By: MileSplit's Johanna Gretschel

Day 2 of the USATF Junior National Outdoor Track & Field Championships is in the books! Scroll through the slideshow to see what we learned from the second day of competition and check out the links below for more coverage.

FULL RESULTS

Best-Ever Girls Hurdle Field Produces National Record, Finals Upset

Freshman Tia Jones broke the national high school record in the 100m hurdles in the first preliminary section -- and, the first event! --  of Day 2 at the USATF Junior Nationals. The ninth grader at Walton High School in Ga. lowered her lifetime FAT, wind-legal best from 13.14 (+0.7) to an astounding 12.84 (+1.2) to set a new national high school record, world youth record, age 15 world record and tie the world junior record.

Jones, who won New Balance Nationals Outdoor in the short hurdles as an eighth-grader in 2015 but finished "just" third this year, is the third prep female to break 13 seconds in the event. The others are Candy Young (No. 3 all-time, 12.95) and Dior Hall (No. 2 all-time, 12.92).



A national record was perhaps inevitable, as the all-star field included six of the top ten all-time prep hurdlers. Chanel Brissett seemed to have the upper hand coming in, as the New Balance Nationals champion and formerly No. 3 all-time ranking of 13.01. Others on the list include Tonea Marshall (No. 5 all-time, 13.04), Brandeé Johnson (No. 6 all-time, 13.08), Jones (previously No. 7 all-time, 13.14) Jasmyne Graham (tie-No. 9 all-time, 13.17) and Anna Cockrell (tie-No. 9 all-time, 13.17).

That depth meant that Jones couldn't relax for the final.

And she didn't -- she clocked her second-fastest FAT, wind-legal time ever in 13.05 (+0.3). But Alexis Duncan, the Texas Class 6A state champion, was just a hair better at 13.04 (+0.3)

Duncan was nearly speechless after the effort.

"I'm going to Poland!" she said. "I did not think I was gonna make this team... [Tia] ran that 12.8 and Chanel ran 13.0 and I had never run 13.0. I'm going to Poland!"



Duncan now ties fellow Texan Marshall for No. 6 on the all-time list.

The University of Texas commit said that she's been in a funk ever since her last world team -- the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships -- where she ran the fastest times in qualifying rounds but placed a disappointing seventh in the final.

Watson and Miller Battle To OT 800m Standard

The junior women's 800m final featured several of the top stars from last weekend's Brooks PR, but instead of going out in a sluggish 64-second opening quarter, Rachel Pocratsky of Virginia Tech barrelled through right at 60 seconds with the entire field on her tail.

Sammy Watson, the IAAF World Youth champion and undisputed queen of the 800m, started to inch by the front-running collegiates in the final lap. But with 200m to go, it was fellow preps Aaliyah Miller and Ruby Stauber who gave chase. Miller, a senior from McKinney Boyd, Texas and a Baylor recruit, looked ready to pass her junior counterpart but Watson was able to fend her off through the line as the girls ran 2:02.91 and 2:02.96.

Sammy Watson & Aaliyah Miller just ran 2:02.91-2:02.96,two of the fastest prep 800 times EVER #USATFjrs pic.twitter.com/6vuDIF8IJa

— MileSplit US (@milesplit) June 26, 2016

Both marks are under the Olympic Trials qualifying standard of 2:03.0, a mark that Watson has tried to hit all year. She came agonizingly close in May at the Adrian Martinez Classic vs. a field of pros in 2:03.06, but after the race on Saturday evening, the New York native said she will not race in Eugene next weekend.



She has until Sunday to make a final decision and declare.

Miller, who set a two-second PR of 2:04.07 in the qualifying round, said she felt ready to run faster than her prior of PR of 2:06.06 this weekend but had no realistic goals of attaining the Olympic Trials standard. She is not on the USATF entry list.



Stauber, an LSU commit, would run 2:03.43 for third. Pocratsky placed fifth in 2:06.54 just ahead of Bolles High School, Fla. sophomore Caitlin Collier, sixth in 2:06.54.

Kate Murphy Over Katie Rainsberger in 3K For the Ages

Heading into these championships, the nation's No. 1 ranked 1500m runner in Kate Murphy said her goal was to qualify for Poland in one event: either the 1500m or the 3K. She accomplished that goal and then some on Saturday night, as she won the 3K over Katie Rainsberger in 9:10.51 to 9:11.60, the second- and third-fastest outdoor track times in prep history.

For the math challenged, a 9:10.51 3K is worth about 9:54.39 for two miles and 9:50.97 for 3200m.

The Lake Braddock High School junior's time broke the meet record previously held by Mary Cain. Murphy's next race could be against the former New York prep school legend -- at the Olympic Trials, where Murphy hopes to reach the 1500m final.

"I talked to Alexa [Efraimson] about [the Trials]," Murphy said. "Jenny [Simpson] and Shannon [Rowbury] obviously are favorites, 1 and 2, but there's not really a solid third person so I think the third spot's gonna be up for grabs."



Murphy and Rainsberger benefited from early pace setting duties by Great Oak's Destiny Collins, who made sure to keep the pace honest in order to hit the 9:35 World Juniors standard. Collins took third with a new PR of 9:21.44.

After the race, Rainsberger -- who lowered her 1500m PR to No. 6 all-time 4:12.62 this year -- said she was excited to race an entirely new distance and pleased with her efforts to keep pace with Murphy, who outran her, 4:07 to 4:14, at the adidas Dream 1500m last weekend.

McLaughlin Siblings Sydney and Taylor Have a Good Day

Sydney McLaughlin ran her second-fastest career effort in the 400m hurdles to win the event with a time of 54.51.

The national high school record holder -- whose 54.42 PR ranks No. 5 in the world this year, regardless of age -- says she will take a down week this week and relax before the Olympic Trials.

McLaughlin, a junior at Union Catholic High School in N.J., will enjoy a vacation with her family in Los Angeles.



Her older brother, Taylor, also competed on Saturday.

The freshman All-American from Michigan ran the fastest time in qualifying: 51.04. The second-fastest qualifier was Cory Poole in 52.13.
After his race, Taylor said the college season feels long and he's a lot more tired in June than he usually is, but still motivated to snag a spot to Poland.

Big Names Advance, A Few Don't Show

- Michael Norman advances to 200m prelims with the field's fastest time of 20.54; says he hasn't felt natural using block starts all year until today.
- Candace Hill wins 200m, she says she's ready to run 22.3 tomorrow.


- American junior record holder Devin Clark easily wins 3K steeplechase final in 10:31, way off her PR of 9:49.25 but the Arkansas All-American freshman was just trying to secure the win here before traveling to Eugene for the Olympic Trials

- In the girls 400m prelims, Lynna Irby of Indiana advanced with the fastest time, 53.1. Irby is the world youth silver medalist over 400m, owns a lifetime best of 51.79 and takes over as the presumptive favorite after No. 2 ranked Kaelin Roberts scratches. Sammy Watson was also a late scratch, as she chose to focus her energy on the 800m.