Eight men & women with Washington ties named to Team USA for Budapest world champs...
INDIANAPOLIS--USA Track & Field Monday afternoon formally announced the team that will travel to Budapest, Hungary for the World Athletics Outdoor Track and Field Championships that begin August 19th at the National Athletics Centre.
Among the group are eight athletes with ties to the state of Washington, led by defending world and Olympic pole vault champion Katie Moon (Paul Merca photo), who was a 2018-19 Washington State University volunteer coach while training in Pullman under then WSU vertical jumps coach Brad Walker. By winning the world title in Eugene last year, Katie earned an automatic wild card spot in Budapest. She won the Toyota USATF title in July, clearing a season best 16-0.75 (4.90m).
Another athlete with ties to Washington State University is CJ Allen in the men's 400 hurdles. Allen finished second at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships in that event, running 48.18. In what's been a breakout last two seasons since graduating from WSU, he's currently ranked third in the world in the event, and currently leads the Wanda Diamond League standings this season in the 400 hurdles with 28 points over four meets.
One of the most exciting revelations of the 2023 season, Walla Walla native Kenneth Rooks, is part of the group going to Budapest. Rooks, who in June won the NCAA steeplechase crown for Brigham Young University, came back to win the USATF title after clipping a barrier with over five laps to go. He spotted the field two seconds, and patiently worked his way back, charging over the final water barrier and the last hurdle to win in 8:16.78.
Seattle's pro track team, the Brooks Beasts, has the women's 800 meter national champion, Nia Akins, and the men's 800 runner-up Isaiah Harris representing the team in Budapest.
Akins, the reigning USATF indoor champion at 800, added the outdoor championship last month, defeating Oregon alum and Olympic medalist Raevyn Rogers on her home track in a time of 1:59.50, while Harris, who made the 2017 world championship team while at Penn State, finished second in a tactical race, running 1:46.68.
Three athletes with ties to the University of Washington are among the group of eight on Team USATF. The group includes 2014 graduate Lindsay Flanagan, who makes her second career appearance at the world championships in the marathon, after appearing in the 2017 championships in London.
Current Husky Joe Waskom, who was second in the 1500 meters in a UW school record 3:35.32 at the Toyota USATF outdoor championships, makes his first appearance at the world championships. Waskom, who was outside the Road to Budapest quota of 56 athletes in the 1500 before the USA championships, but was on the fringes after the nationals, clinched his spot on Team USATF when he won in Lignano, Italy on July 15th, lowering his school record to 3:34.64, just short of the 3:34.20 qualifying standard.
Moll, an incoming freshman who graduated from Olympia's Capital High School, set the national high school record of 15-1.5 (4.61m) when she finished third in the women's pole vault at the Toyota USATF championships in Eugene. The reigning world under-20 champion from last year became the second high school athlete to clear the 15-foot barrier behind twin sister Amanda when she cleared 15-1.5 (4.61m) in January.
Moon, Allen, and Akins had the world championship qualifying standards in their events before the national championships. Flanagan, who had the qualifying standard in the marathon, was selected by USATF in June after several athletes ahead of her on the descending order list declined the invitation to compete. The rest had to wait until after the world championship qualifying period ended on July 30th to know their status based on their world rankings.
Of the eight on Team USATF, Allen (North Mason), Rooks (College Place), Waskom (Mt. Si), and Moll (Capital) are all Washington high school products.
With the formal announcement from USA Track & Field, seventeen men and women with ties to the state of Washington will be on the line when the world track & field championships begin on August 19th.
Meanwhile, both Athletics Australia and Athletics New Zealand formally announced their squads with releases. Both UW grad Izzi Batt-Doyle (Australia, marathon) and former Husky Sam Tanner (New Zealand, 1500 meters) were named earlier by their federations.
WEEKEND RECAP: PAN AM U-2O CHAMPS IN PUERTO RICO...
A small group of athletes with Washington ties competed at the Pan American Under-20 Track & Field Championships in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico August 4th through 6th.
US U-20 champion JaiCieonna Gero-Holt from Puyallup's Emerald Ridge HS won the heptathlon Sunday with a final score of 5463 points.
Her first day marks included a time of 14.73 in the 100 hurdles, a clearance of 6-0 (1.83m) in the high jump, a throw of 41-7.25 (12.68m) in the shot put, and a time of 26.02 in the 200.
In day 2, she jumped 14-4.25 (5.59m) in the long jump, threw the javelin 136-3 (41.53m), and ran the 800 in 2:33.87. Over the two days, she won the high jump, shot put, and the javelin, and tied for first in the long jump.
Tyler Floyd, a Canadian citizen who graduated from Seattle Prep and will attend Stanford this fall, won the men's 400 in 45.62, and ran anchor for the Canadian team that finished fourth in 3:12.32.
Lake Stevens' Grant Buckmiller and Sehome's Jacob Andrews were part of the Team USA squad that won the men's 4 x 400 in 3:05.98, with Andrews running the second leg, and Buckmiller the anchor. Earlier in the meet, Buckmiller was third in the 400 in 46.58, and Andrews fourth in 46.74.
Notre Dame freshman Ethan Coleman from Olympia HS won the men's 5000 in 14:44.58.
Ella McRitchie of Bainbridge HS was second in the women's pole vault at 13-11.25 (4.25m), and Sydney Collier of Skyline HS was third in the women's 3000 steeplechase in 11:25.04.
NOTE: USA Track & Field and the Pan American Under-20 Track & Field Championships contributed to this report.
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