2025 USATF Championships - Day 3

A Day at the Races

By Mark Cullen

“It’s good when you just have fun,” said former University of Oregon shot put star, Jaida Ross. The NCAA champion and US Olympian had just qualified for Worlds even though she finished 4^th. With Chase Jackson having a bye into Worlds as defending champion, the US has four entries instead of the customary three.

First place was decided in the first round with Jackson’s opening 20.84 (68-4½). Maggie Ewen stepped up in the second round with her 19.94 (65-5), which stood up for 2^nd, while Jessica Ramsey’s third round 19.56 (64-2 ½) earned her the third spot to Tokyo.

Jaida Ross took care of business early, as her 2^nd round 19.33 (63-5) withstood the challenge of Jessica Woodard’s season’s best of 19.10 (62-8).

There was much anticipation and pre-event buzz over the possibility of an American record from Jackson today, but it was not to be. She had four fair throws – the first two and last two – and all her legal throws were over 20 meters. Her opening 20.84 was just shy of her American record, which stands at 20.95.

                                     Chase Jackson

photo courtesy USATF

Some thoughts and observations about the day.

First, while the finals understandably get the attention, the prelims and semis have stories of their own. There is no letting up; each semi is a final. Fail to advance and your trip to Worlds is over before it began.

For example, the top three times in the first round of the men’s 110m hurdles were 13.10, 13.13, and 13.15. Hello? The 12:14pm start time left little recovery time from brunch. These are results found in any World or Olympic final.

Same in the women’s 100m hurdles semis - at 12:40 pm - with the top three at 12.25, 12.34, and 12.39. Not long ago, 12.20 was the world record.

These crazy start times are what happens when we try to do in 4 days at nationals what we did in 9 days during last year’s Olympic Trials.

Second, in ‘announcing collectibles’ we have this unavoidable gem, as it had everything to do with qualifying for Worlds in the women’s steeplechase - and the surprise, on many levels, silver medalist:

“Fortunately, Napoleon has met the championship qualifying standard.”

Does Russia know? Are they good with that?

This refers to surprise second-placer Angelina Napoleon of North Carolia State. She actually has run fractionally faster than she did today, 7:10.72 at the Paris Diamond League Meet last month. We should have seen her coming!

Still, she was 3^rd at the outdoor NCAA championships this June and not on most form charts to make the team.

Finally, I have new technology – that is, a new laptop complete with software intended for use in this century.

It’s off to a shaky start.

Today it auto-corrected Sebastian Coe to Sebastian Cullen.

I accept.