaite (Bar) 13.49; 5. Damion Thomas (Jam) 13.71; 6. Daniel Roberts (US) 13.73.

Field Events

PV: 1. Clayton Fritsch (US) 19-¼ (5.80) PR (out WL, AL, CL) (=11, x AmC) (missed 19-4¼/5.90); 2. Jacob Wooten (US) 19-¼ (5.80) (=out WL, AL, CL);

3. Cole Walsh (US) 18-8¼ (5.70); 4. Zach McWhorter (US) 18-8¼; 5. Matt Ludwig (US) 18-4½ (5.60); 6. Austin Miller (US) 18-4½; 7. tie, Hussain Asim Al-Hizam (Sau) & Tray Oates (US) 18-½ (5.50); 9. tie, Simen Guttormsen (Nor) & Nate Richartz (US) 18-½.

LJ: 1. Laquarn Nairn (Bah) 26-11¾ (8.22) PR;

2. Will Williams (US) 26-10w (8.18) (a-c AL) (25-11½, 26-6½ [out AL], 26-7¾w, f, f, 26-10w) (7.91, 8.09, 8.12w, f, f, 8.18w);

3. Carter Shell (US) 25-11½w (7.91); 4. G.K.D.S. Piyarathna (SrL) 25-11 (7.90); 5. Tristan James (Dom) 25-8¾w (7.84).

SP: 1. Darrell Hill (US) 71-1½ (21.68) (out AL) (f, f, 68-2¼, f, 71-1½, f) (f, f, 20.78, f, 21.68, f);

2. Josh Awotunde (US) 70-11¾ (21.63); 3. Tripp Piperi (US) 70-7¼ (21.52); 4. Payton Otterdahl (US) 69-4¼ (21.14); 5. Nick Ponzio (Ita) 69-½ (21.04); 6. Chuk Enekwechi (Ngr) 68-2½ (20.79).

DT: 1. Daniel Ståhl (Swe) 221-11 (67.65);

2. Mykolas Alekna (Lit) 218-6 (66.61) (x, 8 C);

3. Sam Mattis (US) 209-0 (63.71); 4. Nicholas Percy (GB) 208-3 (63.47) PR; 5. Simon Pettersson (Swe) 204-7 (62.36);

6. Turner Washington (US) 204-6 (62.33) (AmCL);

7. Josh Syrotchen (US) 203-1 (61.91); 8. Sven Martin Skagestad (Nor) 202-4 (61.69); 9. Kord Ferguson (US) 193-6 (58.99); 10. Brian Williams (US) 190-11 (58.20); 11. Legend Boyesen-Hayes (US) 190-3 (58.00).

HT: 1. Rudy Winkler (US) 259-6 (79.11) (AL) (256-6 [AL], f, 258-10 [AL], 254-1, f, 259-6) (78.19, f, 78.90, 77.46, f, 79.11);

2. Ragnar Carlsson (Swe) 249-11 (76.18); 3. Diego Del Real (Mex) 248-7 (75.78); 4. Alex Young (US) 247-9 (75.52); 5. Humberto Mansilla (Chl) 247-6 (75.44); 6. Gabriel Enrique Kehr (Chl) 246-10 (75.23); 7. Denzel Comenentia (Neth) 245-6 (74.83); 8. Sean Donnelly (US) 242-1 (73.79); 9. Brock Eager (US) 235-3 (71.70);… 3f—Daniel Haugh (US).

MT. SAC RELAYS MEN’S RESULTS

100(0.3): 1. Davonte Burnett’ (USC-Jam) 9.99 PR; 2. **Marcellus Moore (Tx) 10.26; 3. **Shaun Maswanganyi’ (Hous-SA) 10.28.

200: VIII(1.8)–1. ***Ryan Mulholland (Or) 20.49 PR. IX(3.7)–1. Micaiah Harris (Tx) 20.31w; 2. ***Udodi Onwuzurike’ (Stan-Ngr) 20.46w.

400: VII–1. ***Justin Robinson (AzSt) 45.81; 2. **Jevon O’Bryant (NM) 46.00. VIII–1. *Jonathan Jones’ (Tx-Bar) 45.30; 2. *Ismail Turner (UCLA) 45.95; 3. *Johnnie Blockburger (USC) 45.96.

800: 1. Tim Zepf (NDm) 1:47.46 PR; 2. ***Miles Brown (Mi) 1:48.04 PR; 3. Cole Johnson (Mi) 1:48.24 PR; 4. ***Darius Kipyego (IaSt) 1:48.36.

St: V–1. Cole Dinsdale’ (Can) 8:44.05 PR.

VI–1. **Kenneth Rooks (BYU) 8:32.75 PR (AL, CL);

2. **Levi Taylor (MtSt) 8:38.90; 3. **Reece Smith (NWMo) 8:39.09; 4. Julius Diehr (NBal) 8:42.73; 5. ***Sam Affolder (Wa) 8:43.95.

Inv St: 1. Ryoma Aoki’ (Jpn) 8:33.33; 2. Evan Jager (NikBowTC) 8:34.89; 3. *Clement Duigou’ (Adams-Fra) 8:36.25 PR.

5000: 1. George Kusche’ (NnAz-SA) 13:42.28; 2. *Abdihamid Nur (NnAz) 13:42.31; 3. ***Drew Bosley (NnAz) 13:42.32 PR; 4. **Nico Young (NnAz) 13:42.32.

