Oregon Freshman Devon Allen Stuns As U.S. 110 Hurdle Champ In Sacramento
USATF Press Release
June 29, 2014
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A stunning men’s hurdle race closed the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships Sunday, as NCAA champion and Oregon freshman hurdler/wide receiver Devon Allen (Phoenix, Arizona) captured the national title in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in a wind-aided 13.16 (+2.1). 32,783 fans enjoyed the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships, as well as 5,500 at the Capitol Shot Put.
Allen edged defending U.S. champ Ryan Wilson (Westerville, Ohio) by five-thousandths of a second, defeating Wilson (13.160) and defending world champion David Oliver (Denver, Colorado), who crossed in 13.23.
Ronnie Ash (Raleigh, North Carolina) was impressive in the semifinals of the event, running a world-leading 12.99 (+1.2) for the first sub-13 since Aries Merritt’s world record in 2012 (12.80). Ash suffered an unfortunate fall in the finals, opening the door for Allen to become the first NCAA/USATF 110mH doubler since Renaldo Nehemiah of Maryland (1979).
Two-time NCAA champion pole vaulter Sam Kendricks (Oxford, Mississippi) pulled off another rare NCAA/USATF national title double, capturing the men’s pole vault title with a clearance of 5.75m/18-10.25. Kendricks turned in the first NCAA/USATF men’s pole vault double since Lawrence Johnson of Tennessee in 1996.
Inika McPherson (Port Arthur, Texas) set a stadium record Sunday as well as a new personal best, sweeping the 2014 U.S. high jump titles with her mark of 2.00m/6-6.75. McPherson also won the USATF Indoor crown (1.91m/6-3.25) earlier this year. McPherson battled with American record holder Chaunte Lowe (Riverside, California), who nabbed silver with a clearance of 1.94m/6-4.25.
Curtis Mitchell (Port Orange, Florida) smoked the track in his semi of the men’s 200 meters, crossing in 19.99. University of Florida junior Dedric Dukes (Miami, Florida) won the first semi in 20.21, continuing a stellar season that saw him win NCAA titles in the 200m and 4x100m. Mitchell took home the title in the final race, finishing in 20.13 to hold off Olympian Wallace Spearmon (Fayetteville, Arkansas) who crossed in 20.19.
Duane Solomon (Los Angeles, California) went wire-to-wire in the men’s 800 meters, finishing in a Hornet Stadium record of 1:44.30. Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Connecticut), in his first year of professional racing, impressed with a second-place finish in 1:45.97. Erik Sowinski (Iowa City, Iowa) notched a bronze finish in 1:46.94.
Jenny Simpson (Webster City, Iowa) was unstoppable in the women’s 1,500 meters, taking the title in 4:04.96. Simpson led from start to finish, besting U.S. medalists Mary Cain (Bronxville, New York) and Katie Mackey (Fort Collins, Colorado) who finished in 4:06.34 and 4:07.70, respectively.
Ajee’ Wilson (Neptune, New Jersey) won her first USATF Outdoor title in the women’s 800 meters in a stadium record 1:58.70. She was pushed by Oregon’s Laura Roesler (Fargo, North Dakota), who turned in a personal-best 1:59.04 for the silver. It was Roesler’s first career sub-2:00 performance.
Joanna Atkins (Stone Mountain, Georgia), Jeneba Tarmoh (San Jose, California) and Kimberlyn Duncan (Katy, Texas) all won their women’s 200m semifinals, but it was Tarmoh who was victorious in the final, just edging Duncan and Atkins for gold in 22.06. Duncan and Atkins captured silver and bronze in 22.10 and 22.19, respectively.
Jeff Henderson (North Little Rock, Arkansas) set a stadium record in the men’s long jump, capturing the 2014 U.S. title in a personal best 8.52m/27-11.50, eclipsing Dwight Phillips’ 10-year-old record from the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Kori Carter (Claremont, California) won her first national title in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, crossing in 53.84 for the fastest time by an American this year. Olympian Georganne Moline (Phoenix, Arizona) took second in 54.00 and Cassandra Tate (Hammond, Louisiana) earned bronze with her time of 54.70.
John Nunn (Durango, Colorado) won his second 20 km Race Walk national title, earning his first USATF Outdoor Championship since 2010. Nick Christie (San Diego, California) had the slight edge on Nunn through the first 13 km but the men stayed neck-and-neck until Nunn made his move with 5 km to go. Nunn held his lead to the end, crossing in 1:27:56.39 for the national crown. Christie dropped back into a battle for second with Patrick Stroupe (Fayette, Missouri) and on the final street lap, Stroupe passed Christie for silver, finishing in 1:29:26.68. Christie earned bronze with his time of 1:29:52.67.
Evan Jager (Algonquin, Illinois) won his second USATF Outdoor title in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase, crossing in 8:18.83. Jager, also the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials champion, bested Daniel Huling (Columbus, Ohio) in 8:19.73.
Gia Lewis-Smallwood (Champaign, Illinois) continued her phenomenal run in 2014 with the women’s discus title, besting the field by more than 20 feet. Lewis-Smallwood utilized her third attempt of 65.96m/216-5 for the win, while Olympian Liz Podominick (Lakeville, Minnesota) and 2014 NCAA champion Shelbi Vaughan (Azle, Texas) registered marks of 59.96m/196-9 and 59.75m/196-0 for silver and bronze, respectively.
All events from the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships are available for viewing on USATF.tv.
The next USATF Championship event is the 2014 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, July 5-6. The event will be shown live on USATF.tv.