By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The USATF U20 Championships are scheduled for June 23-25 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., and are a selection meet for the World Athletics U20 Championships, held August 1-6 in Cali, Colombia.

The following are 10 men’s storylines to follow at the event, which is being held for the first time since 2019:

 

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Green looks for another golden moment

Washington freshman Nathan Green has enjoyed a pair of career highlights at Hayward Field, winning the boys mile last year at Nike Outdoor Nationals, then joining teammates Joe Waskom and Luke Houser in earning All-America honors June 10 in the 1,500-meter final at the NCAA Division 1 Championships.

Green hopes to be part of another memorable experience Saturday in the 1,500 championship, entering the meet as the top seed at 3:37.46.

The field is loaded with experienced college freshmen, including Wake Forest’s Luke Tewalt, Indiana’s Camden Marshall, Illinois’ Nicolas Dovalovsky, Virginia’s Justin Wachtel, East Carolina’s Jack Dingman, Kansas’ Quenton Walion and Lipscomb’s James Schmidt.

Tewalt boasts the fastest mark among the leading contenders to Green, clocking 3:41.31 in April.

A pair of prep standouts with the potential to challenge for a berth on the U.S. roster are Connor Burns of South Boone High in Missouri, a junior who ran 3:58.83 in the mile June 2 at the HOKA Festival of Miles in St. Louis, and Shane Brosnan of Union Catholic in New Jersey.

Brosnan, a Harvard commit, has run 4:07.22 for the full mile and clocked 3:51.71 in the indoor 1,500, but is capable of significant improvement competing against such a strong field.

From Tylertown to TrackTown USA

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the men’s sprint races will be whether or not the athlete with the top entry times in both events actually competes.

Jordan Anthony of Tylertown High, a Kentucky signee representing XCEL Athletics Track and Field Club, has not raced in the past month since winning both the 100- and 200-meter titles May 14 at the Mississippi Meet of Champions.

Anthony won the 100-meter dash crown in 10.21 and placed second in the 200 in 20.57 at Nike Outdoor Nationals last year at Oregon, but did not compete June 16-19 when the event returned to Hayward Field.

Anthony clocked a wind-legal 10.14 seconds in April at his regional meet to equal the No. 8 competitor in U.S. prep history. He also ranks No. 6 among World Under-20 athletes this year.

Anthony is also the fastest entry in the 200 with his 20.52 performance from March at the Christian Coleman Invitational, which ranks No. 8 among World Under-20 competitors.

Whether Anthony competes, or whether he is in top form, there are still several college freshmen with ambitions to grab the spotlight, including Michael Gizzi from Alabama-Huntsville, Connor Washington from Arkansas, South Carolina’s Anthony Greenhow, Jr., Baylor’s Laurenz Colbert and Kashie Crockett from Louisiana-Lafayette.

USC freshman Gavin Schurr returns to Hayward Field after competing in May at the Pac-12 Championships.

Jaylen Slade, who turned professional last year and signed with adidas at age 17 after competing at IMG Academy in Florida, has run 10.09 in the 100 and 20.20 in the 200. Slade has the potential to be one of the stars of the meet, but has yet to run under 10.30 or eclipse the 21-second mark this year.

Terrell Robinson, Jr., of Mount Tabor in North Carolina could also be a significant factor with his personal-best 10.31, along with USC commit Max Thomas of Servite High in California.

Derrick Harbin of Northwest Kansas, who competed at the National Junior College Athletic Association Championships, could also challenge for a spot on the U.S. roster having run a wind-legal 10.40 effort, as well as a wind-aided 10.31 performance.

Parallel paths to same goal

By the time Will Sumner takes the track in the 800-meter final Saturday, the Woodstock High standout and Georgia signee will know whether or not Cade Flatt of Marshall County in Kentucky has set the national prep all-time mark in the event, or if the 1996 high school record of 1:46.45 still belongs to Michael Granville of Bell Gardens High in California.

Flatt, an Ole Miss signee, ran 1:46.48 to win New Balance Nationals Outdoor on June 17 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia to improve on his No. 2 all-time prep performance. He has also decided to compete Thursday in the opening round of the USATF Outdoor Championships instead of racing against Sumner in the Under-20 meet.

Sumner, who has run 1:46.53, took aim at Granville’s record June 17 as part of a showcase event following the Nike Outdoor Nationals schedule at Hayward Field and clocked 1:48.41.

Even with Flatt not pursuing an Under-20 championship, Sumner will face significant competition from Princeton freshman Samuel Rodman, who placed seventh June 10 at the NCAA Division 1 Championships in 1:46.96.

Miles Brown, a freshman at Michigan who reached the Division 1 semifinals and clocked 1:47.99, is also expected to compete. Brown ran 1:47.37 indoors in February.

Daniel Watcke, a junior at Hinsdale Central in Illinois who anchored his team to a Nike Outdoor Nationals title June 18 in 7:32.14 at Hayward Field, is also entered in the field.

