Des Moines, Iowa, June 21—With the non-Olympic/World Championship “off year” upon us, this edition of the USATF Championships is providing a “status check” for many stars. Drake Stadium once again is serving as the host, and Day 1 featured multiple impressive performances.
Mike Rodgers and Lopez Lomong, competing in the shortest and longest running events on the day, managed to turn back the clock in fine fashion.
Rodgers, twice the 100 champion previously, turned in a world-leading 9.89 to lead the heats. Other top qualifiers with clear intentions of winning Friday’s final were Noah Lyles (9.92), Isiah Young (9.93), and NCAA champ Cameron Burrell (9.93 =PR).
Lomong entered the 10K final having run the event just once in his storied career (28:21.37 at this year’s Stanford Invitational). The favorite, Shadrack Kipchirchir, ran 27:07.55 at the World Championships last season. Lomong bided his time in Kipchirchir’s draft before posting a 54.16 final 400, and sprinting past Kipchirchir some 60m from the line to take the title in 28:58.38.
With his win, ’10 USATF 1500 champion Lomong, 33, became the first modern-era athlete to have ever won titles at the disparate distances. “I didn’t win the USA championship in the 800,” said the Bowerman TC veteran, who earned 5th-place 2-lap finishes at the ’07 USATF Champs and ’08 Olympic Trials [in which meet he made the Olympic team at 1500] but I came so close, but 15 and 10, this is good. It’s a good thing and I’m just going to continue doing it. Next season is going to be a new block to see on my training log, and we’ll see how that is going.” he added, “We’ll maybe do a few things here and there and tweak and go for it, just go out and put the USA jersey on again.”
Sharp running and disappointments were equally on display in the 1500’s opening round. Nike Oregon Project teammates Matthew Centrowitz and Eric Jenkins looked sharp in winning the first two heats, respectively. Both made their way to the pole and advanced without incident. Heat I saw Eric Avila and Div. II star David Ribich crash to the track on the backstretch. Both failed to advance. While Drew Hunter, Pat Casey, and Craig Engels closed well to qualify, Robby Andrews was unable to unleash his noted kick and finished a nonqualifying 6th in his heat.
NCAA Champ Isaiah Harris kicked off the opening round of the 800 by showing strong form to finish heat 2 victoriously. Erik Sowinski went to the front in heat III, cruising to 1:46.37 while towing three others under 1:47. Olympic medalist Clayton Murphy ran with typical mid-race composure and world-class closing speed to win heat III. Though Donavan Brazier and Drew Windle are absent, the men’s 800 could be one of the best finals of the weekend.
All three heat winners lead qualifying in the 400H. TJ Holmes ran 49.10, the fastest time on the day. Taylor McLaughlin, Khallifa Rosser and super veteran Bershawn Jackson were also top qualifiers.
The day started with the decathlon, where Olympian Zach Ziemek ran 10.65 in the 100 to establish an early lead, eventually concluding the day with a the highest score, 4169. Standing in 2nd is Eastern Michigan alum Solomon Simmons at 4094. Close behind in 3rd is Stanford’s Harrison Williams with 4061.
Concluding the track action was the 20K Walk. Nick Christie established a stadium record in 1:24:53.37 (AL) to win his first national title. □