Gianna Woodruff sharpens up for Paris with season best in 400 hurdles in Gainesville...
In Gainesville, Florida, Washington alum Gianna Woodruff (Paul Merca photo) finished second in the 400 hurdles to highlight competition at the Holloway Pro Classic at Percy Beard Track on the campus of the University of Florida Friday night.
Starting on the inside in lane 2 after an hour weather delay due to wet conditions, Woodruff actually had the lead coming off the final hurdle, but Alanah Yukich of Australia, who was in her own battle in lane 7 with former Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad on her inside, caught Woodruff on the run-in to the finish line.
Yukich clocked 55.30 for the win with Woodruff second in 55.45, and Muhammad third in 55.85.
For Woodruff, the time was a season best, with her previous best this season a 56.56 mark in her season opener at the Drake Relays in late April.
Washington alum Cass Elliott ran well for 750 meters in the men's 800 meters, but hung on to set a personal best of 1:45.71 in a fourth place finish.
Josh Hoey won the race in 1:44.22, with Clayton Murphy second in 1:45.01.
Former Washington State and Tennessee standout Charisma Taylor, who was originally scheduled to do both the triple jump and the 100 hurdles, opted only to jump Friday night.
Taylor finished third with a best of 44-8.75 (13.63m), as Keturah Orji won with a mark of 46-2.5 (14.08m).
The highlight of the meet was 16 year old Quincy Wilson setting yet another world under-18 record in the 400 meters, running 44.20 to beat out Bryce Deadmon, who ran 44.23.
Both Wilson and Deadmon are headed to Paris as part of the USA 4 x 400 relay pool.
Two time Olympic champion, four-time world champion and Florida alum Christian Taylor marked his retirement from the sport with a fifth place finish in the men's triple jump, bounding 52-11.5 (16.14m) in his final meet.
Recent Washington alum Joe Waskom is entered in Saturday's Motonet GP Joensuu at a distance he hasn't run in during his collegiate career, the 800 meters.
He'll be in a field that includes training partner, Washington alum and 2023 Pac-12 800 meter champion Sam Ellis.
They'll race at 10:05 am Pacific time (8;05 pm local time).
NOTE: The American Track League and the Motonet GP Joensuu contributed to this report.
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