USATF Women's Sprint Preview: Watch Out For The College Kids

Preview of the women's sprint and hurdle events at the 2018 USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Jun 19, 2018 by Johanna Gretschel

USATF Women's Sprint Preview: Watch Out For The College Kids

The sprint and hurdle events at the 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships represent a changing of the guard as many top-ranked veterans are opting to skip the event entirely to rehabilitate injuries, or simply prep for the European summer circuit. Expect Des Moines to produce a slew of fresh-faced champions, many of whom we predict will be showing out straight from the college ranks.

The individual champion in each event earns a spot at the inaugural Athletics World Cup in London.

Below is the rundown of top storylines to follow in the women's sprint and hurdle events.

Women's 100m: LSU's Aleia Hobbs Leads Wide-Open Field

National champion Aleia Hobbs of LSU competes at the NCAA East Prelims. © Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Key Athletes: Aleia Hobbs, Deajah Stevens, Ariana Washington, Aaliyah Brown, Ashley Henderson, Shania Collins

Analysis: Exactly 50 percent of the women who made the 2017 USATF 100m final are declared to compete in Des Moines this weekend. That number doesn't include reigning U.S. and world champion Tori Bowie, or America's most decorated female track and field Olympian Allyson Felix, or 2016 U.S. champion English Gardner, or Olympic gold medalist Morolake Akinosun. Two-time 4x1 Olympic gold medalist Tianna Bartoletta is a scratch.

But the absence of high-profile sprint stars gives an up-and-comer the chance to win their first U.S. title in the 100m this weekend. Former Oregon teammates Deajah Stevens and Ariana Washington went 2-3 in this race last year. Texas A&M alum Aaliyah Brown ran on Team USA's world champion 4x100m relay squad last summer.

Despite finishing seventh in the final last year, the easy favorite is reigning NCAA champion Aleia Hobbs of LSU, who owns five of the six fastest times in the U.S. this year. Her seasonal best of 10.90 (+1.9) ties for No. 3 in the world for 2018. Fellow recent college grads Ashley Henderson (10.98 SB) and Shania Collins of Tennessee (10.98 SB) are the only other women in the field to break 11 seconds this year.

Women's 200m: Deajah Stevens Goes For Title No. 2

Deajah Stevens wins the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships 200m title. Photo Run.

Key Athletes: Deajah Stevens, Kimberlyn Duncan, Kyra Jefferson, Shania Collins, Ashley Henderson, Jenna Prandini, Ariana Washington, Phyllis Francis

Analysis: The women's 200m seems nearly as wide-open as the 100m, though reigning USATF champion Deajah Stevens does return to defend her title.

In the year since turning pro, Stevens has kept a relatively low profile. In 2018, she's raced the 100m just once (11.45) and the 200m twice (22.89 SB)—both times a far cry from the 11.00/22.09 shape that saw her earn world team spots in both the 100m and 200m last summer.

But the fastest women in the U.S. this year over 200m won't be contesting the race in Des Moines: Lynna Irby and Gabby Thomas finished their seasons at the NCAA Championships, while Shakima Wimbley and Sydney McLaughlin are racing the 400m.

That leaves Shania Collins of Tennessee as the fastest woman in the field with a wind-legal best of 22.47 (+0.6). Note also that she set the all-conditions NCAA record at the East Prelims with a wild 21.97 (+5.3), though she finished just eighth in the NCAA final.

Watch Shania Collins run 21.97 at the NCAA East Prelims:

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Ashley Henderson of San Diego State owns the second-fastest season's best in the field at 22.49. The two-time NCAA runner-up was fourth in Eugene.

Of the other veterans in the field, 2017 NCAA champion and collegiate record holder Kyra Jefferson is coming off a third place, 22.81 season's best effort in Hengelo. Olympian Jenna Prandini's most recent 200m was a 23.02, sixth place run in Shanghai ahead of Jefferson and Stevens in May. 2017 USATF runner-up Kimberlyn Duncan's season-best is 22.74, from back in April.

Phyllis Francis, the reigning world champion for 400m, is entered in the shorter race with a season's best of 22.76 (+0.4).

