EUGENE — World record-holder Ryan Crouser ruled the ring in the shot competition as expected Friday at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships.
It was sprinter Melissa Jefferson who blew up the form charts with a surprise victory in the 100 meters, stunning a crowd of 3,314 on a warm, breezy evening at Hayward Field.
Crouser won the shot with a season’s best throw of 75 feet, 10¼ inches to best rival Joe Kovacs, second at 75-0½. Four of Crouser’s five legal throws would have won.
Jefferson wasn’t on the experts’ radar in the women’s 100 meters. She won this year’s NCAA 60-meter title indoors for Coastal Carolina, but came in eighth outdoors in the 100 at the recent NCAA championships.
The authoritative Track & Field News pre-meet form chart didn’t have Jefferson finishing in the top 10. She won anyway in a wind-aided 10.69 seconds.
The time was an attention-getter. But so was the race. Jefferson claimed the victory with a surge to the finish line in her final few steps.
Aleia Hobbs was second in 10.72, and former USC star Twanisha Terry third in 10.74. They will make up the team for next month’s World Athletics Championships, also at Hayward.
Crouser said felt like he was on the verge of something bigger for much of the competition.
“It’s a really good indicator for the future,” he said.
The future will come soon, with the world championships beginning in three weeks. Crouser will be there. And, if he feels like he will be at home, it’s because he will be.
Crouser grew up in Gresham and prepped at Barlow High School.
“I’m so excited just to be competing here in the first world championships on American soil in a place that is special to me,” Crouser said.
He had uncles and cousins who competed for the University of Oregon. And though Crouser chose to go Texas for college, Eugene has a place in his heart.
“I went to Junior Olympics meets here, the state high school meet,” Crouser said. “I have so many fond memories and family ties to Hayward Field.”
Coming into the meet, all the attention in the women’s sprints was on the star-crossed Sha’Carri Richardson, who looked like a breakthrough star last year before being suspended during the U.S. Olympic trials for testing positive for cannabis.
Jefferson, meanwhile, was keeping a low profile and taking what lessons she could from her disappointing NCAA championships.
“I knew this time around would be different,” Jefferson said. “Two weeks ago wasn’t for me. I accepted that. I realized that in order for me to come out here and do what I did today, two weeks ago needed to happen.”
When she crossed the finish line, Jefferson said, the emotion she most felt was relief.
“It can be a lot mentally, with the pressure,” she said. “I tried to put myself in a box, and ask God to give me his peace. … And, I always try to tell myself, ‘Hey, you’re not the only person out here who is nervous.’”
Maybe, but Jefferson is the only person to win the women’s 100.
Sandi Morris, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, claimed the women’s pole vault with a best clearance of 15-9¾. Morris needed a clutch, third-attempt clearance at 15-1 to avoid an early exit.
Two-time Olympian Vashti Cunningham cruised victory in the high jump with a best mark of 6-4. Reigning Olympic gold medalist Valarie Allman won the discus by eight feet with a toss of 219-7.
In qualifying, former Oregon runners Raevyn Rogers and Brooke Feldmeier navigated through the women’s 800 semifinals and into Sunday’s final.
Rogers, the Tokyo Olumpics bronze medalist, crossed second in her heat, just behind Ajee’ Wilson. Wilson finished in 2:00.81, Rogers in 2:01.15.
Rogers backed off in her final few strides. She counted qualifying for the final as a victory.
“The 800 is a contact sport,” she said.
Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu was the day’s fastest qualifier in 1:57.55.
U.S. record-holder Courtney Frerichs of the Portland-based Bowerman Track Club stayed wide and near the front in the women’s steeplechase en route to a first-place finish in 9:31.25.
She said her race plan was “to stay safe and out of trouble — not leading, but having a clear view and not getting tangled up.”
Here are the results from the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Here are the results from the USATF U20 Championships.
— Ken Goe for The Oregonian/OregonLive
KenGoe1020@gmail.com | Twitter: @KenGoe
