Moon kicks off Wanda Diamond League season with win in Doha; CJ Allen PRs in 400H...
DOHA, Qatar--Former Pullman resident & reigning world and Olympic champion Katie Moon (Matthew Quine/Wanda Diamond League photo) got her outdoor season started by winning the pole vault at the Seashore Group Doha Meeting Friday night as the season long Wanda Diamond League series began its 2023 campaign.
Moon started her day with two first attempt clearances at 14-7.25 (4.45m) and 14-11 (4.55m) before needing a second attempt to clear 15-2.25 (4.63m), temporarily ceding the lead to training partner and reigning world indoor champion Sandi Morris.
A first attempt clearance at 15-5.5 (4.71m) and 15-7.25 (4.76m) gave her the lead back, before a make on her second attempt at the winning height of 15-9.25 (4.81m) sealed the victory.
After making the height, which is the highest clearance in the world so far this season, Moon declined to jump the next bar and called it a day.
Moon told reporters afterwards, "I feel great, I'm so happy with how it went, it's a classic first Diamond League meeting and I'm figuring it out, and working my ways through poles. I'm really happy that I came in first place...In the past I've taken shots at world records, and I'll be happy to win them again hopefully, sky is the limit. I definitely wanna defend my title and try to jump as high as I can and break some records."
Washington State alum CJ Allen pressed Olympic and world championship silver medalist Rai Benjamin over the first eight hurdles in the men's 400 hurdles before coming up short.
USC grad Benjamin won the race in 47.78, while Allen was rewarded with a personal best of 47.93, eclipsing his previous best of 48.17, set last year at the USA Outdoor Championships in Eugene.
In the mixed zone, Allen, who won the Drake Relays invitational 400 hurdles last week in Des Moines, said, "I was expecting a personal best, because I have been feeling great in practice. I knew on the day that I would be able to do a great race. I am getting tuned up now, this was race number 3 for me. This feels good for early season, although I had some difficulty in the last couple of hurdles."
Allen's time is the second fastest in the world so far this season, with Benjamin's 47.74 at Mt. SAC a few weeks ago the fastest in 2023.
Courtesy of NBC Sports, here's Allen's breakthrough race:
The Wanda Diamond League resumes on May 28th with the Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athletisme in Rabat, Morocco.
ZAGS TO RUN AT OREGON TWILIGHT...
A small group of runners from the Gonzaga men's team are running in Friday night's Oregon Twilight at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, hosted by the University of Oregon.
The group is led by NCAA cross country championship veterans Yacine Guermali & Wil Smith, both of whom are running in the invitational section of the men's 5000.
Gonzaga also has runners entered in the B section of the 5000, and three entries in the steeplechase.
NOTE: World Athletics, and the Wanda Diamond League contributed to this report.
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