CJ Allen roars to new personal best in 400H at Bislett Games in Oslo...
OSLO, Norway--Washington State alum CJ Allen (photo by Marta Gorczynska/Wanda Diamond League) cut a chunk off his personal best in the 400 hurdles as he finished second at the Bislett Games Thursday night, in the fifth stop on the Wanda Diamond League circuit.
Allen, who entered the Oslo meet as the Diamond League leader in the event with 15 points, faced hometown hero and defending Olympic champion Karsten Warholm, who was making his season debut in front of the home fans at Bislett Stadium.
Warholm did not disappoint the home crowd, storming to the win in a world leading time of 46.52.
In the process, Allen was pulled to a personal best of 47.58, dropping his time from his previous personal best of 47.91, set at the USATF LA Grand Prix on May 27th.
The mark is the fastest time by an American this season, and has him knocking on the door of the all time American top 10 list, with James Carter's 47.43 from 2005 currently number 10 in reach.
In a text sent to publisher Paul Merca, Allen said, "I think tonight was a well executed race. There’s two points in my mind that I need to reevaluate and tune up in my race strategy heading into USA’s--I needed to be pushed, and Karsten gave me the progression race I was seeking."
Courtesy of NBC Sports, here is video of the race:
In the women's 400 hurdles, which was the first race in the 2-hour television window, University of Washington alum Gianna Woodruff finished third in a season best 54.46.
Femke Bol of the Netherlands won in a meet record and world leading time of 52.30, with Rushell Clayton of Jamaica third in 53.84.
In the meet's final race of the evening, Tokyo Olympic 1500 meter bronze medalist Josh Kerr of the Seattle based Brooks Beasts finished ninth in his specialty, as reigning Olympic champ and hometown hero Jakob Ingebrigtsen won in a European record 3:27.95
Kerr was content to sit back in around seventh or eighth, until the two pacemakers dropped off the track, and was in sixth as the field entered the bell lap.
Kerr held his position until the pack hit the final straightaway, then faded to ninth in a season best 3:30.07, just over a second short of his personal best of 3:29.05 set at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
The Wanda Diamond League moves on to Lausanne for the Athletissima meeting on June 30th.
ANDY POWELL, JUSTIN ST. CLAIR, CHARLEE LINTON & OLIVIA MARKEZICH WINS USTFCCCA REGIONAL AWARDS...
University of Washington men's head coach Andy Powell was named the winner by the USTFCCCA as its West Region coach of the year, according to a release from the coaches' association Thursday.
Powell, in his fifth year as head coach at Washington, led the Huskies to the team title at the Pac-12 Championships at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California, winning seven events and sweeping the 800 through the 10,000. Washington had 13 entries to the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships and finished ninth with 26.5 points. Two of his athletes – Nathan Green and Joe Waskom – finished 1-2 in the 1500 at the NCAA DI Championships.
Former University of Washington thrower Justin St. Clair, the head coach at the University of Nebraska, was named the men's and women's Midwest Region coach of the year.
St. Clair, in his first year as head coach at Nebraska, led the Cornhuskers to the team title at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with 151 points as he was honored as Big Ten Coach of the Year. Nebraska also tied for 17th place at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the highest finish by any team from the Midwest Region.
On the women's side, St. Clair led the Cornhuskers to an eighth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships with 25 points, the highest of any team from the Midwest Region. His athletes earned six All-America honors, including two titles at the NCAA DI Championships – Axelina Johansson in the shot put and Rhema Otabor in the javelin.
Washington State and Shorewood HS alum CharLee Linton, the assistant coach at the University of Utah, was named the Mountain region women's assistant coach of the year.
Under Linton’s guidance, Utah had a 15th-place team finish at the NCAA Championships with a total of 16 points. Linton’s coaching played a pivotal role in the success of Emily Venters and Simone Plourde, who achieved four All-American honors combined. Venters stood out with the sixth-fastest 10,000m time in NCAA history, clocking an impressive time of 31:48.35. Both Venters and Plourde secured Pac-12 championships in their respective events.
Notre Dame's Olivia Markezich was named the Great Lakes region's women's track athlete of the year. Markezich, who hails from Woodinville and attended the Bear Creek School, won the steeplechase crown at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 9:25.03 to clock the third-fastest time in meet history. Earlier in the season, Markezich took top honors in the steeplechase at the ACC championships.
NOTE: The Wanda Diamond League, World Athletics and the USTFCCCA contributed to this report.
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