Nailing down hammer throw title

One of the most anticipated matchups of the meet involves an East vs. West showdown in the hammer throw, showcasing the top two prep competitors in the country this year.

Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Woonsocket High in Rhode Island, an Ole Miss signee, will compete against Texas-bound Jeremiah Nubbe of Rainier High in Washington.

Robinson-O’Hagan, the New Balance Nationals Outdoor winner representing Ocean State Hammerheads, is the national prep leader at 249-5 (76.02m). Nubbe, who has thrown 245-5 (74.80m), captured the Nike Outdoor Nationals titles in both the hammer and the discus competing for Yelm Tornado Track Club.

Michael Pinckney of High School for Construction from New York, a UCLA signee, is also entered with a mark of 225-10 (68.83m).

Penn State freshman Collin Burkhart, who competed in the NCAA Division 1 East Regional in Indiana in both the hammer and the javelin, is scheduled to compete with a personal-best 212-1 (64.65m).

Establishing a hurdling hierarchy

Andre Korbmacher of Squalicum High in Washington, a junior representing Ready-Set-Go Sprinters, won the Nike Outdoor Nationals title June 18 in the 110-meter hurdles in a wind-legal 13.44 seconds, just three days after USC-bound Malik Mixon of Westlake High in Georgia – competing for Drive Phase Track Club – prevailed in 13.55 at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle.

Jason Holmes-Williamson of Calvert Hall College High in Maryland captured the New Balance Nationals Outdoor title June 19 in a wind-legal 13.61, also placing himself in strong contention to qualify for the World Under-20 Championships.

A showdown involving the three prep standouts Friday is one of the most anticipated clashes of the meet, but they will also be challenged by recent USC transfer Johnny Brackins, who ran 13.62 this season competing for Baylor.

Donovan Bradley, a junior at Humble Summer Creek in Texas, ran a wind-legal 13.55 at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in March.

TJ Caldwell, a freshman All-American at Pittsburg State after placing third at the NCAA Division 2 Championships to help the Gorillas capture the title, has the potential to improve on his 13.89 performance at Grand Valley State. Caldwell has run a wind-aided 13.72 effort in April in Kansas.

Ready to rule the runway

USC’s Johnny Brackins earned All-America honors in the long jump as a freshman, but even with a personal-best 26-5.50 (8.06m) performance in May at the Big 12 Championships, securing a spot on the U.S. roster will be a significant challenge following the achievements of Gregory Foster, Jr. at New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Philadelphia, along with Jaylen Lloyd at Nike Outdoor Nationals.

Foster, a Princeton commit representing The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, produced a championship mark of 25-6.25 (7.78m) at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

Lloyd, a junior at Omaha Central High in Nebraska, won at Hayward Field by jumping 25-5.50 (7.76m) in the final round.

Aaron Davis of Humble Summer Creek in Texas finished second at Nike Outdoor Nationals with a mark of 25-0.50 (7.63m). The Houston signee has jumped 25-5.25 (7.75m) and remains a strong championship contender in Friday’s final, in addition to Florida State freshman Curtis Williams, Jr., and his personal-best 25-5.25 from last year.

Norfolk State’s Joshua Peterson produced a wind-aided 25-1.25 (7.65m) effort this year, with his wind-legal top performance of 24-10 (7.57m) from last season.

Brackins, who finished seventh at the Division 1 indoor final in March in Alabama, has additional motivation after placing 17th at the NCAA outdoor championship June 8 with a mark of 24-6.25 (7.47m) at Hayward Field.

Early Hoyas highlights on display

Before their first official race together as Georgetown teammates in the fall, Lucas Guerra and Caleb Lakeman will look to showcase the potential strength of the program in the 3,000-meter final Saturday.

Guerra, a freshman, ran 8:04.98 for the Hoyas in the Big East Indoor Championships in February and competed in the NCAA East Regional in the 1,500 in Indiana in May after achieving a personal-best 3:46.69 in April.

Lakeman, a standout at Tualatin High in Oregon, produced the best race of his prep career in April at Oregon Relays at Hayward Field by clocking 8:10.91 in the 3,000. The Georgetown signee leads a trio of Oregon prep athletes in the field, along with Crater teammates Tyrone Gorze and Josiah Tostenson.

Gorze, who was runner-up to Lakeman at Oregon Relays in 8:11.60, has also run 14:00.34 in the 5,000 at the Sound Running Track Meet in May, in addition to clocking 29:29.92 in the 10,000 on June 10 at Portland Track Festival to ascend to the No. 6 all-time prep competitor.

Tostenson won the freshman mile in 4:20.88 at Nike Outdoor Nationals and prevailed against his teammate Gorze in the 1,500 at the Oregon 5A final by a 3:59.74 to 4:00.04 margin at Hayward Field.

