Top 10 Flo Performances of USATF Outdoor Championships

Nicole Tully, New York Athletic Club

The recent 5K convert shocked the crowd at the USATF Outdoor Championships with a furious kick to the finish Sunday morning at Hayward Field. Tully took down the field of women that included two-time Olympian Shalane Flanagan, USA 10K third-place finisher Emily Infeld, and NCAA Champions Marielle Hall and Abbey D’Agostino. Tully edged the win over Hall by just .01 in a finishing time of 15:06.44. Because the finish between Tully, Hall and D’Agostino was so tight, race timers had to examine the finish shot to determine the winner. Sprawled out on the track in exhaustion, Tully eventually learned that she had won her first ever national title.  

Nicole Tully wins at the wire (where have I heard that one before?) USA 5000 Champion! pic.twitter.com/LDboBmbv1e

— Run Nova (@RunNova) June 28, 2015

It was just two months ago when Tully ran her first 5K ever at the Payton Jordan Invitational, where she crushed the IAAF “A” standard mark in her debut of 15:05. Tully was previously a 1500m/800m threat with a 1500m personal best of 4:06 and an 800m time of 2:02. 

 

Nick Symmonds, Brooks Beasts

The outspoken middle distance runner has officially returned to form after muscling the win in the 800m at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Symmonds made headlines in-between rounds of the 800m early on in the weekend, discussing the recent doping allegations surrounding Alberto Salazar and Galen Rupp. He followed the performance on the track with a veteran’s swag, winning his sixth U.S. title in a season’s best mark of 1:44.54. Symmonds broke the tape in style, flexing his biceps which had temporary tattoos of his company Run Gum on each arm. 

U.S.A. Outdoor Title number 6. Not totally a fair race as I was on @RunGum! ðŸ˜ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂœ photo by @jwjeffer pic.twitter.com/ITj6beXfXk

— Nick Symmonds (@NickSymmonds) June 28, 2015

Symmonds was thrilled with the performance, considering the fact that the World Championship silver medalist was out with knee injury during most of 2014 and contemplated retirement. However, 2015 has been a considerably different story for Symmonds who is officially back to dominating his two-lap specialty. 

 

Justin Gatlin, Nike

The 33-year-old sprinter continued his reign of the 200m distance this weekend with a national title at the USATF Outdoor Championships in a personal best and world-leading time of 19.57. Gatlin’s victory was so dominant, that he finished a full .36 seconds ahead of runner-up Isiah Young. Gatlin’s time now stands as a USATF Outdoor Championship meet record. 

 

Robby Andrews, adidas

In one of the most standout kicks of the weekend and notable photo finishes, Robby Andrews battled for a runner-up finish in the men’s 1500m alongside Leo Manzano and Ben Blankenship. The finishing time between the three runners was so close that the race timers were forced to examine the shot, ultimately showing  Andrews as the runner-up in 3:38.75, Manzano as third in 3:38.76, and Blankenship fourth in 3:38.78. 

Andrews was sitting in seventh-place coming around the Bowerman Curve, but unleashed a kick like no other heading across the homestretch. Although Andrews secured a podium finish in Eugene, he will need to hit the IAAF “A” standard mark of 3:36.20 in order to be considered to compete for Team USA at the World Championships in August. He will make an attempt at the time this Thursday at the Portland Summer Twilight live on FloTrack. 

 

Marquis Dendy, Nike

The former Gator and NCAA Champion made a big statement at the USATF Outdoor Championships with a win in the long jump and a third-place finish in the triple jump. Dendy’s triple jump victory was won in 8.68m for the farthest jump in the world all-conditions in 2015. The mark also made him the third-best collegiate all-conditions inside or outside the collegiate season. He followed the performance with a third-place showing in the triple jump behind former Florida Gators Omar Craddock and Will Claye. Dendy will compete in both the triple jump and long jump for Team USA at the World Championships. 

 

Trayvon Bromell, Baylor

The 19-year-old sprinting sensation made headlines this weekend in the 100m at the USATF Outdoor Championships first with a personal best of 9.84 in the prelims and later with a runner-up finish to Tyson Gay in the finals. HIs 9.84 wind-legal mark from the preliminaries is the fastest time ever for a teenager and ties for the second-fastest time in 2015. He is now the 10th-fastest man of all time and the fourth-fastest American. Bromell is also the first American teenager to ever qualify for the World Championships in the 100m. 

Alysia Montano, Asics

After running eight months pregnant at the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships, Alysia Montano returned to the meet one year later to claim her sixth national title of her career. Montano finished in a winning time of 1:59.15, which is a season’s best for the mother of Linnea Montano. Montano caught worldwide attention during last year’s championship after completing the first round of the 800m in 2:32 whilst eight months pregnant. This year’s championship showed a complete comeback for the 800m sensation who claimed her sixth title Sunday in Eugene, tying Madeline Manning for most wins in the event. 

A Year After Competing Pregnant, @AlysiaMontano Wins #USATFoutdoors For Daughter, via @TeamUSA http://t.co/Xp7W5xBJjH pic.twitter.com/ilUFfsWYgG

— USATF (@usatf) June 29, 2015

Emma Coburn, New Balance

The steeplechase front-runner claimed her fourth national title this weekend in Eugene with a victory in 9:15, the No. 4 time in U.S. history and four seconds off of her personal best of 9:11. Coburn The victory broke her own championship meet record and helped lead runner-up Stephanie Garcia and third-place finisher Colleen Quigley to sizable personal bests and automatic qualifications to the World Championships in Beijing. 

 

Ryan Hill, Bowerman Track Club

Bowerman Track Club’s young professional caused an uproar in the men’s 5K after winning the event over Ben True and Eugene fan favorite Galen Rupp. The NC State graduate blazed past the field in the final homestretch to take down a stacked field of competitors that included middle-distance speedsters David Torrence and Garrett Heath. The victory, won with a 3:59 last mile and a finishing time of 13:50, marks the first U.S. title for Hill. 

Ryan Hill @RyanHillNCState @Wolfpack_TF wins 13:50.69 5Km #IAAF #USATFoutdoors 28 Jun 2015 pic.twitter.com/M1haKvuat3

— TrackAndFieldPhoto (@TaFphoto) June 29, 2015

Shamier Little, Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s sophomore Shamier Little maintained a standout undefeated season with a dominating win in the women’s 400m hurdles over Olympians Cassandra Tate, 2013 NCAA Champion Kori Carter and Olympic finalist Georganne Moline. Prior to winning the final, Shamier Little predicted that she would have to run at least 53 seconds to be considered in the top three, and that’s exactly what she did Sunday at Hayward Field with a finishing time of 53.83.