Ukrainian athlete Sholomitska ascends to No. 2 World Under-20 athlete this year; Harris, Green and Durrant become first American prep trio to all produce sub-50 efforts in same 10,000 race, with Allen taking top honors in men’s event

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

EUGENE, Ore. – The women’s 10,000-meter racewalk Friday at the USATF U20 Championships was already memorable because of the presence of Ukraine’s Valeriya Sholomitska, the first non-American athlete to be allowed to compete in an outdoor national meet in U.S. history.

The competition only became more meaningful when three American prep athletes all produced marks under 50 minutes in the same race for the first time since the distance was extended to 10,000 meters for the 2000 final.

Sholomitska, 17, ascended to the No. 2 World Under-20 competitor this year by clocking 46 minutes, 46.97 seconds, securing her berth to race again Aug. 1-6 in Cali, Colombia.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS | MEET VIDEOS | PHOTOS by John Nepolitan

The Ukrainian athlete, who boasts a 10,000 racewalk personal-best 46:20.91 on the track, and has also recorded a 46:09 road 10-kilometer effort last year, could be reunited at the World Under-20 Championships with American standouts Angelica Harris and Talia Green.

Harris, a junior at South Elgin High in Illinois representing the Elgin Sharks, was the top U.S. competitor with her 49:29.73 performance, elevating to the No. 2 all-time U.S. high school performer.

Green, a sophomore at College Prep High in Oakland, Calif., clocked 49:31.54 to ascend to No. 3 in U.S. prep history, with junior Heather Durrant of Larkin High – also representing the Elgin Sharks – improving to No. 6 all-time at 49:55.88.

Harris elevated to the No. 14 World Under-20 competitor this year, with Green ascending to No. 15 and Durrant ranking 18th overall.

Prior to Friday’s competition, only Taylor Ewert of Beavercreek High in Ohio – the American Under-20 and national high school record holder at 45:57.82 – along with Anali Cisneros of the Elgin Sharks at 49:31.88 and Lauren Harris of Sachem East, N.Y., at 49:55.00, had produced sub-50 high school performances.

Angelica Harris is the first Illinois female competitor to be the top American performer in the 10,000 racewalk since Cisneros in 2016.

Ryan Allen of Kingsway Regional in New Jersey, a Villanova signee, was the fastest male athlete at 49:53.14, the first sub-50 effort of his career.

Clayton Stoil, a junior at Langley High in Virginia, placed second in the men’s competition at 54:15.71.