II–1. *Sam Gilman (AF) 13:33.26; 2. Biya Simbassa (UArm) 13:33.56; 3. Wesley Kiptoo’ (Ken) 13:34.93; 4. Zach Panning (Hans) 13:37.13.

10,000: 1. *Dylan Jacobs (NDm) 28:01.94 PR (CL);

2. Amon Kemboi’ (Ar-Ken) 28:02.24 PR; 3. Ivan Gonzalez’ (Col) 28:05.29 PR; 4. **Awet Beraki’ (Adams-Eri) 28:12.10 PR; 5. *Danny Kilrea (NDm) 28:23.23 PR; 6. Alberto Gonzalez Mindez’ (Gua) 28:24.55 PR; 7. **Christian Allen (Web) 28:26.35 PR; 8. **Haftu Knight (Tx) 28:30.93 PR;

9. **Yaseen Abdalla (Tx) 28:33.38 PR.

110H(-1.4): 1. **Phillip Lemonious’ (Ar-Jam) 13.56; 2. Louis Rollins (PittSt) 13.69; 3. *Joshua Zeller’ (Mi-GB) 13.71; 4. Omotade Ojora’ (USC-GB) 13.77.

400H: I–1. Quivell Jordan (Hous) 49.66 =PR; 2. Drake Schneider (MtSt) 50.07 PR; 3. Gabriele Montefalcone’ (Tx-Ita) 50.19. II–1. Trevor Bassitt (Ash) 49.15; 2. Khallifah Rosser (HurdM) 49.22; 3. David Kendziera (unat) 49.68; 4. Eric Cray’ (Phi) 49.86; 5. Amere Lattin (adi) 50.33.

4 x 100: I–1. Texas 39.27. II–1. Arizona State 39.64. III–1. USA Mt. SAC 38.72; 2. Oregon 39.08.

4 x 400: 1. USA Mt. SAC 3:02.58 (London, Deadmon, Flournoy, Terry); 2. UCLA 3:05.21; 3. Arizona State 3:06.31; 4. Houston 3:06.31.

Field Events

HJ: 1. Earnie Sears (USC) 7-6½ (2.30) (=out WL, AL, CL);

2. Trey Culver (unat) 7-5¼ (2.27); 3. Erick Portillo’ (Mex) 7-3¼ (2.22); 4. *Jack Scarborough (TxT) 7-1½ (2.17).

PV: 1. Luke Winder (unat) 18-4½ (5.60); 2. *Caleb Witsken (BYU) 18-½ (5.50); 3. Shingo Sawa (Jpn) 18-½; 4. Antonio Ruiz’ (Hous-Mex) 18-½.

LJ: 1. Jalen Seals (TxT) 25-9¼w (7.85) (25-4/7.72); 2. *James Carter (Ia) 25-7½ (7.81) PR; 3. ***Reinaldo Rodrigues’ (Az-Bra) 25-4½w (7.73).

TJ: 1. *Henry Kiner (PittSt) 53-8¼ (16.36) PR.

Inv TJ: 1. **Emmanuel Ihemeje’ (Or-Ita) 55-9¼w (17.00) (a-c CL) (54-7¼/16.64 [out CL]);

2. Chris Bernard (CVE) 55-9 (16.99); 3. *Keyshawn King (Stan) 53-¾w (16.17) (52-6¾/16.02).

SP: 1. Andrew Liskowitz (unat) 67-5½ (20.56); 2. Jalil Brewer (Tx) 65-3½ (19.90); 3. Josh Johnson (Cal) 65-3¼ (19.89) PR.

DT: 1. ***Ralford Mullings’ (AzSt-Jam) 214-6 (65.39) PR; 2. **Dallin Shurts (BYU) 199-11 (60.93); 3. *Iffy Joyner (Cal) 194-11 (59.43); 4. **Aleks Hristov’ (UTEP-Bul) 188-7 (57.48).

HT: 1. **Rowan Hamilton’ (Can) 241-8 (73.66) PR; 2. ***Ethan Katzberg’ (Can) 236-6 (72.08) PR; 3. Israel Oloyede (unat) 231-8 (70.63); 4. **Trey Knight (USC) 228-10 (69.76).

JT: 1. ***Ty Hampton (Or) 235-6 (71.78) PR.

Dec(4/13-14): 1. *Ayden Owens’ (Ar-PR) 8528 NR, CR (old CR 8484 Karel Tilga’ [Ga] ’21) (WL) (2, 2 C)

(10.27, 24-7¾/7.51, 48-10¼/14.89, 6-3½/ 1.92, 46.12 [4483], 13.80, 141-1/43.00, 15-5/4.70, 175-6/53.50, 4:13.17 [4045]);

2. **Austin West (Ia) 8179 PR (AL, AmCL) (10.65, 24-5½/7.45, 46-3½/14.11, 6-4¾/1.95, 46.41, 14.48w, 139-10/42.63, 14-1¼/4.30, 198-1/60.39, 4:27.86);

3. *Hakim McMorris (Cal) 7941 PR; 4. *Daniel Spejcher (Ar) 7881 PR; 5. JJ Ply (ACU) 7857 PR; 6. Dylan Cooper (AthLTC) 7803 PR; 7. Lucas Van Klaveren’ (UTA-Neth) 7760 PR; 8. **Oliver Thorner’ (Wa-GB) 7602 PR.

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