Women's 400m: Kendall Ellis vs. Sydney McLaughlin, The NCAA Battle We Never Got To See

Sydney McLaughlin won the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championship 400m hurdles by two seconds. © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

Key Athletes: Kendall Ellis, Sydney McLaughlin, Courtney Okolo, Shakima Wimbley

Analysis: Like many of the other sprint events, the 400m is devoid of some top talent ('16 U.S. champ Allyson Felix, '17 U.S. champ Quanera Hayes, '17 world champ Phyllis Francis), but the prospect of NCAA stars Sydney McLaughlin of Kentucky and Kendall Ellis of USC racing head-to-head for the first time makes this race one of the most highly anticipated of the championships.

We all wanted to see 18-year-old phenom McLaughlin take a crack at the 400m hurdles world record, but her entry in the 400m also raises some fun questions. Can she challenge Sanya Richards-Ross' American junior record of 49.89? Her PB is 50.07, set at the Florida Relays in March, and she's regularly split under 50 seconds on relays.

McLaughlin is far from the favorite, though, as she will be up against the two fastest women in NCAA history, Courtney Okolo (49.71 PB) and Ellis (49.99 PB).

The 24-year-old Okolo easily won the world indoor title in March, but hasn't dipped under 51 seconds outdoors.

Ellis set the American indoor record in winning her first NCAA title, but lost the outdoor crown to Georgia freshman Lynna Irby—who will not compete in Des Moines.

Shakima Wimbley, the 2017 NCAA indoor champion for 400m, will also be in the mix. She was runner-up to Okolo at World Indoors and has not lost to an American besides Francis during the outdoor season.

Women's 100m Hurdles: Kendra Harrison vs. Sharika Nelvis Redux

World record holder Keni Harrison won her first U.S. title in the 100m hurdles at the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships. © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

Key Athletes: Kendra Harrison, Dawn Harper Nelson, Sharika Nelvis, Christina Manning, Jasmin Stowers, Queen Harrison, Kori Carter

Analysis: None of the three women who led Team USA's hurdle sweep at the Rio Olympic Games will be in Des Moines, but the credentials of those actually competing proves just how deep the United States is in the 100m hurdles.

World record holder Keni Harrison, the world indoor champion for 60m hurdles this year, won her first four short hurdle races of the outdoor season before falling to third behind Olympic champion Brianna McNeal and U.S. indoor 60H champion Sharika Nelvis in Shanghai.

Nelvis' 12.52 season-best from Shanghai makes her the fastest woman in the field this year, as Harrison ran her season-best of 12.53 in Doha. Remember that it was Nelvis who upset Harrison for the USATF indoor 60m hurdles title in March, setting a new American record in the event before Harrison took the crown back with a gold medal performance at World Indoors.

No one else in the field has run under 12.7 this year, but notable names include Kori Carter, the reigning world outdoor champion for 400m hurdles; Dawn Harper Nelson, the 2017 world silver medalist; and Christina Manning, 2018 60H world silver medalist.

Let the drama begin!

Women's 400m Hurdles: No McLaughlin, Muhammad, Or Carter... Time For A New Champion

Georganne Moline was the top American in the 400m hurdles at the Prefontaine Classic with a third-place, 54.33 performance. Photo Run.

Key Athletes: Georganne Moline, Shamier Little, Ashley Spencer, Cassandra Tate, Anna Cockrell

Analysis: With Rio Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad skipping the meet entirely, reigning world champion Kori Carter testing out the 100m hurdles and NCAA record holder Sydney McLaughlin racing the flat 400m, a new name will rise to the top in the women's 400m hurdles.

There is a pretty big gulf in season's bests as Shamier Little (53.94 SB) and Georganne Moline (53.97 SB) are the only women to run under 54 seconds. The No. 3 woman by season's bests is Cassandra Tate, who ran 54.94 in Prague, while Rio Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Spencer ran 55.22 at the Drake Relays.

All four women raced at the Prefontaine Classic, where Moline fared the best by a significant margin with a third place, 54.33 run. Little, by comparison, ran 55.23 for fifth with Spencer in seventh and Tate in eighth.