Ryan Crouser didn’t threaten his world record in the shot, but he dusted the competition Sunday in the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field.
Crouser, the two-time Olympic champ, won with a throw of 75 feet, 0 inches before an appreciative crowd of 7,044 on the final day of the meet.
Crouser’s world record is 77-3.75. He didn’t need that kind of distance this time, leading throughout the competition and closing with the 75 footer.
Josh Awotunde, the 2022 world bronze medalist, was a distant second at 72-6.25.
Crouser prepped at Gresham’s Barlow High School and has two uncles and two cousins who threw for the University of Oregon. Despite attending Texas for college, in some ways, Hayward is home for Crouser.
“I love competing here,” he said. “It feels like a family reunion. With my schedule I don’t get to come home very much.”
Crouser battled some nagging physical problems and technical issues on Sunday. But he still finished on top of the award stand.
“To be banged up and throw technically very poorly and still throw 75, that’s a good indicator,” Crouser said. “I’ll take it.”
There was lots of drama elsewhere. Among the highlights, Nia Akins outkicked former University of Oregon star Raevyn Rogers to win the women’s 800 meters.
Rogers made an aggressive move with about 250 meters to go, and had the lead coming off the final turn.
But a kicking Akins caught Rogers about 15 meters from the finish and won in one minute, 59.50 seconds. Rogers, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist who trains with the Portland-based Union Athletics Club, was second in 1:59.83.
“I had a lot of work to do late in that race,” Akins said.
She handled it with aplomb. Rogers, meanwhile, wasn’t unhappy with her second-place finish or the move she made on the back straight.
“The 800 is an aggressive race,” she said. “That’s just what it is. You have to face it head on.”
Gabby Thomas, the Olympic bronze medalist, claimed the women’s 200, beating the dynamic Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson ran with her left leg heavily wrapped but still placed second.
Defending national champ Abby Steiner failed to finish in the top three to qualify for the U.S. world championships team. Two-time Olympian Jenna Prandini didn’t make it either.
Mia Brahe-Pedersen, the 17-year-old from Lake Oswego, squeezed into the final, where she finished eighth.
“It’s been a long weekend,” she said. “Coming into the weekend I was going to give my all in the semifinal. I wasn’t expecting to make it through.”
She did, and the crowd embraced her.
“This whole week I felt so much love from my family, my friends, my supporters and all of Hayward Field,” Brahe-Pedersen said. “Whenever my name was announced they exploded for me.”
Elise Cranny of the Eugene-based Bowerman Track Club doubled her four-day win total by pulling away to take the women’s 5,000 in 14:52.66.
Cranny, who won Thursday’s 10,000, placed ahead of Alicia Monson and Natosha Rogers. They were also second and third in the 10,000.
“I was ready for a hard race,” Cranny said of her mental preparation. “I’m glad my body responded well.”
Abdihamid Nur held off two-time Olympic medalist Paul Chelimo to win the men’s 5,000. Nur’s winning time was 13:24.37. The BTC’s Sean McGorty was third.
Former University of Portland star Woody Kincaid, who won Saturday’s 10,000, couldn’t summon his monster kick this time and finished ninth.
“This year I’m a 10k guy,” Kincaid said. “I wanted to be a 5k guy, but that’s not how it goes sometimes. That’s life.”
Grant Fisher of the BTC, the U.S. record-holder in the 5,000, announced earlier Sunday he would not run because of a stress reaction.
Joining Fisher on the injured list was two-time Olympian Devon Allen, a crowd favorite in Eugene since he starred in two sports for the Ducks.
Allen revealed Saturday after qualifying for the 110-hurdle final that he has been dealing with a left calf strain. Allen is also a receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Allen wasn’t on Sunday’s start line. Daniel Roberts won the final in 13.05.
Oregon’s Rheinhardt Harrison broke away from the field in the U20 men’s 1,500 over the final 250 meters to win by nearly seconds.
Harrison’s time was 3:48.30. Tayson Echohawk was a distant second in 3:50.28. William Heslam of Portland’s Roosevelt High School finished eighth. Portland State’s Ben Collins was ninth.
Incoming UO freshman Aiden Carter edged Koby Kessler of Canby to win the U20 decathlon title. Kessler finished with 6,915 points, Kessler with 6,872.
Kyeese Hollands, a recent Central Catholic grad had a throw of 150-2 to play third in the U20 women’s javelin. She will attend Texas Tech.
Here are results from the USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships: https://results.usatf.org/2023Outdoors/
Here are results from the USATF U20 competition: https://results.usatf.org/2023U20Outdoors/
— Ken Goe reported from Eugene for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
KenGoe1020@gmail.com | Twitter: @KenGoe
