EUGENE — When Fred Kerley crossed the finish line in the 100-meter final at Hayward Field, he took a bit of it with him and didn’t stop.
The ribbon, which Kerley cleared with a first-place time of 9.77 seconds, clung to his body as he began his victory lap Friday night. A triumphant flex split the ribbon in two, but Kerley kept going. He isn’t anywhere close to being done.
“The work is not finished,” Kerley said. “It’s all about consistency. What do I got to do to make it up on top and win a world championship?”
The tone was already set in the semifinal round just two hours earlier. None of Kerley’s rivals were even within a step as he blazed across the finish line for a time of 9.76.
That wasn’t just a personal record for Kerley, he also tied for sixth best all-time with two other athletes and set a meet record. One of those two athletes, Trayvon Bromell, shared the stage with Kerley in the final, finishing in third place with a time of 9.88.
As of Friday, Kerley is ranked No. 1 in the event, according to World Athletics. Now he’s added two top 10 all-time finishes, but he said the results are natural.
“I put the work in,” Kerley said. “That’s the day I was supposed to have.”
Former University of Oregon athlete Kyree King finished in sixth place with a time of 9.96, a personal record. The result was disappointing as a competitor, King said, but it also adds some fire when he returns tomorrow to compete in the 200-meter.
“I know I belong here,” King said. “The dog in me just wanted that forever, I’m happy I’m here.”
Returning to Eugene and competing in front of Oregon fans was special, King said. But he wasn’t the only Duck in the event. Micah Williams, who just finished his redshirt sophomore season at Oregon, ran alongside him in the final.
King hadn’t seen Williams since the latter was still competing at Benson High School in Portland.
“I’m proud of him,” King said. “I’m happy we’re here together. I’m happy we did it in this stadium with these fans.”
The two competed in separate heats in the semifinals, King in the first and Williams in the second. The second heat was delayed by three consecutive false starts, with Williams bursting from the starting blocks before having to walk right back.
All those false starts didn’t hurt Williams’ composure, he said, and he was finally able to run on the fourth attempt. Williams blazed through the stretch en route to a fourth-place finish of 9.94, good enough to qualify for the final.
Williams ultimately finished in fourth place in the final with a time of 9.90, just 0.02 shy of Bromell in third. Not making the top three, especially in his college stadium, hurt, Williams said.
He wanted to show he belonged on this stage, and now he’ll get back to training for whatever comes next, he said.
“I’ll get back into the lab and see how everything goes,” Williams said. “I’ll talk to my parents, talk to my coaches and see how everything goes from there.”
— Luke Norton; lnorton@oregonian.com