by Larry EderThis is my update on US performances at the Herculis Monaco. The number of U.S. athletes was down to the pandemic and Olympic Trials.
I am a big believer in racing. As the songwriter, Steve Forbert wrote about 30 years ago, “you can not win, if you do not play.”
Men
The men’s 100m featured Ronnie Baker and Trayvon Bromell as well as Fred Kerley. Ronnie Baker won the men’s 100m in 9.91, with a good start and a tough finish. Trayvon Bromell had a less than spectacular start, and while he pushed, finished fifth in 10.01. Fred Kerley, the man who moved to the 100m and 200m while most thought he was a 400m man, took sixth in 10.15.
In the men’s 800m, USOT champion Clayton Murphy ran 1:44.41, taking 7th to Nijel Amos’ fast 1:42.91! In 11th and last was Bryce Hoppel, who ran 1:47.74.
Erik Sowinski, who has competed in the last 11 US indoor championships, was pacesetter for Timothy Cheruiyot’s 1,500m, taking the field through the 400m in 53 seconds and 1:50 AT 800M.
In Karsten Warholm’s fine 47.08 at 400m hurdles, Aldrich Bailey, Jr. did not finish.
In the strange men’s 3000m, steeplechase, Hillary Bor, the USOT champ ran a SB of 8:14.69, taking fifth. Bernard Keter, took 9th in the steeple, in 8:18.53. Bell went off with two laps to go, what an embarrassment!
In the men’s high jump, Marquis Dendy took 4th in 7.99m.
Women
Dezera Bryant took 5th in the women’s 200m, in 22.79. Tamara Clark was sixth in 22.95.
Kate Grace took third in the 800m in Monaco, setting a third pb in three races! 1:57.20 PB! Kate is getting used to the distance again, she is ranked sixth in the world this week!
In the women’s 1,500m, Heather MacLean, who was 3rd in the USOT, was 10th in 4:03.63. Cory McGee, who took second in the 2021 USOT (the first time she had made a US team since 2013!), was 11th in 4:04.20!
In the women’s steeplechase, another strange one. Beatrice Chepkoech miscounted laps, and it came down to the final water jump with Hyvin Kiyeng and Emma Coburn, and as they came off the water barrier together, Emma Coburn fell at the end of the water pit, got up, and found herself in 4th at Hyvin Kiyeng held on for the win in 9:03.82 WL. Emma Coburn in 4th in 9:09.02! Surely, if Emma had not fallen, she and Kiyeng could have broken nine minutes!
In the women’s pole vault, Katie Nageotte won the pole vault in a tough battle with Anzelhika Siderova and Katerina Stefanidi. Katie cleared 4.90m, which gives her clearances 1 and 2 on the World list. Sandi Morris, vaulting on new poles, as her personal poles were in Newark, New Jersey airport.
Some very good performances for the Americans, and we should see many in Gateshead next Tuesday, July 13!