Nate DeAngelo of UMass Lowell and Jackson Cayward of Siena College have both run under 8:20 in the 3,000.

Devan Kipyego, a junior at St. Raphael Academy representing Saints Track Club, ran 4:00.64 for the mile June 15 at the Brooks PR Invitational to achieve a Rhode Island state record. He also won the 2,000-meter steeplechase June 18 by clocking 5:48.15 at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.

Kipyego is entered in both the 3,000 final as well as the 3,000-meter steeplechase championship earlier Saturday.

Koby Fraaza of Grand Valley State, who redshirted during the outdoor season, has run 8:23.49 in the 3,000.

A rematch, plus the addition of a rising star

The first showdown this season involving two of the top five prep competitors in the discus throw, both with identical personal-best performances of 207-4 (63.19m), resulted in Jeremiah Nubbe of Rainier High in Washington capturing the Nike Outdoor Nationals championship and Cade Moran of Murrieta Mesa High in California finishing seventh June 19 at Hayward Field.

The rematch Saturday will also include the top freshman in the country, with Benjamin Shue of Bergen Catholic in New Jersey having achieved a personal-best 198-5 (60.47m).

Nubbe, a Texas signee, was the only competitor at Nike Outdoor Nationals to surpass the 200-foot mark, achieving a fifth-round effort of 200-1 (60.98m), with the Michigan-bound Moran only managing a mark of 185-6 (56.55m) in the sixth round.

A pair of competitors representing Retrain Track and Field in Georgia, Josh Dare of Creekside High and Seth Allen of New Manchester High, are also expected to compete, both with marks beyond 198 feet this year.

Michael Pinckney of High School for Construction from New York, the New Balance Nationals Outdoor discus winner at 201-6 (61.43m) has decided to only focus on the hammer throw.

Freshmen Kaden Pastian of North Dakota State, Kevin Grubbs of Sam Houston State and Ugonna Ikejiofor of UCLA are also scheduled to participate.

Extra barriers, added incentive

The 2,000-meter steeplechase champions at both Nike Outdoor Nationals and New Balance Nationals Outdoor will be showcased in the 3,000-meter steeplechase final Saturday, looking to upstage several college freshmen at the longer distance.

Ben Balazs of Sunset High in Oregon prevailed June 18 at Nike Outdoor Nationals by clocking 5:47.14 at Hayward Field. He also won the 2,000 steeplechase at Oregon Relays in April in 5:51.03, but has his sights on the Oregon all-time prep 3,000 steeplechase mark of 8:50.1 established in 1979 by Jeff Hess of South Eugene High.

Devan Kipyego of St. Raphael Academy in Rhode Island secured the New Balance crown at Franklin Field in Philadelphia with a 5:48.15 performance and also has the potential to produce a sub-9 mark in the 3,000 steeplechase.

Bryce Lentz of the Air Force Academy, competed in the NCAA Division 1 semifinals as a freshman after running a lifetime-best 8:39.73 at the West Regional in Arkansas.

Weber State freshman Peter Visser ran a personal-best 8:49.77 at Hayward Field in April.

Julien Franjieh of Niskayuna High clocked 9:01.19 to place second in the 3,000 steeplechase at the New York state final June 11, then finished third in the 2,000 steeplechase at New Balance in 5:50.33.

Adam Loenser of NCAA Division 3 Wisconsin-LaCrosse, along with Loyola Marymount’s Luis Vaca and University of South Carolina Upstate’s Logan Patete are all looking to eclipse the 9-minute barrier in a deep field of contenders.

Raising the bar

The quest to reach 17 feet in the pole vault final, along with securing the top two spots to represent the U.S. in Colombia, will showcase a strong group of college freshmen and a promising lineup of prep standouts in one of the deepest fields in the meet.

James Rhoads of Pennsylvania has cleared 17-5.50 (5.32m), Stanford’s Garrett Brown boasts a 17-5 (5.31m) clearance and South Carolina’s Carson Lenser achieved a 17-3 (5.26m) effort this year.

Justin Rogers of Hershey High in Pennsylvania, a Virginia signee representing Vault WorX, has also cleared 17-3 and is one of seven prep competitors this spring to surpass the 17-foot barrier.

Cody Johnston, a junior at Hobart High in Indiana, has also cleared the 17-foot mark this year.

Jonathan Petersen of Penn State enters the event with a 16-10.75 (5.15m), with Louisville’s Ty McPhail achieving a 16-10 (5.13m) clearance this year.

Hunter O’Brien of Eastvale Roosevelt High, the California state champion, has cleared 16-9 (5.10m) and will be joined by reigning Nike Outdoor Nationals winner Beau Domingue of Hammond High, an LSU signee competing for the Louisiana Pole Vault Compound, following his 16-8 (5.08m) clearance June 19 at Hayward Field.

David Adams of Indian Valley in Ohio has also cleared 16-8.