by Alfonz Juck
Gwen Berry sets weight throw World Best! photo by PhotoRun.net
All-time bests 31.87 Lyles and 25.60 Berry
ALBUQUERQUE (USA, Mar 4): World bests in the men’s 300 meters and women’s weight throw highlighted an action-packed Saturday at the USATF Indoor Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Teenage sensation Noah Lyles clocked a world record in the 300 m with 31.87 ahead of Paul Dedewo 31.92. Gwen Berry set an all-time world best on her final attempt in the weight throw with 25.60. DeAnna Price moved up to No. 4 on the all-time world list with her 24.30 to take second, and Felisha Johnson 24.22 third. Phyllis Francis won in the 300 meters in 36.15, the second-fastest time ever by an American and No. 7 on the world all-time list. Jo Atkins was second in 36.18. Candace Hill won the other final race in 36.56 World U20 all-time best. Olympic 5000 m silver medalist Paul Chelimo was an unstoppable force as he ran away from a very deep and strong field to take gold by more than 10 seconds in 8:28.53. Olympic bronze medalist Sam Kendricks cleared 585 in the pole vault. La Derrick Ward won long jump with 793. Darien Moore stunned shot put field with 20.78 PB win. 2012 Olympic silver medalist Erik Kynard won his eighth consecutive USATF title indoors and outdoors in the men’s high jump, with 230. Shelby Houlihan won her first USATF Indoor title in the women’s mile in 4:45.18. Erica Bougard won after pentathlon also the long jump with 644. After a runner-up finish in 2016 behind Rio Olympian Curtis Beach, Japheth Cato had his day in the Land of Enchantment, scoring 5,738 points to win his first national title in the men’s heptathlon. In preliminary competition, top performances included Ajee’ Wilson’s 1:26.57 in the 600m, missing her own meet record by .01, and Erik Sowinski’s 1:15.51 in the men’s 600, a lifetime best and the equal seventh-fastest time in history.
