WEEKEND ROUNDUP: British champs highlights, plus our misses at USATF U-20s...


While the Toyota USATF Outdoor Track & Field championships were happening in Eugene, the British  championships happened in Birmingham Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, Josh Kerr of the Brooks Beasts (Paul Merca photo), who all but has a confirmed place on Great Britain's world championship team in the 1500 as the top ranked in the country (after defending world champion Geoff Wightman announced that he will not defend in Budapest due to injury) ran 1:47.82 in the semis of the 800, then finished fifth in the finals on Sunday in 1:46.35.

His Beasts teammate Kyle Langford was third in the same semi as Kerr in 1:47.63, and did not advance to the final.

As of now, Langford is the only British runner with the standard at 800 of 1:44.70, when he ran 1:44.49 in Rovereto, Italy on August 30th last year, so he will most likely be on the British team for Budapest.

Washington alum Amy-Eloise Markovc was second in the women's 5000 on Sunday, running 15:58.87. Markovc does hold the world championship standard of 14:57.00, as she ran 14:56.60 on August 6th last year.

Former Husky Jack Rowe was sixth in the men's 5000 in 13:47.80 on Saturday.

The final roster for the British team going to Budapest will be announced shortly after World Athletics publishes the world rankings on August 2nd.


USATF U-20 MISSES...

With our focus primarily on the Toyota USATF outdoor meet, it was inevitable that we were going to overlook some folks from the state competing in the USATF under-20 championships at Hayward Field.

Dash Sirmon of Nebraska and Walla Walla HS, who qualified for the NCAA championships last month, won the men's javelin with a best of 232-6 (70.87m), dominating the competition. His series was so dominant that any of his five fair throws would have won the competition.

Haedyn Bambolo of Bothell HS, the Washington 4A champ in both the shot put and discus, was fifth in the shot put with a best of 47-5.25 (14.46m).

Miguel Rosario of Seattle University was seventh in the semis of the men's 100 in a time of 10.62.

The top two in each event at the USA U20 meet will compete at the Pan Am U20 championships on August 4-6 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

If there's anyone else we missed, please let us know.


NOTE: USA Track & Field, and British Athletics contributed to this report.

paulmerca.blogspot.com may receive a commission for any purchases made from links clicked. Please support this site and our sponsors by clicking on the links. 

Comments