American Track League

ATL in the ATL: Five Events to Watch at the American Track League

ATL in the ATL: Five Events to Watch at the American Track League

Jul 31, 2015 by Karsten Kaufmann
ATL in the ATL: Five Events to Watch at the American Track League


American Track League is back! Here are five events to watch in Atlanta this Saturday.

1. Men's 400m



After running his fastest 400m on the track in two years, Jeremy Wariner is looking to improve upon his seasonal best of 45.42 tomorrow in Atlanta. Joining him on the line will be none other than decathlon world record-holder Ashton Eaton. Eaton’s fastest lap this season is 46.27. Perhaps this 400m will be used as a tune-up before next weekend's face-off against Nick Symmonds at the FloTrack Throwdown?

Another notable entry in the 400m is Steven Gardiner. The 19-year-old from the Bahamas set a national record in the event just last month, running 44.27. He should be the favorite to win in Atlanta.

2. Women's Pole Vault




In one of the greatest collegiate pole vault rivalries in NCAA history, Sandi Morris and Demi Payne will face off for the first time since the USA Outdoor Championships. Morris, the recent Arkansas grad won her first European competition earlier this month, where she cleared a height of 4.71m. Four days later she set a new PB of 4.76m (#17 all-time). Payne on the other hand, won the NCAA Championships against Morris, and took third at USA’s to earn a spot on the world team. She has only competed once since USA’s, and has a seasonal best of 4.71m.

3. Men's 300m



That’s not a typo. Two-time Olympic gold medalist LaShawn Merritt will be competing in a very rare 300m race. Meritt’s PB in the event comes from 2009, where he ran 31.30. More recently, Merritt ran a seasonal best of 44.36 for the 400m earlier this month in Edmonton.

4. Men's 110m Hurdles



In one of the more competitive events of the meet, NCAA Champion Omar McLeod will go up against Americans Ronnie Ash and Jason Richardson. McLeod won the NCAA Championships by nearly a quarter of a second, then promptly turned pro after winning the Jamaican Championships in 12.97, the second-fastest time run in the world this year. 

adidas athlete Ronnie Ash has a seasonal best of 13.13, while Richardson, has had a busy summer racing in Europe and owns a seasonal best of 13.12. 


5. Men's 1500m



Nick Symmonds, the U.S. 800m champion, will move up in distance to go up against the newly christened Pan Am champion Andrew Wheating. The last time Nick ran the 1500m was at the Payton Jordan Invitational this past May, where he ran 3:44. His most recent performance was in Edmonton, where he struggled in the 800m, running to a 1:47.53. Wheating’s best time of the year was back in March, where he ran 3:38. 

Be sure to watch the American Track League LIVE on FloTrack! Events start at 7 p.m. ET.