INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, February 22 — With Simone Biles retired and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on maternity leave, the greatest active woman athlete in the world is arguably Anna Hall. (With winter apologies to Alysa Liu.)
Hall will have to wait until the ’28 Los Angeles Olympics to affirm such status. Is she already thinking about it?
Yes. And no.
“You don’t want to look too big picture because you need to stay motivated now and for tomorrow,” she said. “You also don’t want to look too short picture because every decision right now, we’re making with LA in mind.
“So when we’re deciding whether to push when we have aches and pains, or to pull back to be safe, all decisions are made with LA in mind. Making sure I’m primed and peaked and ready to go there, but most of all healthy. Because last time I wasn’t able to be healthy [at the Olympics].
“And I’ve shown myself what I can do if I step on the line healthy, even if I’m not 100% sharp. That’s my goal, to get there healthy to give myself a chance.”
Short picture, the ’25 heptathlon world champion aims to become the ’26 pentathlon world champion. To prepare for next month’s indoor Worlds in Toruń, Poland, she won the USATF title Sunday at the 3-year-old venue on the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
She scored 4831 points to add a national crown to one from ’23. She has 6 U.S. titles in all, including 4 straight heptathlons (2022–25).
Hall’s score is a world leader and No. 2 in U.S. history behind her 5004 from 3 years ago at the USATF Indoor in Albuquerque. She had not competed in another pentathlon since then. Injuries impaired her ’24 season and delayed her ’25 debut.
“I love doing indoors,” she said. “So I was super excited to get back and to finally make it to World Indoors, a meet I’ve been wanting to do.”
Timara Chapman finished 2nd with a PR of 4603. Though the Texas A&M grad placed 5th in the ’25 World Indoor pent, Tokyo hept bronze medalist Taliyah Brooks has the World Athletics invitation crucial to participation in this year’s WIC multi.
Next, also with PRs, were Erin Marsh (4432), Lauren Taubert (4425) and Avery McMullen (4339).
Hall called her performance “pretty sloppy” but somewhat expected.
She was 3rd in the 60H in 8.19, just 0.02 off her low-altitude best. She was 1st in the high jump at 6-¾ (1.85), barely brushing the bar off at 6-2 (1.88). She was 3rd in the shot with an indoor PR of 45-7 (13.89), 2nd in the long jump (20-4¼/6.20) and first in the 800 (2:07.30).
This will be a momentous year for Hall, even without an Olympics or Worlds — or even a spot in WA’s inaugural Ultimate Championships, which will not include multis. She is engaged to New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton.
The couple set an April wedding date so it would be between indoor and outdoor seasons. Hall is set for the ever-elite Götzis heptathlon May 30–31, and after that her calendar is indefinite.
In the men’s heptathlon, Hakim McMorris held off Heath Baldwin in the closing 1000 for a 10-point victory. Their scores of 6255 and 6245 elevated them to Nos. 9 and 10 on the all-time U.S. list.
Because WA makes the selections, McMorris will not go to Worlds. Baldwin was selected and is a medal contender after finishing 4th in ’25.
In ’24, coming off a season at Michigan State, he became the first collegian to win the Olympic Trials decathlon since UCLA’s Rafer Johnson in ’56.
“I feel like I’m finally back in shape, better shape than 2024,” Baldwin said. “I think last year I was kind of having a tough time transitioning to my first year as a pro.
“And I know I’m in really good shape to put up a big score in World Indoors.”
USATF HEPTATHLON RESULTS
1. Hakim McMorris (unat) 6255 PR (8, x A)
(6.88, 25-2/7.67, 48-9½/14.87, 6-4¼/1.94, 7.91, 16-2¾/4.95, 2:35.72);
2. Heath Baldwin (Nike) 6245 PR (9, x A)
(6.98, 25-2½/7.68, 48-5½/14.77, 6-10¼/2.09, 7.91, 15-7/4.75, 2:39.94);
3. Kendrick Thompson’ (Bah) 5963 PR
(6.80, 24-10½/7.58, 48-0/14.63, 6-4¼/1.94, 7.99, 14-11/4.55, 2:48.85);
4. Justin Abrams (unat) 5937 PR
(7.08, 23-½/7.02, 45-1½/13.75, 6-8/2.03, 8.17, 16-10¾/5.15, 2:44.43);
5. Jami Schlueter’ (Ngr) 5871 NR; 6. Kyle Sieracki (unat) 5777 PR; 7. Joel McFarlane’ (GB) 5442; 8. Nick Bianco (unat) 5392; 9. KJ Byrd (Louis) 3348;… dnf—Jackson Anderson (unat) 2124, Jack Flood (unat) 1533.
USATF PENTATHLON RESULTS
1. Anna Hall (adidas) 4831 (WL, AL) (x, 2 A)
(8.19, 6-¾/1.85, 45-7/13.89, 20-4¼/6.20, 2:07.30);
2. Timara Chapman (unat) 4603 PR
(8.17, 5-9¼/1.76, 42-8/13.00, 20-8/6.30, 2:13.49);
3. Erin Marsh (unat) 4432 =PR
(8.14, 5-5¾/1.67, 47-6½/14.49, 19-7/5.97, 2:18.15);
4. Lauren Taubert (unat) 4425 PR
(8.31, 5-5¾/1.67, 43-11¾/13.40, 20-1¾/6.14, 2:14.44);
5. Avery McMullen (unat) 4339 PR; 6. Lexie Keller (unat) 4329; 7. Cheyenne Nesbitt (unat) 4297; 8. Katie Eidem (unat) 4293 PR; 9. Katy Stephens (NnIa) 4105 PR; 10. Anneke Moersdorf (unat) 4052; 11. Jalen Elrod (unat) 4038; 12. Alysa Henry (GSTC) 3387;… dnf—Shaina Burns (unat).
