A round-up of some of the latest news and results from the world of athletics

US Indoor Championships

The second day of the US Championships had three world-leading performances. Brianna Rollins clocked an excellent 7.76 in the 60m hurdles over Kendra Harrison with 7.77 and Queen Harrison with 7.83 as the top six finishers all went sub-eight seconds. Fourth was Janay DeLoach (7.86) over Sharika Nelvis (7.94) and Kristi Castlin (7.96). Nia Ali, who has a wild card for the World Indoors, clocked 7.85 in the semis and was not running the final.

Vashti Cunningham at the age of 18 cleared 1.99m for what is not only a high jump world lead but also a world junior indoor record.

Barbara Pierre won the 60m in a 7.00 PB to equal the world lead of Dafne Schippers. In second was Tori Bowie with 7.15 (7.14 in semis) ahead of Tianna Bartoletta’s 7.17 and Jenna Prandini’s 7.18.

The men’s 60m saw a win for Marvin Bracy with 6.51, just five thousandths of a second ahead of Trayvon Bromell with a PB.

In the women’s pole vault there was an excellent improvement for Sandi Morris with 4.95m for the third best ever indoor performance. Jenn Suhr cleared 4.90m, while Demi Payne went over 4.85m for the first ever time that three women have cleared 4.85m or higher in the same competition.

A strong US women’s team in Portland will also have Brittney Reese who leapt 6.89m and Janay DeLoach with 6.64m in the long jump. Quanera Hayes with a 51.09 400m PB and Ashley Spencer with 51.29 were surprise qualifiers over Natasha Hastings with 51.34 in the 400m.

Ajee Wilson’s 2:00.87 and Laura Roesler’s 2:02.44 topped the 800m, while Brenda Martinez clocked 4:08.37 and Cory McGee a 4:09.97 PB in the 1500m.

Vernon Norwood ran 45.80 and Kyle Clemons 45.95 in the 400m, Boris Berian 1:47.19 in the 800m ahead of Erik Sowinski’s 1:47.62. Matt Centrowitz was the best in the 1500m with 3:44.33 over Robby Andrews’s 3:44:40. Jarret Eaton won the hurdles in 7.52 and Chris Carter the triple jump with 17.06m ahead of wild card holder Omar Craddock with 16.96m for an indoor PB.

The first day of the championships also brought three world leading marks. Marquis Dendy improved in the long jump to 8.41m. Michelle Carter with a 19.49m world leading shot put looks to be another US gold medal contender for next weekend.

The third world lead was in a non-World Champs event, as Colin Dunbar improved to 23.96m in the men’s weight throw and beat favorite AG Kruger with 23.24m.

Sam Kendricks cleared a 5.90m PB in the pole vault and Erik Kynard 2.29m in the high jump. In the 3000m, Ryan Hill clocked 7:38.60 and Paul Chelimo 7:39.00 and on the women’s side Shannon Rowbury ran 8:55.65 with Abbey D’Agostino clocking 8:57.31. In the men’s race, Eric Jenkins with third in 7:41.19 ahead of former world indoor winner Bernard Lagat with 7:41.25 and Garrett Heath with 7:41.26. Steeple record-holder Evan Jager was seventh in 7:44.05 and Olympic marathon-bound Galen Rupp eighth with 7:48.34.

NCAA Championships

Four world leads highlighted the final day of the top NCAA division champs. Ronnie Baker clocked the fastest 60m of 2016 with 6.47 ahead of Cameron Burrell’s 6.48 PB and Christian Coleman’s 6.52 PB. Zach Ziemek scored 6173 points in the heptathlon for another top mark of the year.

Courtney Okolo produced 50.69 in the 400m as another top global mark ahead of Chris-Ann Gordon of Jamaica’s 51.69 PB and 400m hurdles world medalist Shamier Little’s 51.74 PB.

Coleman won the 200m in 20.55 over Briton Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake’s 20.63.

Fast sprints also on the women’s side by Teahna Daniels with a 7.11 PB in the 60m. Felicia Brown topped the 200m and with 22.47 missed her own world lead by 0.02.

Briton Cindy Ofili improved in the hurdles to an excellent 7.89 PB over Sasha Wallace’s 7.91 PB. That mark is a British under-23 best for Ofili and moves her to third on the UK all-time list.

Kendell Williams will be a force at the World Indoors. The US collegiate athlete scored 4703 when winning the NCAA I pentatlon title for a PB and new college record. But she was lucky as Barbados super talent Akela Jones tripped over the last hurdle in the first event as she went on to clear 1.98m in the high jump to equal the overall college record and also achieve the second best ever clearance in an indoor pentathlon, as well as a national record.

Jones also had an indoor PB in the shot put of 13.59m and a huge national record of 6.80m in the long jump. She did not run the 800m.

Taking into account her hurdles PB of 8.00 she could be a world record-breaker. “I was quite surprised that I made it on the first attempt,” Jones said of her historic high jump. “I didn t know it was going to go as well as it did,”

Briton Jax Thoirs won the pole vault with 5.50m, while Trey Culver cleared a PB of 2.23m to be the best in the high jump.

Rome-Ostia Half Marathon

Kenyan Solomon Yego raced to a course record of 58:44 at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon on a point-to-point course.

Taking into consideration all courses, it was the fifth fastest time in history after Zersenay Tadese s 58:23 and 58:31, Sammy Wanjiru s 58:33 and Bernard Koech s 58:41 and is the best half-marathon time since June 2013.

Kenyans took a 1-2-3-4 in the men s race with Leonard Kipkoech (59:17) and Remmy Limo (60:05) filling the remaining podium finishes.

There was also a good quality women s race won by Ethiopia s Worknesh Degefa in 67:08 ahead of Kenyans Angela Tanui (67:16) and Magdalene Masai, who made a 67:30 debut. Ethiopian Marta Lema was fourth in 67:58.

New Balance Nationals

There were some top marks at the high school New Balance Nationals at Armory.

Sydney McLaughlin set an indoor world youth best of 51.84 over 400m.

Trayvon Grey jumped 7.93m in the long jump, Jordan Geist threw 21.71m in the shot put (5.44 kg) and young talent Tyrese Cooper clocked 21.22 in the 200m.

Check out Athletics Weekly s online news section and online event reports for more of the latest from the world of the sport

Athletics Weekly s global update is provided by EME NEWS. Readers interested in subscribing to receive full daily EME NEWS reports directly should contact Alfonz Juck at [email protected]

The post Top results at US Indoor and NCAA championships – global update appeared first on Athletics Weekly.